Boating TV? Slingbox via Verizon 3G signal?

Rich · 06-11-2012, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

Do you not have a TV at home you can try the HDMI connection with?

You'll probably get a decent enough image on a 22" screen. The 3G coverage at the lake is very sporadic, in my experience over the last 6 years with a Verizon 3G card and various smart phones.

Also, your unlimited 3G isn't *really* unlimited. You WILL get hassled if you start going over 5GB/month regularly, which can include them throttling your download speed (sure, you can still download "unlimited" amounts of data, you're just doing it a dial-up speeds). For example, this past weekend was HORRIBLE for me with Verizon (my iPhone4, wife's 4S and my 3G/4G USB card all got horrible throughput all weekend).

It might be easier to look into getting TV shows via torrents or whatever and just watching TV that way.

I have tried the HDMI connection to a larger TV. It works well with some content (youtube, Crackle, etc.), but I don't own a slingbox yet. I hear great things about slingbox when you have a wifi connection, but I'm told they lower the image quality with the lower bandwidth (3G) connections. So not knowing when (or if ever) Verizon will bring 4G LTE to the lake, I'd like to know how a slingbox will do over a 3G connection when connected to a larger screen.

Thanks for reminding me that Verizon will throttle people. I'm sure they will be more aggressive about this now that they are trying to get people to give up their unlimited data plans.

jrc · 06-11-2012, 07:47 PM

I had my verizon blackberry tethered to my laptop last year in Smith Cove. The bandwidth was around 400K during the week and dropped to 50K most weekends. Some days it was unusable even for browsing. I swear there had to somebody around there downloading tons of porn.

This year I went to an Ipad with ATT, bandwidth is noticably quicker. I haven't measured yet and the summer crowds are just starting. A slip neighbor still has a verizon USB stick and says the bandwidth is much better than last year, so far. The verizon coverage map now shows 3g where I think I remember they previously showed just digital.

We still get cable but I hate paying for it for how much we use it at the lake.

codeman671 · 06-11-2012, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrc

I had my verizon blackberry tethered to my laptop last year in Smith Cove. The bandwidth was around 400K during the week and dropped to 50K most weekends. Some days it was unusable even for browsing. I swear there had to somebody around there downloading tons of porn.

With the crew at the club you can bet on it...

MiFi · 06-12-2012, 07:01 AM

I use sling box on an iPad on AT&T but never tried on TV. I use it most topside when kids are watching cabin TV. However, you may want to look into the cost of the sling box and accessories needed to run, if you plan on putting on our home TV and it's not close to your cable router then you may need another wireless extender. It works well, I love mine, bought it for one of my sons who goes to college in NY, it's just that the cost and functionality limitations may not be worth just paying for cable at the dock. Of course you can use Sling when away from the dock but watching tv rather than enjoying the the lake is not my idea of fun.

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06-11-2012, 07:47 PM	#2
jrc Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: NH Posts: 2,689 Thanks: 33 Thanked 439 Times in 249 Posts	I had my verizon blackberry tethered to my laptop last year in Smith Cove. The bandwidth was around 400K during the week and dropped to 50K most weekends. Some days it was unusable even for browsing. I swear there had to somebody around there downloading tons of porn. This year I went to an Ipad with ATT, bandwidth is noticably quicker. I haven't measured yet and the summer crowds are just starting. A slip neighbor still has a verizon USB stick and says the bandwidth is much better than last year, so far. The verizon coverage map now shows 3g where I think I remember they previously showed just digital. We still get cable but I hate paying for it for how much we use it at the lake.

06-12-2012, 07:01 AM	#4
MiFi Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 10 Thanks: 2 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	I use sling box on an iPad on AT&T but never tried on TV. I use it most topside when kids are watching cabin TV. However, you may want to look into the cost of the sling box and accessories needed to run, if you plan on putting on our home TV and it's not close to your cable router then you may need another wireless extender. It works well, I love mine, bought it for one of my sons who goes to college in NY, it's just that the cost and functionality limitations may not be worth just paying for cable at the dock. Of course you can use Sling when away from the dock but watching tv rather than enjoying the the lake is not my idea of fun.