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What to do when you don't
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Call Accent on Computers! 203-625-7575.
November 16, 2007
TiVo to Go—Straight to Your Laptop or Cell Phone
Dear Larry,
Did I hear correctly—that it’s possible for me to watch my TiVo on my computer?
F. Z.
Dear F. Z.,
That’s right...your ears are not deceiving you. What will the miracles of
computer technology deliver to your doorstep next?
Just when you were getting used to the idea that you could watch your favorite
TV program over the Internet instead of waiting for summer repeats—here comes
the Slingbox!
What? You didn’t know you could watch TV programs over the Internet? Please
don’t make me change the subject, but here’s a tip: visit
www.abc.com,
www.cbs.com, or www.nbc.com to begin.
Now back to the Slingbox. This nifty device comes in a couple different models
depending on how many things you want to attach to it. For example, with the
Slingbox AV (around $100), you can connect your TiVo or your Cable digital video
recorder. With the Slingbox Pro (around $200), you can connect your TiVo and
your Cable digital video recorder and maybe even another device or two. Once you
connect your devices to the Slingbox, you connect your Slingbox to your
broadband Internet connection, and you’re good to go.
“Good to go where?” you ask. Well, you can go to your computer in the other
room. Or to your laptop in your winter home in Florida. How about the guest
computer in your hotel in Singapore? Or get this—you might even be able to go to
your Internet-enabled cell phone! Anywhere you have access to a high speed
Internet connection, you’ll have access to your home TiVo, DVR, DVD Player—you
name it.
How do you actually accomplish this? Well, when you run the SlingPlayer software
that comes with your Slingbox, it securely connects you (virtually, not
physically) to any one of the devices you previously attached to your Slingbox.
And of course, all this is password-protected to prevent just anyone from
connecting to your devices.
For instance, let’s say you’re accessing your TiVo. What you’ve effectively done
is connected your computer screen to your TiVo back at home. You’ll also see a
picture of your TiVo remote control on your computer. Click, say, the Fast
Forward button on the TiVo remote displayed on your computer, and your computer
in turn sends the signal back to your Slingbox, then onto your TiVo, which
starts Fast Forwarding. And in roughly the blink of an eye, you’ll see your
previously recorded TiVo program fast forwarding on your computer screen—just as
if you were watching it at home. Oops! The commercial’s over. Quick, hit Play!
Naturally, if you’re doing this while a friend or relative in your home also
wants to use your TiVo, you’re going to have to agree on what program to watch.
The Slingbox only connects to and controls your existing TiVo—it doesn’t create
a brand new one.
If you’re the least bit squeamish about any of this, talk to me or another
friendly neighborhood computer professional. And you’ll be TiVo-ing on the road
before you know it!
This is Larry Schneider, logging off.
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