Accessories Dishnetwork sling adapter

[Eurosteve]

Dishnetwork is offering a SLING adapter for their 722/722k DVR that streams TV and DVR content to Android phones. It uses the Dish remote access app in the marketplace. $99. Just came out a couple of days ago. Thinking about getting it to stream to the Droid.

In a couple of press releases it talks about how it works with the 4.3" smartphones. But the Dish remote access app seems to run on the Droid. I guess we'll have to see if it runs on the Droid 1 or not...

(and the app is free, not $29)

 

[ndoren]

Dishnetwork is offering a SLING adapter for their 722/722k DVR that streams TV and DVR content to Android phones. It uses the Dish remote access app in the marketplace. $99. Just came out a couple of days ago. Thinking about getting it to stream to the Droid.

In a couple of press releases it talks about how it works with the 4.3" smartphones. But the Dish remote access app seems to run on the Droid. I guess we'll have to see if it runs on the Droid 1 or not...

From the picture accompanying the Dish Network app, it looks very similar to the standard slingplayer app. Thus, I suspect its a modified version of slingplayer, as it has a very unique and distinctive UI. If so, you're in luck, because the slingplayer app runs beautifully on the Droid 1, both via 3G and WiFi. Neall

 

[Eurosteve]

Glad to hear it, thanks! I'm going to try it out.

 

[dkotoric]

so will the slingplayer app also work with the sling adapter, or is it only the dish remote app.

 

[cjr72]

I've used the sling player app for a while now with dish and just downloaded and played with the dish network app a little bit today. The dish app is much better. Just simple things like changing channels was painful with the sling app. To setup a recording with the sling app it used the home dish box's tv interface through the video stream which was also very painful. The dish app shows the schedule and your recordings with a native app interface. It's much faster and easier to use. It looks like you can also use it as remote. When I tapped a recording to watch it asked me if I wanted to watch it on the phone or the tv. I'll play with that some more when I get home. I'm running it on a Samsung Vibrant btw.

 

[colnago]

Been playing with my adapter on my Moto Defy, and laptop (while at work) on my 722 since last night. It definitely puts out a cleaner image than my Sling Solo, for both SD and HD images. Plug and play installation (literally, since I already had my 722 online).

What sux is that I just got an Android phone a few weeks ago, since giving back my Droid last December. I bought the Sling Mobile app for $30 about a week ago, and this comes out, with a free "DishNetwork" app. Well, the Dish app provides access not only to the 722's adapter, but my Sling Solo as well. The Dish app has a few less visible controls, but the Channel and DVR guides make for a better user interface than the paid app...and again, a better picture. Even when comparing SD to SD on the Solo.

I just wonder if being able to push out the feed from Tuner 1 would be better than pushing out the feed from Tuner 2, since Tuner 2, on the box at least, is only SD capable. I expected Avatar to look better than it did on HBO-HD when connecting to the adapter over WiFi.

 

[crenita]

Just got my sling adapter.. and WOW. love the live TV.. looks good... and clear and audio is good as well. . Best $99 bucks I have spent in a LOng time.. happy.. I finally have live TV on my cell phone.. YIPPPPEEEEE...!!!!!!!

 

[Eurosteve]

Just got my Sling adapter. Works great on my Droid 1 (and my home computer and laptop). Had to buy a wireless usb broadband connector (from DISH, $25) to connect my 722K with wifi. Getting a 55 signal strength. (Dish says under 40 is a problem and over 60 is "very good.") Good audio and video so far. Very cool to get TV on the Droid!

Update: Some stuttering and pausing on the Droid (over 3G) but mostly smooth video. Some trouble watching DVR recordings on Droid. Okay after multiple attempts. No problems on computer.

 

[jenbeast]

Here's a few stupid questions...just got my 722k and my sling adapter and wireless usb connector are on their way but I am not sure how exactly these things will work.

1. How am I going to connect to a password protected wireless network using the DISH interface. It doesn't seem to be capable of this given the options on the broadband menu.
2. The USB port in the front doesn't work with my external hard drive so how will my Sling, usb wireless adapter and hard drive all work with the one working USB input at the back? I figure I can use a hub for the hard drive and sling but I don't think a wireless adapter will work this way.

Since you have all this working I am hoping you can assure me that this will all work for me too

I can't wait to watch TV on my laptop and droid!!

 

[Eurosteve]

Here's a few stupid questions...just got my 722k and my sling adapter and wireless usb connector are on their way but I am not sure how exactly these things will work.

1. How am I going to connect to a password protected wireless network using the DISH interface. It doesn't seem to be capable of this given the options on the broadband menu.
2. The USB port in the front doesn't work with my external hard drive so how will my Sling, usb wireless adapter and hard drive all work with the one working USB input at the back? I figure I can use a hub for the hard drive and sling but I don't think a wireless adapter will work this way.

Since you have all this working I am hoping you can assure me that this will all work for me too

I can't wait to watch TV on my laptop and droid!!

First, when you get your wireless usb connector, connect that to either the front usb or the rear usb. You'll want to use the included cable to connect it, so you can position the wireless usb connector for the strongest signal. That will hook up your 722k to your wireless network. The instructions accompanying the usb connector will tell you how to configure this. It does connect to your password connected network. You need to make sure you get a strong enough signal between your 722K and your router. (They say that under 40 is a problem.)

I'm only one step ahead of you on the next part. Next, I plugged in the Sling Adapter into the rear port. The unit automatically recognized the Sling Adapter and it started working. The part I don't know about is the usb hub and the hard drive. I've read that the hard drive and the Sling Adapter can work together on a powered hub. I'm waiting for my powered usb hub to arrive today and I'm going to hook up the wireless connector and the Sling Adapter to it. I imagine that you can add the hard drive to these two but I'm not sure.

But I would start out by just connecting the wireless usb broadband connector and making sure that works before doing anything else. Once that is connected you can access your dvr online at the dishnetwork website. After you're sure that works, then you can connect the Sling Adapter and log onto the website to try that out. I would add the hard drive last. Good luck.

Steve

 

[jenbeast]

So far so good. Got the sling adapter today and it is all hooked up and working with the receiver and transmitting to my computer and Droid. Took no time at all to setup and working perfectly. Yay!!

I will let you know how things go when I get the wireless adapter and have to add the hub to connect the hard drive. For now I have a long network cable running across the hall from my office to my bedroom!

 

[mbarta]

I have the Dish 722k and Sling adapter, picture is good, and menus are nice.

Unfortunately, 9 times out of 10 if I connect while the DVR is recording, the DVR/App will not change stations. After multiple attempts to change stations, the app will eventually provide a prompt that this action can only be completed in live mode and will cancel the current recording. Select OK to end the current recording, and nothing happens, and I still can NOT change stations. Have tried selecting a different program from the guide and again I get an occasional prompt that the DVR is recording, and it never changes stations.

I have also noticed an occasional bug when I first connect to the Sling adapter, I get what was showing on tuner 1, not what I selected, after a disconnect and reconnect it will then display the correct programming.

From my experience, if you want to watch what you are currently recording or have a previous DVR recording it works great. If you want to cancel the current program that is being recording and watch something else, you are out of luck.

 

[jenbeast]

Got my wireless adapter and everything is working nicely together via PC, MAC, Droid etc. My only complaint is sometimes I have trouble viewing certain shows and the sling reboots itself. Is this a common problem?

 

[colnago]

So far so good. Got the sling adapter today and it is all hooked up and working with the receiver and transmitting to my computer and Droid. Took no time at all to setup and working perfectly. Yay!!

I will let you know how things go when I get the wireless adapter and have to add the hub to connect the hard drive. For now I have a long network cable running across the hall from my office to my bedroom!

If you still have not gotten the hard drive to work, you may have to pay the external HD fee (one time $35) to enable that "service". At least that's what I had to do with my VIP622.

 

[ten9399]

Anyone having problems with watching full screen? Laptop

 

[Eurosteve]

Just got my Sling adapter. Works great on my Droid 1 (and my home computer and laptop). Had to buy a wireless usb broadband connector (from DISH, $25) to connect my 722K with wifi. Getting a 55 signal strength. (Dish says under 40 is a problem and over 60 is "very good.") Good audio and video so far. Very cool to get TV on the Droid!

Update: Some stuttering and pausing on the Droid (over 3G) but mostly smooth video. Some trouble watching DVR recordings on Droid. Okay after multiple attempts. No problems on computer.

Update: After using the Sling adapter for a few weeks, I need to report that the whole thing is hit-and-miss. (No problems to report with computer access.) Using the Droid 1 to access my 722k, it often takes several times to get the DVR to be recognized as connected. Then sometimes I can only access live programming even though I'm trying to access a recording on my DVR. This morning, the opposite happened, I wanted to watch something live and I kept being taken to the middle of a Jay Leno recording. I don't know how that happened.

So it's still very cool to be able to watch TV on the Droid but it would be nice to have greater control over what I get to watch.

 

[Dauber]

Just received my Sling Adapter yesterday and had no problem hooking up and getting it to work. I do have one problem in that the streaming picture continually pauses and restarts all the time, as well as the sound not syncing with the picture. I have the Samsung Fascinate on Verizon wireless. I have the same issue whether streaming via wifi at home or 3G away from home.

There are not any settings on the phone or Dish Remote Access app that I could see that I could tweak to get better streaming.

Has anyone else had this issue or could suggest something to improve streaming issues?


Thanks in advance.

 

[Eurosteve]

Just received my Sling Adapter yesterday and had no problem hooking up and getting it to work. I do have one problem in that the streaming picture continually pauses and restarts all the time, as well as the sound not syncing with the picture. I have the Samsung Fascinate on Verizon wireless. I have the same issue whether streaming via wifi at home or 3G away from home.

There are not any settings on the phone or Dish Remote Access app that I could see that I could tweak to get better streaming.

Has anyone else had this issue or could suggest something to improve streaming issues?


Thanks in advance.

The only thing I can think of to check is the connection from your DISH receiver to the internet. Are you connecting by wifi or powerline? If by wifi, have you checked the connection strength to see how good your wifi connection is? DISH says that over 60 is optimal, under 40 is a problem.

The reason I think of the connection is that when I connect my Droid by wifi, it's much better than by 3g. So I wonder if the signal is getting through to your network okay.

 

[Dauber]

The only thing I can think of to check is the connection from your DISH receiver to the internet. Are you connecting by wifi or powerline? If by wifi, have you checked the connection strength to see how good your wifi connection is? DISH says that over 60 is optimal, under 40 is a problem.

The reason I think of the connection is that when I connect my Droid by wifi, it's much better than by 3g. So I wonder if the signal is getting through to your network okay.

Thanks for the reply. I have my 722k receiver hard wired. I know dish recommends at least 150 kbps download speed for mobile DRA. I'm going to look for an app that can show what the kbps is for my SF and hope someone has some suggestions.

Thanks.

 

[Eurosteve]

Thanks for the reply. I have my 722k receiver hard wired. I know dish recommends at least 150 kbps download speed for mobile DRA. I'm going to look for an app that can show what the kbps is for my SF and hope someone has some suggestions.

Thanks.

Let us know what you find out. But I would expect that download speed wouldn't be an issue with wifi on your SF, maybe with a weak 3g signal.

Have you tried viewing on your computer to see if that is working okay?

 

[Eurosteve]

UPDATE: Recent app update and now the whole thing is more stable. Much more reliable. Able to tune to stations or DVR content at will. Working much better now.

 

[crenita]

I totally agree.. since the update . performance is at least 75% better.. I tuned in last night and watched 2 hr long shows ... No stuttering , no lag and channels turn as I changed them.. right on DISH.. pretty cooll...

I just rooted my ereader Nook Color and was able to add the app to it and watch LIVE TV on my ereader.. WHOO HOO

 

[johnjrval424]

I'm glad to see that everyone is getting quality service from their Sling adapter and 722k DVR. Hopefully I will be one of the group soon.

Unfortunately, right now, I have nothing but absolutely terrible things to say about this setup. I have called Dish Network no less than 6 times since hooking up everything because my DVR won't stay online. Every time I call, I get a different response - anything from completely rebooting my wireless network (which I will NEVER do again) to getting a replacement Sling turbo (still didn't fix the problem) to rebooting the DVR - you name it. It works for a day and then goes offline again (I get the message on my Droid - "you are trying to access a feature that requires a connection to the internet" and it says my DVR is offline.

No one at Dish Network seems to have a clue what the problem is so I'm getting desperate now and reaching out the community in general. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Here's the facts:

(1) DVR is connected to my network (shows the 722k on my network)
(2) I can sometimes (emphasis: sometimes) access the DVR online but not always
(3) When the app is working properly on my phone, I can schedule recordings but cannot watch live TV
(4) When accessing the Dish app on my Droid, I have to press it twice to get it to launch (apparently everyone else is having this issue as well)

Right now, I feel that this was $100 absolutely wasted. Any help is appreciated! And thanks for tolerating my rant...

 

[crenita]

I am sorry you are having so much difficulty. My system works really really well.... one suggestion would be when you call dish.. ask for the advance technician.. if they ref tell them how many time you have called without resolution. there is a team that just deals with sling issue.. and that is probably who you need to get to.... good luck...

 

[dumluk2002]

Has anyone used this on your phone on the road using just 3g?? Is it worth it?