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GNex & Slingbox
- Thread starter Ken7
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- galaxy nexus
DSCR
Well-Known Member
I have used a slingbox for a while. My D2 worked great. The GNex started out rough, but I think that is/was due to the app needing an update for ICS. I dont recall seeing an update come through, maybe I missed it. But it is working much better now.
I assume you mean through data and not wifi? Through wifi it works great.
Also, which sling do you have, solo or HD? I have cheaper solo. As long as I feed the sling an HD signal, I get a great picture IF I have a good wifi or date connection.
I assume you mean through data and not wifi? Through wifi it works great.
Also, which sling do you have, solo or HD? I have cheaper solo. As long as I feed the sling an HD signal, I get a great picture IF I have a good wifi or date connection.
I have a Dish VIP-922 HD receiver that is sling-loaded. Works like a charm for me. Don't know if that helps for you, but I thought I'd input 
DSCR, I've got the Slingbox HD and I get that stutter as evidenced by a stuttering ticker tape crawl at the bottom of a financial channel (only use that as an easy example to see). It shows whether through WiFi or 4G...makes no difference, the stutter is the same.
It might be that the app is not optimized for ICS, I don't know. I do know that my Nexus is capable of buttery smooth, super quality HD, as evidenced by watching trailers on an app like MovieFone. The image through that app, whether on WiFi or 4G, is superb and every bit as good as watching it on an HDTV....just a lot smaller.
So I doubt the issue is my phone or the throughput, it seems it's the Slingbox App for the Android.
I have a Dish VIP-922 HD receiver that is sling-loaded. Works like a charm for me. Don't know if that helps for you, but I thought I'd input
Thanks Chief. Must be something different about that App associated with the Dish. Is your motion buttery smooth as if watching on an HDTV?
Someone on another forum mentioned they thought the frame rate was something on the order of 15-20fps and that's precisely what it looks like to me.
It really seems the issue is a reduced frame rate more than anything. A smooth frame rate is about 30fps and rates significantly below that will give the video a stuttery feel.
DSCR
Well-Known Member
DSCR, I've got the Slingbox HD and I get that stutter as evidenced by a stuttering ticker tape crawl at the bottom of a financial channel (only use that as an easy example to see). It shows whether through WiFi or 4G...makes no difference, the stutter is the same.
It might be that the app is not optimized for ICS, I don't know. I do know that my Nexus is capable of buttery smooth, super quality HD, as evidenced by watching trailers on an app like MovieFone. The image through that app, whether on WiFi or 4G, is superb and every bit as good as watching it on an HDTV....just a lot smaller.
So I doubt the issue is my phone or the throughput, it seems it's the Slingbox App for the Android.
Well, based on your description, mine is doing the same with scrolls across the screen. ESPN, FOX News, CNN, etc. The scrolling is a little skippy/jerky as you described. I can't swear it hasnt always done that, even on the D2. I still use the D2 around the house on wifi, so I will check.
Bottom line is that I can watch it as is. When I need to see a game or something, I am usually just happy I have a way to see it even if it isnt perfect.
Under settings/developer options I tried the "force GPU renderings" setting with no change. I read in some thread about forcing a faster frame rate with video somehow. If I find that thread I will check that out and post it here.
Like you, I think we need an app update. I think I will write sling through the market and see what they say.
Thanks for enlightening me to the problem....I think. LOL
I've got a nexus and a slingbox. The slow frame rate is there on 4G and WiFi. It wouldn't stop me from watching by any means. I also have a Galaxy Tab 10.1 running Honeycomb - it has no choppiness whatsoever.
Based on this, I agree that it is probably just an ICS optimization issue.
Not a huge deal. The colors were FANTASTIC on the Nexus as compared to the 10.1 though.
Based on this, I agree that it is probably just an ICS optimization issue.
Not a huge deal. The colors were FANTASTIC on the Nexus as compared to the 10.1 though.
crackers8199
Android Enthusiast
i use it (w/ slingbox pro hd) and it works just fine as far as i'm concerned. no worse than it was on my incredible...
i will say that i hope they eventually release an ICS update that will allow it to get rid of the buttons and go full screen, similar to the way the youtube app does.
i will say that i hope they eventually release an ICS update that will allow it to get rid of the buttons and go full screen, similar to the way the youtube app does.
Good idea, but like DSCR, the forced rendering had no effect on the playback smoothness. Clarity is fine, colors are rich, it's just a slow frame rate.
You know it's interesting, but now that I think of it, an app like MovieFone allows true HD streaming of trailers, yet both Fandango and "Movies" seem to default to a low rez stream on the Nexus. Yet with my Bionic, my wife's IPhone and the Rezound I had once had, I got much sharper playback from Fandango & Movies. Netflix is very smooth and its resolution is not quite up to the trailers from MoiveFone, but it looks pretty nice.
So it really seems that some apps just aren't yet optimized for ICS & the Nexus.
jikhead
Android Expert
I just picked up my GN on Thursday and tested it last night with my Dish VIP922 over WiFi and had no issues. I haven't tested it over the network though, and have had issues with the phone app since the last update a few months ago (on my Incredible); whereby I would repeatedly have to open/close to get the app to finally start streaming.
DSCR
Well-Known Member
FYI, I tried my old D2 that I used with sling, over wifi of course, and the scrolling is jerky there as well. I just never noticed it before or cared. Again, I was always just happy to be able to see a game or something when I wouldnt have been able to otherwise.
If Sling does an update, one thing I would like them to do is let the screen sleep and allow me to hear the audio while the screen is off. In my truck, obviously, I cant watch but I can listen. I do this all the time. News, a game whatever. I usually have the phone plugged in anyway, but it would be nice to be able to listen and not burn battery. I even do this walking around with the phone in my pocket.
Sirius/XM app and every streaming app I have lets me listen with the screen off. Oh, and browser apps need this function too. Many times I am listening to a sports or news program streaming via browser.
Oh well, I can send suggestions.....and wish.
If Sling does an update, one thing I would like them to do is let the screen sleep and allow me to hear the audio while the screen is off. In my truck, obviously, I cant watch but I can listen. I do this all the time. News, a game whatever. I usually have the phone plugged in anyway, but it would be nice to be able to listen and not burn battery. I even do this walking around with the phone in my pocket.
Sirius/XM app and every streaming app I have lets me listen with the screen off. Oh, and browser apps need this function too. Many times I am listening to a sports or news program streaming via browser.
Oh well, I can send suggestions.....and wish.
if u have tivo, u can use plex app to stream tv to ur GNex. (there's tivo plug in on plex)
dont need slingbox at all
Interesting! How's the quality of the streaming, is it in HD? Then I wonder why LoBatt has his Tivo hooked up to Slingox...unless he's using other components too.
Edit: I just googled that up and it said it's not easy for Tivo to stream HD. The box must be set to an unused channel and even then you might have issues.
How is your motion smoothness? I'm assuming it has a low frame rate look to it too? I just wonder if it's even capable of streaming a 30fps stream with the current Slingobx Android App.
How's your motion smoothness? The impression I get is that many are OK with the lower frame rates using the Slingbox app on the Nexus that result in a motion that's not nearly as smooth as if you're watching TV directly.
Thanks DSCR. I think my expectations are too high. When I called Slingbox tech support, they never gave me the impression that low frame rates were normal for the Android App. So I think I came away thinking if I didn't get buttery smooth motion, there was something wrong.
I really feel (assuming that it's not just a case of the App not being optimized for ICS), they should give you the option for a higher frame rate. They could do this under a category of 'highest quality'. There's absolutely no reason why this wouldn't be feasible given the extremely high quality, smooth HD playback that you can get from YouTube HD clips, HD movie trailers etc.
It's certainly not the Nexus at fault.
LoBatt
Android Enthusiast
The Tivo/Slingbox works without having to keep a dedicated PC. I can also transfer avi files using PyTivoX to the Tivo and then watch them anywhere with Slingbox.
But you still need the Slingbox to be hooked up via a router. If you have a router you've also got a computer hooked up to it, no?
Can you stream HD channels from the Tivo effectively? Is the motion smooth?
I've got Verizon's FIOS and if the Tivo could stream HD effectively without the need for a Slingbox, I could easily return the Slingbox and for the same price get a Tivo HD/Series3 (or whatever they're up to these days).
I wonder why your Tivo would play HD smoothly on the Nexus via the Slingbox Android App and a Verizon FIOS set top box would not?????
LoBatt
Android Enthusiast
True. I'm in the preliminary stages of constructing my man cave. I'll eventually have an iMac that's always on and serving as my media server. For now, all my stuff is on my MacBook and it goes where I go. I can load up the Tivo and then split.
As to FIOS, got me. I have a decent Comcast cable connection - generally 15 MBPS down and 5 or so up. On the remote side, it works like a charm on my Nexus if I'm on 4G or on wifi somewhere. It seems to be HD quality on my Nexus although my eyesight ain't what it used to be. But it's better than it was on my TBolt for sure. On my Galaxy Tab 10.1, it's pretty good but a lesser apparent resolution than on the Nexus. On my MacBook, it's awesome.
LoBatt, on your Nexus, is the HD from your setup as smooth as watching HD on an HDTV? Some have said, and I believe it, the video seems to be playing at about 15-20fps as opposed to the typical 30fps that is required for smooth, buttery motion.
Although my motion is fairly smooth on my computer when watching the Slingbox, it's not really smooth when watching the same video on my Nexus via the Slingbox Android App. I think the problem resides with the App not being optimized for ICS...but who knows?
LoBatt
Android Enthusiast
I just watched some of Saturday Night Live with my Nexus and 50" 1080i plasma TV side by side. The resolution on the Nexus appears to be HD to my eye. The frame rate isn't quite 30 fps but it's close. It's definitely better than 15 to 20 fps.