Belkin’s new box allows you to stream
and record TV on your mobile devices but is not without its complications
Like the popular Slingbox, Belkin’s new @TV
Plus allows you to stream live or recorded TV around your home network, or
across the internet to mobile devices such as a tablet or smartphone.
The initial set-up process is pleasantly
straightforward, although you do need to download the installer program from
Belkin’s web site onto a PC or Mac before you can get started. The @TV Plus is
equipped with input and output connectors for composite and component video,
and all the cables you need are included in the box. It also has an Ethernet
interface and built-in WiFi for connecting to your home network.
BELKIN
@TV PLUS
There’s no aerial socket, though, which
means that you have to rely on an existing set-top box to feed the TV signal
into the @TV Plus. Once the two boxes are connected you can run the installer
program on your PC or Mac. This allows you to enter details such as your
location and language, and to create a password that allows you to access the
Belkin from your mobile devices. The apps for Android tablets and the iPad are
free, but the apps for iPhone and Android phones cost $13.55. Even so, that’s
still cheaper than the $35 cost of the SlingPlayer app so we can’t complain.
There’s
no aerial socket, though, which means that you have to rely on an existing
set-top box to feed the TV signal into the @TV Plus
We had no trouble using the @TV Plus with
either a Sky+ box or a Fox-T2 Freeview box from Humax, and quickly had live TV
streaming across the home network to both a laptop PC and iPad. Belkin is a bit
vague about the resolution of the streaming video, only allowing you to choose
between ‘normal, medium, and high’ settings. However, the ‘normal’ setting
seemed to be comparable to standard-definition TV, which is perfectly adequate
for the 10-inch screen of an iPad.
The IR blaster included with the @TV Plus
worked well, allowing control of a set-top box from the screen of a laptop and
tablet. You can record directly onto your mobile devices too, or use time shift
to pause live TV for up to 15 minutes.
The
IR blaster reproduces your set-top box remove control on screen, allowing you
to control the @TV Plus from a laptop screen or tablet
Unfortunately, streaming over the internet
to a mobile device away from home is more complicated. The installer program on
our PC hit us with a load of techno-babble about ‘port forwarding’ on our
router and those who aren’t familiar with this sort of technical detail could
get lost here.
The
installer program on our PC hit us with a load of techno-babble about ‘port
forwarding’ on our router
Verdict
Streaming TV content directly from the net
means this is no longer essential for watching TV on mobile devices. However,
the @TV Plus works well and is handy if you need to stream TV around a home
network without clogging up your broadband connection.
Ratings
Plus
§ Works
with plenty of mobile devices
§ Built-in
Wi-Fi
§ Records
to mobile devices
Minus
§ No
aerial connector
§ Phone
app costs extra
§ Remote
access complicated to set up
§ Build:
8/10
§ Setup:
8/10
§ Searching:
7/10
§ Navigation:
7/10
§ Performance:
7/10
§ Features:
7/10
§ Value:
7/10
§ Overall:
7.3/10
Specifications
§ Devices
supported: Mac, PC, Android 1.5, iOS 4.0
§ Wireless
connectivity: 802.11n/g/b
§ Wired
Connectivity: Ethernet 10/100
§ Recording/Time
shifting: Yes
§ AV
input: Composite, component, stereo audio
§ AV
output: Composite, component stereo audio
|
