At this point, its fairly common knowledge that one of the main sources of entertainment now is streaming media, something that is growing by leaps and bounds. Thanks to Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and others, anytime you get an urge to view something, you’re just a few key clicks away from it. Now, put a little spin on that concept. Streaming your television programing you pay for to you, where ever you may be, over the internet, or better yet, streaming your DVR to your location. Well, that idea is a rather simple feat to meet now thanks to Dish Network and the Sling Adapter, and if you have picky, rambunctious young kid, this could be the rare and unique savior to your sanity.
If you’re like me, your DVR contains a handful of things either you haven’t had a chance to watch yet, things you’ve saved to watch again, and then the largest portion is taken up by what your kid(s) enjoy watching. Well, thanks to the Sling Adapter, you can watch these anytime, anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection, your computer, your iPad or your iPhone. Yes, you’re TV programming that you pay monthly for, has now gone mobile with you! If you’ve caught some of those Dish Network “TV Everywhere” commercials on TV, this is what they’re advertising, this will literally give you YOUR TV Everywhere. ( I think that’s a better slogan, they should have used that. However if they want to know, my royalty charge will be minimal. 
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THE SPECS
Dish Network was kind enough to send me a Sling Adapter for review a while back, and it didn’t take me very long to see it was worth the $99 price tag. The unit itself measures in at approximately 4” x 8” and is somewhere around 1/2 thick, and has a red honeycomb design. So really this thing isn’t going to be taking any extra space. The adapter itself is compatible with Dish Network’s ViP 722 or ViP 722K HD DuoDVR.
Eezy Peezy Nice and Easy Install
Installation is nearly fool proof as you only have to connect the Sling Adapter to the USB port on the back of the DVR. Seriously, as far as hardware installation, that’s it. One thing to remember is that your compatible receiver must be connected to a high-speed internet connection. If you haven’t already, you will also need to activate your receiver online. Oh! And you need an online account with Dish Network, but most probably already have that.
I’ll skip the web interface for the moment and get right into the part that everyone wants to know about. The mobile device usage!!
DISH Remote Access
DISH Remote Access is a free app for the iPhone and iPad in the App Store. The app is also available on Android phones and the iPod Touch. (Blackberry is in Beta). With the mobile app, over a high-speed internet connection or 3G wireless signal, you can watch live TV, plus have a full-featured DVR manager where you can watch/delete programs on your DVR at home. You can search the program guide and schedule recordings, and also have a full virtual remote control. (A fun toy to drive family members insane from a distance). Yes, you read that right, with just the Sling Adapter, you can have access to all your TV programing you pay for, anywhere you are.
All the functions of the DISH Remote Access work great for what they’re intended for. I honestly look forward to using it while on vacation in a couple of months. The streaming content can come from live TV or your DVR, and the video streams at a good rate, even to an iPhone. You even have the option of watching in HD if that’s available, but I only suggest it for computers and possibly iPads. HD would play on my iPhone but was very choppy and sluggish, and on such a small screen, you really can’t tell that much difference. Of course ultimately, picture quality will depend on the data speed you’re pulling the video from, but ultimately, this is great, especially as a parent wanting to keep certain young ones happy.
The PC viewing is also just as easy to use, and I’ve actually started to prefer using the online access interface when doing an in-depth cleaning of my DVR.
The get to the PC web interface, you can go through your account on DishNetwork.com or go to their new beta site DishOnline.com. From there you can access the Sling Adapter and all parts of your Dish system and your DVR. So if you’re away from home on business or on vacation and want to catch your local news, or catch up on your soap you can with just a few clicks.
When viewing from a PC, you have a few streaming speed choices compared to the mobile apps. You have: Good, Better or Best/HD. Again, ultimately this is all based on your internet connection speed. So when you’re at McDonalds or Starbucks, don’t expect to get good results from streaming HD video.
THE COMMENTARY
I will come right out and say that the more I worked and played with this, the more I enjoyed it. I feel it does just what it says it does, and allow you to watch your television programing, that you pay for, no matter where you’re at. I’m still fighting with my old 3G iPhone, but should be upgrading soon, and once I do, I’m hoping that the streaming and the overall performance on the iPhone improves from what I experienced. Even then, what I experienced, I have no complaints on. If you have an iPad, this just feels like it was made for it, and runs very smooth. With only having to pay the one $99 fee, simply to purchase the hardware required, I really feel its worth it! Especially if you travel a lot, or find you have to clean out your DVR prior to going on vacation so you don’t miss anything. As far as using it with the little ones, and arguing that you could simply purchase certain cartoon episodes off of iTunes much easier. Take into consideration the limited amount of space you have on your mobile device. You can only have so many episodes of Dora saved, while with this, you have access to all your DVR content, plus live TV streaming.
You might think the whole thing is a little silly or a waste of money while reading this, but trust me, after you take advantage of having it a few times, you’ll never want to go back to nothing having it.
Geekasm’s Dish Network Sling Adapter Stat Sheet
Pros
- Live TV and your personal DVR content nearly anywhere
- NO extra service fees
- iPhone and iPad apps available
- Streaming speeds work well with different connections
Cons
- Steaming in HD seems to cause hang-ups
- No notification if someone is currently using the receiver
- Limited to only 2 compatible receivers
- Not yet available on BlackBerry
Specifications
Size - 4" x 8" x 0.5" Approx Requirements -DISH Network ViP 722 or ViP 722K Reciever
-High-speed Internet ServiceOperating System Requirements - PC Viewing: Windows XP, Vista, or 7; IE 7 or higher
-Mac Viewing: Mac OS 10.5.7 or later; Safari Ver 3 or highter
-Firefox Ver 3 or higher on either
I give it a 4.5 out of 5
**Disclaimer** I did receive a free trial product from Dish Network, but this in no way swayed or affected the review of the unit or this post. I have truly been impressed and enjoyed the product. And as always, don’t worry, because if there is something I don’t like, don’t worry, I’ll tell ya.
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