While we’d long ago heard from a reliable source that Slingbox Chromecast playback was a lock, Sling hasn’t communicated anything publicly in recent weeks … with “soon” having come and gone. However, Sling support staff has once again come through with pre-release intel:
Yes, a Slingbox M1 with the latest firmware (this would be updated during initial setup) will support SlingPlayer for Chromecast.
Having a Slingbox has always made it easy to watch your TV around the house, around town, or even around the world – on laptops, mobile phones, or tablets. SlingPlayer for Chromecast, combined with a Slingbox and SlingPlayer on your mobile device, allows you to extend your complete living room HDTV experience to any TV around your home, or to a TV in another location where you have an Internet connection. With SlingPlayer on your supported phone or tablet, you can stream your TV programs to a Chromecast device connected to a TV, and then onto the TV. And after you have established a connection with Chromecast, you can run other apps on your mobile device.
Note: This software only works with the Slingbox M1, Slingbox 350, or SlingTV/Slingbox 500
While the agent seems to suggest Chromecast support has launched, this isn’t actually the case. But we’re clearly getting real close.
Related, beta Android Chromecast mirroring does indeed beam video from the Slingplayer app to your television (as pictured above) … should you have a supported smartphone and are OK without audio. The margins and resolution were also a bit off, but picture quality is surprisingly decent. Yet, again, no sound – at least via a Galaxy S4 running the latest SlingPlayer. Fortunately, real support won’t be long now?
(Thanks John!)
In perusing various discussions, it seems the beta Android Chromecast mirroring audio is hit or miss, based both on device and on app. So others may have better luck.
Ahhhhhh sh*t. Slingbox Pro HD here. Sad panda. Not worth the upgrade just for Chromecast support.
12 hours later and audio now works using Android mirroring to Chromecast! Both devices have been rebooted in the interim, but not other changes. However, video quality is also much worse for whatever reason – dropped frames and lower res. The networking gods are unpredictable…
Can’t wait for the real deal with Chromecast receiving a/v directly from the network, versus being relayed by smartphone.
Well, slingbox just sold me. I need to go get an M1 now.
I have the Slingbox Pro HD, too. Does anyone know if the M1 is faster? I’ve always wondered if the lag changing channels would ever improve. I’m fine if it hasn’t but if it has improved then that’s a selling feature in my mind, too.
What we need to do is kickstarter our own slingbox! Or create our own slingbox software.
evan, I can’t make a comparison, but I will say that my Slingbox 500 can have pretty long lag and significant delay that I imagine many won’t like. I am fine with it because I am getting my video remotely, and that is a miracle to me.
I will add that if I Sling to a TV on my LAN (from one room of the house to another), I have found that if I use the Dish remote (it uses RF and Zigbee as well as IR) I get almost instantaneous response to commands, but the commands via Sling will have lags of around 3 seconds even from one room to another on my LAN. Also, some do complain about lag for both 350 and 500. Perhaps you can check out videos on YouTube for Slingbox demos to see for yourself. Good luck.
I wouldn’t mind the lag as much if the video didn’t pause when using the Sling app for remote commands. I experience video pauses on both my tablets and the windows app with input.
Another reviewer implied that the Chromecast Slingplayer app only works within your home network. I can’t imagine, though, that a company that built it’s fortunes by letting people watch their TVs from anywhere would do such a thing. Does anybody know for sure?
well of course it only works in home. Reason- The chromecast only works when you are on your home network. Why would you want to be out and play something to a tv while you are not home?
You might be at someone else’s home or in a hotel (assuming you can get the hotel networking sorted).
jbake – Not so. I use my phone’s hotspot and then cast from my tablet. We even do this in our minivan; the kids watch netflix using the chromecast while we’re driving around town. It works out nicely. I would doubt very much this will be in-home only.
jbake – Not so. I use my phone’s hotspot and then cast from my tablet. We even do this in our minivan; the kids watch netflix using the chromecast while we’re driving around town. It works out nicely. I would doubt very much this will be in-home only.
Dave can you do a write up sometime on ways to stream to a second home? I’d love to ditch my cable bill at my vacation home. Obviously I’d still need high speed internet.
I hate paying two big cable bills.
I’d love to learn about possible options and what the quality of the stream would be (HD?, would it be choppy etc?).
Thanks!
Jack
Jack, we should start with how big are your TVs, or will these be via tablet, and who’s your home cable provider?
Thanks Dave,
Comcast at both houses.
Vacation home has 3 TVs. 46″, 40″, and a smaller 32″? bedroom tv.
What’s your home upload speed and what smartphone do you have?
Verizon fios. Upload speed is 25 or 50.
Have iPhones and iPads.
I think your confusing what there saying… The chromecast slingplayer app will only work when your phone and chromecast are on the same network… The sling box does not have to be on the same network… What I was saying earlier was why would you want to have a app at work trying to play something at home… That’s what they were talking about with the app only working on the same network
I am so looking forward to this as a way to handle my in-home linear video distribution (guest room, workout room). I don’t need more cable boxes for part-time rooms. Any idea of when we’ll hear more or see the magical sling app upgrade that will contain the Chromecast support?
Couldn’t wait for this to finally work on Chromecast..but so far its been a huge disappointment. it lags way too much and the picture is very choppy at times…….but it works perfect on my ipad or iphone…..and when i had used an apple TV previously i had no problem…….looks like my hunt continues for a roku3 or apple tv deal…………..kinda figured it was too good to be true……………….maybe movies are different than Live TV like football and hockey…….but i’ve had no luck with a clear picture for sports.
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Why doesn’t chromecast cast with slingplayer app for Windows on laptop?
Is it only set up to currently cast through the mobile apps?
I’m slinging through M1