There has been a lot of talk lately about Sling Media's Slingbox and their NEW mobile software that enables TV viewing via cell phone. Starting Mar. 23, Slingbox owners can get a free version of SlingPlayer Mobile by registering online before Apr. 26. After that, the software will be on sale for $29.99 (including a free 30-day trial).
It sounds good at first glance but I watch TV on my iPAQs and K-Jam all the time and I do it for FREE. I use Orb and it is just terrific especially when I am at my home in Maine. I don't get many channels up here and we don't have cable...maybe some day they will offer it up here but for right now, they don't. It is not a big deal to us because we just watch cable shows using Orb....and it is terrific!
I installed Orb a long time ago and it has got to be one of the coolist programs I have loaded in years....and one that I use several times a week using my iPAQ, K-Jam and while I am in Maine, my laptop.
What does it do? Well, simply put, as long as my computer is on at home and I have internet access away from my home, I can watch live TV on my iPAQ or laptop when I'm on the road! That's right...LIVE TV! Very cool and it works!
Sometime back, I had this urge for Chinese food so off I went to my favorite restaurant. I turned on my iPAQ and I was instantly watching TV on my iPAQ through Orb!
But what is even better is that I can share my photos with friends and family while I am away. If I want to watch a movie I have on my home PC I can and I don't have to upload anything! How cool is that?
I found this application very cool and very easy to set up. In a matter of minutes I was up and running watching TV, browsing my photo's, listening to music and even watching a movie. If you haven't tried it, you should...I think you'll like it!
What do you need?
To enjoy Orb TV Live, your TV cable needs to be connected to the TV tuner on the back of your Windows XP computer. I have a Media Center PC so it was all set to go. Now I can watch favorite shows, stream live or recorded TV, schedule TV recordings while away and access and monitor webcams wherever I am.
With Orb Photo, I can store and view photos on my PC from anywhere! What is also cool is that I can send photos from my camera phone to my home PC. I guess I won't have to worry about running out of storage space on my device while on a trip.
With Orb Audio, I can stream my MP3 collection listening to quality sound with no long downloads --- now that is cool!
With Orb Video, I can watch my recorded TV shows on my iPAQ. Can you imagine enjoying your movies and home videos while away from home? Just stream your videos, there is no need to wait for a download!
Check it out! It is an amazing product and best of all --- IT'S FREE!!
You can find Orb here.
5 comments:
WOW, I am surprised Jerry because I use it all the time without a hitch. I am using it with a Sony Vaio PCG-Z1, Intel Pentium M 1700 MHz processor, 1.69 GHz, 1 GB of RAM
I'll work on my computer and will watch a movie and just have not had any issues.
I don't know if this is any help but...
Question:
What TCP and UDP ports do I need to open on my firewall for Orb?
Solution:
Different ports are used to stream Orb media, depending on the media type:
for Windows Media: you need to be able to connect to TCP port 80. This is the usual HTTP port so, for this, you should not need to change anything at all.
for Real Media: you need to be able to connect to TCP port 554 and UDP port 13398.
If you have a router with UPnP enabled and use DirectStream:
You need to open incoming TCP ports 80 and 554 as well as UDP ports 13398, 13399, 13400 and 13401 (these last 3 ports are used to stream 3GP media in DirectStream, the Orb feature that enables direct streaming from your Orb PC to your device without passing through Orb stream servers).
Important: if you are already hosting a web server at home, there may be conflicts with Orb if you are using UPnP. To prevent this potential conflict on port 80, you need to either disable UPnP on your router, or create a new registry key on your Orb PC (see the KB article How can I use DirectStream (UPnP)(http://support.orb.com/support/solution.jsp?sol=96) if TCP port 80 is already used by my web server?
Note - If you install Orb behind a restrictive corporate firewall:
You need to ask your network administrator to open outgoing TCP ports 82, 85 and 86.
I agree with jngold. I think your post was a bit too harsh of sling media.
Geez Anonymous (aka Stimey), I appreciate everyone’s ability to make a comment but I have to question what you meant by "I think your post was a bit too harsh of sling media".
What was "harsh"?
I went back to reread what I had said and the only piece that I could possibly construe as being "harsh" is my comment: "It sounds good at first glance but I watch TV on my iPAQs and K-Jam all the time and I do it for FREE".
Well, if that is the reference you are referring to, what can I say? That is certainly NOT "harsh".
If it is not, show me the "harshness".
Orb works for me and it works well especially while I am in Maine at my summer house. Where I am, there are only three channels that come in (sometimes), there is no cable and the "dish" is just not an option.
Now, if I were to look at the Sling homepage, it starts with: "Introducing the Slingbox™ — a groundbreaking piece of hardwired ingenuity that will literally transform the way you watch television. The Slingbox enables you to watch your TV programming from wherever you are by turning virtually any Internet-connected PC into your personal TV. Whether you’re in another room or in another country, you’ll always have access to your television"
I can do that with Orb...for FREE.
If I were to use a Slingbox it would cost me $249.99....and if you miss the free mobile upgrade, there is an additional $29 to add, so where is the distinct advantage over Orb?
Oh yeah, using the Slingbox, can you access your photo's from your computer? Can you watch a video that you have on your computer? How about listening to some of your MP3s? I don't know but the more I talk about it, the more I really like Orb....and it's FREE!!!
I have to beg to differ. It isnt free you have to have a tuner card that you paide for .. Just like a slingbox you buy the box and the software is free.
Stimey, as you know, my "tuner card" was already part of my Media Center PC so it was not an issue for me.
If you have a computer without a tuner card and watching TV is important to you while you are away then you can get a fairly decent card for 60-70 dollars...which is a far cry from the $250 price tag.
There are features that the Slingbox has that are pretty cool. I was impressed with the video you made showing me that interface but it is not enough to justify the price for me.
Orb is pretty slick and if I were a betting man, my guess is the next iteration will be even better!
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