Good evening.

I'm interested in getting the Sony LocationFree Player Pak for use with my PSP and laptop.

If I connect the basestation to my wireless router with an ethernet cable, how would I connect to watch TV on my PSP or a laptop?

I've looked at the instructions, however, I'm not sure how to do this even after reading the instructions. It keeps discussing the base station ID, SSID, etc.

I wouldn't want to use that, as I'm already wireless. I'd like to watch TV while surfing the internet on my laptop. Can I do that with this?

Thanks.

Just get wireless ethernet adapters for your laptop and PSP. You can connect wirelessly directly to the Sony base station--or to your wireless router. Be aware that you'll need to update to base station firmware to v2.0 to use it with a PSP. I tried to do this update a week ago but the download always fails.

So... can I get the TV to show on my PC by just connecting to my router as usual? If not, do I then connect to the Sony Base Station instead and use that to surf the internet and watch TV? If that's the case, will it conflict with my existing router?

I rather go through my existing wireless router (the the LocationFree base connect with an ethernet cable) and surf/watch TV that way. Can that be done?

I already connect to the router wirelessly in my home (have all necessary hardware) and it's working fine.

Thanks for the response.

BTW, did you every get the base upgrade to 2.0? Any idea why it won't/didn't upgrade?

I just orderer the newer lf-x11 kit, and it should be here thursday. My wireless router resides in my AV cabinet, and I will be using the 12" display as well as my psp and PC on this, both home and abroad. (presuming everything works as advertised).

I just wish they made a kit with a larger display.

I'll let you guys know when I get it set up thursday night, and then I'm going out of town next week so I'll be able to test the over the internet access as well.

Since they announced the PSP as LocationFree capable, I have been trying to think of a way to get it to work with the x-1 Base Station. Right now, Sony claims it only works with the x-11 and the Base Sation LF-PK1 ($350). I do not know why they would not make it backwards compatible for the LF-x1 owners!!! How lame!

Is there a work-around? There is a special button on the new Base Station that you have to push to permanently associate the PSP to the Base Station to use it at home and abroad.

The LF-X1 does not have this feature, but can it be tricked into doing it by 'binding' the PSP to the old X1 Base Station like you would bind another LF-X1 monitor?

Do you guys know anyone on here that could shed some light? Please pass this one around.

Thanks.
Steve
____________
Slingbox
SA 8300DVR
Dish 610DVR
Sony LF-X1
Sony KDF-E50A10
SonyDVPCX995VKIT 400 DVD-HDMI Upscaling
D-Link DSM-320RD DVD/Wirless Media Player
Netgear MP101
Netgear WGT634U
Netgear SC101
Netgear WGX101
Netgear WGM124
Netgear WPN802
SMCWMR-AG Media Streamer
SMCWAA-B Wireless Audio Adapter
Apple IPOD Mini 4.0g
Toshiba PDA-1032

Quick newbie questions...forgive me.

1) Is this system designed to allow viewing of conten on a PSP outside of the home network (i.e., can I watch live tv/dvr recordings while at work, tapping into their wifi network)?

2) Generally, how do you browse/control your DVR content using the remote viewer software? Is there a list of compatible DVRs (I have the E* 942--which doesn't have an s-video out, unfortunately, so I know there's a 'workaround' right there)? Do you have the option to download it to the PSP while at home?

Yes, you can connect through your existing wireless router (don't forget to set UPnP for the port through which you want to connect to the base station). I was just pointing out that the Sony base station itself has the wireless interface built in.

Nope, didn't get the upgrade to work through the Sony Support web site. The Sony Tech Support guy, Jason, told me they've been having "issues" with the downloads. He did e-mail me the base station-only firmware update. He also told me that the PSP software v2.5 update package includes the base station v2.0 firmware update.

My real complaint on this system is how dependent it is on having a wintel box around for all the updates. The FAQs read like you can't update the base station firmware without a PC, correct? You'd think it could update as easily through direct download as my PSP and DVR set-top do. I don't own any wintel boxes (yet)...Mac house, here. Sony needs to get with, they don't even offer their new PSP media management software in a cross platform version. Their customers (multimedia hounds by and large) are probably disproportionately more Mac users than the general office/bean counter PC market share would suggest. Their biggest competition on other fronts is Apple (i.e. Walkman/iPod duel), you'd think they'd acknowledge that market with support software to beat them at their own game (think Apple's FrontRow). Other companies are indeed filling the gap by making software to run the PSP management, but it doesn't excuse laziness on the part of the parent company. I guess they're hurting for cash and can only afford to hire lo-ball Microsoft workshop grads who can't do comprehensive ports/coding...I deal with IT guys at different facilities who are limited like that a LOT, so no surprise.

BTW, I found an interesting (if not heartening) review of the system on Amazon.com. The author had high expectations and mucho install frustration and was quite disappointed with the playback image quality. I wonder if this setup is all promise/little delivery? Bummer if true.

ok, got it early last night.
This is the second version for american shores, the lf-x11. I can't compare to the experiences of those who have the lf-x1 but so far I'm very impressed.

Time and again I get into an early adopter technology/product and find that it's about 90% of what it should be, with the missing 10% being stupid easy mistakes.

So far, the biggest thing that's impressed me has been how SEAMLESS the setup has been. After unboxing, I had my 12" companion tablet set up with the custom remote to control my dish 942, I had my psp partnered up, and the base unit set to serve over the internet in about 15 minutes.

Read again: 15 minutes.

And it works. Well.

I took the tablet outside, where the signal has to go through 4 walls (one of them being stucco with chicken wire) and about 50" away, I have full connectivity. No need to switch to the wide mode.

It's loud enough to hear over the spa jets on full (too loud for my tastes, don't like bothering the neighbors).

The base unit is connected to my wifi router directly with an ethernet cable (my wifi router resides in my AV cabinet) so when I connect with my psp I can chose to connect over the locationfree WAP, or I can connect over my home WAP.

Training the remote:
so, setting up the virtual remote to control the 942. There was a built in code for a dish reciever, and that one did all the number keys, but didn't control the pvr keys (pause, play, etc)

You can actually program the remote using the tablet pad, which was very easy and quick. Again, this was all done in about 15 minutes or so.

The only thing I haven't figured out yet is to have the 'custom remote' show up for the psp, but I didn't get any more time to really play with it last night.

The web browser is adequate, and I can go to www.homestarrunner.com :D

There's also a paint program that is surprisingly featured. Includes soft brushes and blurring.

What specific excerszes/tests would you guys like me to run?

oh, I should add that at no time did I have to power up my wintel box ;>

Quick newbie questions...forgive me.

1) Is this system designed to allow viewing of conten on a PSP outside of the home network (i.e., can I watch live tv/dvr recordings while at work, tapping into their wifi network)?

Yup. EXACTLY that, providing that there's no firewall where you work. The tablet also has an ethernet port in case the network you are visiting isn't wifi. I took my psp next door and joined my neighbors network. He's on an entirely different broadband provider, and I was able to watch and do basic control using just my psp. I might as well have been in an airport.

Also, I should note that I had to open a port on my firewall at home, and register with a ddns, but there is a web page favorite on the tablet that actually does it for you. Somebody at sony was thinking ahead.


2) Generally, how do you browse/control your DVR content using the remote viewer software? Is there a list of compatible DVRs (I have the E* 942--which doesn't have an s-video out, unfortunately, so I know there's a 'workaround' right there)? Do you have the option to download it to the PSP while at home?

Basically, you can load a 'custom remote' for each source. There was one which controlled most of the 942 functions, but I had to learn the ir for some other functions using the tablet. Not sure how you would do this in a psp/lfk1 only scenario. My 942 and 625 recievers are both on a home rg6 network that feeds all of the tvs. the 625 shows up on ch.4 and the 942 shows up on ch.73, so just about any tv in the house can watch either reciever (the bigscreen in the living room is not hooked up this way).
I just hooked the lfk-1 to the rg6 and both were available. I reckon crystal clear picture quality here isn't the goal so the rg6 doesn't bother me.

Buji...

My LocationFree Player Pak should be here tomorrow. Here's a question:

If I hook this up to my wireless router through an ethernet cable, then go to a computer and install the software, will I be able to actually surf the web using by existing network AND watch TV in a window on my PC or do I have to use the base station as my "wireless access point"?

Hoping I can use my existing network to connect, surf and watch all at once.

I do hope that someone comes out with a viewer for the Mac.

ptw, I did that last night. I installed the SW on my laptop, and connected through my regular home network.

I started to look around to shut down the LocationFree WAP, so my tablet and psp both connected via the existing wifi point.

I was able to connect the tablet and the psp to my established wifi point and connect to the base station using the net av function, but I realized that I might be putting a lot of un-necessary strain on my internet connection. It's good in theory, but there's no reason that I can see to NOT have the second WAP available. Makes the connection for the tablet easier, and I don't have to worry about that traffic affecting the other clients on my wifi.

Also, did want to note: the tablet has a pop3 mail client on it. I have a ppc phone and that's where I get all of my mail, but my girlfriend has to boot up her laptop etc to check her mail. We set up the pop3 access for her account, and she's able to check her mail no problem. It even polls every nn minutes (we set it to 60) and a light comes on when she has new email. There is a password protect that you can establish to keep other people from reading the email, and at first this stymied us because it didn't want to take the password she was trying to set it to, no matter what she tried. Turns out there's a default password of 0000 that you have to enter, and then you can give it a custom password. The printed documentation makes no mention of this.

Thanks for the status reports Buji, and I look forward to hearing about the Player Pak, ptwyzard. I'm thinking I may need to hold off a bit, see how you brave souls fare, and get a dual-booting Intel Mac portable in a few months, with Windows XP on it I could have the 'best of both worlds'. Great to hear a success story in the set-up. BTW, what kind of quality/issues, if any, have you noticed on the PSP versus the tablet, Buji?

Newbie question:
the LocationFree product will let you watch content on their tablets using wireless where your PC is the source?

Are you able to get TV on a PPC with the Location Free

Got my first on-site look at the Sony LF-X11 (12") at ABT Electronics this past weekend, and tried to see it running on a PSP at the Sony Style store at Old Orchard mall in Skokie as well (no luck, their network was down and I didn't have time/knowledge to reset their LocationFree system).

First impression, very nice, simple interface and hookup strategy and impementation. The tablet looked great. In fact, my wife was all over having one in the house after seeing it in action, rattling off about how she could use it in this and that situation. I was thinking about how cool it was going to be to be able to access our Dish 942 DVR and especially our new 400-disc DVD juke (loading up the collection, only 40 discs in but nice so far) from anywhere in WiFi roam land on the PSP/laptop.

The reason we didn't buy 'on the spot'? The image quality was startlingly poor. Very serious macroblocking. It was streaming in near real-time, and granted I didn't set it up or tweak it (can you customize the PQ settings I wonder?), but the compression artifacting was distractingly bad...just like the reviewer on Amazon suggested. I wonder if you owners could chime in on your experiences in regards to PQ (incl. tweaks, your network speeds, any caveats, etc.). Anyone have an idea what codec/s the system uses for the streaming? Are they proprietary? If so, I wonder if they'd do better paying a little license fee to Microsoft or Apple for better performance from their codecs/streaming systems?

In short, the functionality in theory and the hardware itself sounds/looks great...but the imagery it produces, not so much. Today's announcement by Tivo that their TivoToGo will allow downloads to PSP/video iPod early next year further proves that "this is the future"...I just hope Sony gets the streaming PQ up to at least 80-90% as good as the original or it'll be a no go for a lot of folks who'd love to give them some cash.

, what kind of quality/issues, if any, have you noticed on the PSP versus the tablet, Buji?

Well, the biggest thing I've noticed so far is that you can't set up your own custom remote on the psp and the pc like you can on the tablet. I just got confirmation that they are releasing new remote codes on 12/3 or so, but no word on being able to create your own remotes for the pc client or psp. So far this is the biggest fault of the whole system, in that the code they cupploy for the 942 (for example) controls the reciever just fine except for the media control buttons (play, pause, etc). Using the tablet, this is not a problem because you can easily set up a custom remote and learn those functions, but those custom functions seem to be stored on the tablet client instead of the base station, which is kinda weird. When I connect with the psp or the pc, i'm relegated to using one of their remote code sets.

Newbie question:
the LocationFree product will let you watch content on their tablets using wireless where your PC is the source?

I don't see why you couldn't use the output of your video card (if it supported composit or svga) just like viewing your computer on your tv. This wouldn't be a remote session like vnc or anything like that though. Probably not what you meant in your question.

Are you able to get TV on a PPC with the Location Free

They don't have a ppc client that I can find, and they address this directly on their FAQ pages saying basically not yet, but keep checking back so maybe they're working on it.

The reason we didn't buy 'on the spot'? The image quality was startlingly poor. Very serious macroblocking. It was streaming in near real-time, and granted I didn't set it up or tweak it (can you customize the PQ settings I wonder?), but the compression artifacting was distractingly bad...just like the reviewer on Amazon suggested. I wonder if you owners could chime in on your experiences in regards to PQ (incl. tweaks, your network speeds, any caveats, etc.). Anyone have an idea what codec/s the system uses for the streaming? Are they proprietary? If so, I wonder if they'd do better paying a little license fee to Microsoft or Apple for better performance from their codecs/streaming systems?


Really? So far when I'm connected directly to the base station, I've been very impressed with the quality, and any issues like macroblocking I've only seen once I put it in wide mode. Definitely at about 95%+ quality. Most of the time, it just looks like I'm watching a small tv.
Granted, this isn't dvd quality either, but on the 12" display I'd say it looks great. especially considering what's happening behind the scenes.
Perhaps the tablet was connecting in wide mode, or not directly via the base station. When you connect your psp/pc/tablet using a different network other than the base station (using the netAV mode) you can select the rate, and the default rate is pretty crummy. basically, it's a comprimise mode you can set to deal with a less than stellar wifi hot spot if the one you find doesn't support 300KBs.

Tomorrow I will start testing from the road. I'm taking the tablet as well as my pc and psp.

Tomorrow I will start testing from the road. I'm taking the tablet as well as my pc and psp.

Now that's what I'm talking about...:)! Seriously, can't wait to hear what you experience when you're truly 'location free.' As for the macroblocking, it wouldn't surprise me to find they had the system set up to the defaults, resulting in horrible PQ. Seems the XL-11 system is definitely the one to go with for full painless functionality (hope they do indeed update their remote codes list, or the PSP functionality will be seriously crippled). Thanks for continuing to shed light on your first hand results...

So I got a peek at the 12" Location Free setup a second time, at Tweeter on Michigan Ave/Chicago. Looked better, coming off cable t.v. in the store. There was still a healthy amount of secondary compression artifacting, but not quite as much as I'd seen at Abt the previous week. Definitely cool functionality, but I'd really love to see the PQ as good as can be then make my decision to jump in.

What's the latest, Buji?! Anyone else?!

ok, sorry to keep y'all waiting. Turkey day was busier than I expected. :D

Ok, the good news:

With decent wifi/broadband access and LF pack, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to enjoy your home media content while away.

The bad news: There are some expected comprimises.

The details:

Ok, so my parents still use Dial-up. I knew this going into it, and figured I'd test from my sister's apartment (where she sneaks in on other open wifi networks) and I'd also see if I could do the same at my parents' house.

I was able to get a flaky connection from my parent's house from an unlocked wifi network somewhere in their neighborhood. When the connection held, it held at about 60% strength, and bandwidth tests showed I was connected with a good 500KBs or so connection. I was able to watch full quality on this connection, and it mirrored my connection at home. The only problem was that network would 'cycle' or something every minute or so, so it was out. (had nothing to do with the tablet, both my psp and PC showed the same thing).

So another network I was able to snag at my parent's house was stable, but not as fast (300KBs). When I connected to this network I was able to watch full quality, but it would hesitate every 15 seconds or so and the screen would freeze while the sound continued. I bumped the rate down to '4' (out of '6') and it was smooth sailing, with frequent but not bothersome artifacts. I watched 'The Office' this way and I thought it was fine. I did not chose to watch 'Surface' or 'Lost' this way though, because I wanted to wait until I got home to watch them in HD.

The tablet has a VERY strong wifi antenna. Much stronger than the psp, and considerably stronger than the antenna in my laptop. The tablet also has a relatively quick 'realtime' signal strength indicator, and I wasa able to get the tablet into a sweet spot pretty easily for maximum connection.

When comparing the PSP and PC performance vs. the tablet, other than the tablet's amazing antenna I would say performance of the actual NETAV connection was even on the platforms, with the one issue being that I don't have full control of my 942 using those other platforms (see the above posted issue regarding the custom remote)

Overall, if I had to leave for a week or so (what the locationfree functionality appeals to me for) and I knew I was somewhere where I had some kind of connectivity, I would really be happy I brought this along.
I used to travel to NY for a week about once a month for work, and when I came back I always had to spend the weekend 'catching up' and stuff. I will be very happy when/if I have to start making those trips again that I have this toy.

more about the response times in a minute.

Ok, so the other compromise, was the well documented delay between remote commands and seeing the results on the screen. This is easy to understand if you think about it for a minute: Your command has to go up the internet to your base station and then the results show up in the video stream which has to be streamed down to me.

I would say that the longest delay I saw was a couple of seconds, so I really had to time my keypresses. Additionally, I found that occaisonally when using the 10-key to enter channel numbers directly, it would add weird pauses and duplicates (example, entering 202 would result in 2222222000 (five second pause) 2. This basically didn't happen so much when using the guide and entering the numbers, but only when doing it from a full motion screen. I don't know if the additional bandwidth being used for full screen video was causing the difference, or if it's the way the reciever caches commands in the guide mode.

Surprisingly, this didn't annoy me THAT much. It changed the way I used the reciever, for sure, and when a commercial came up, I knew I had to hit only 4 skip forwards and just wait instead of being lighning quick on the remote etc.

The other thing worth mentioning is that when you are away and connecting via the NETAV, you can't browse the web at the same time and have the PIP function on the video etc. I presume this is to guarantee the netav performance and not allow the user to choke it down by going to homestarrunner.com at the same time they are watching TV.

Ok, so overall?

I'm very happy with this device, which I bought for 95% it's functionality just at home. I've been trying to justify having a tablet pc around the house for quick internet lookups etc, and at the same time was trying to find an easy way to put TV/sound out by the spa.

While researching cheap projecters to put by the spa, I was thinking I would need simple hookups and do a wireless av (2.4 ghz) transmitter thing, so the only thing that needed to be plugged in when we went out to the spa was the electric cord for the projector (I do have a shielded indoor outdoor outlet on the wall near the spa) .

Also, in the back of my mind, I've been thinking about how to put an LCD or something in the kitchen (and really didn't relish the idea of running new RG6 or anything).

I knew about this product's predecessor, and when the update on my psp came out with a client for it, I really grew a little interested but didn't think that was going to fulfill my tv requirements at the spa or in the kitchen. Once I read about the improvements in the tablet, I knew I should give this a shot, and man has it worked out well.

I have the home page of the browser set to a yahoo yellow pages local to my zip code, so quick phone number lookups are completed in about 30 seconds, from the time we walk into the room where I store it to dialing. Also, we have a few handy favorites like IMDB marked and other quick lookup type things. Coupled with the quick startup of the unit to browser mode (again, 15 seconds or so to turn on the unit which it initializes and then bring up the browser) this has really made me appreciate getting the tablet instead of just the base unit. I already went on about how my Girlfriend is using it to check her email etc.

The only thing I would like better would be a larger display outside at the spa, but I don't have to plug anything in so setup and takedown is a no-brainer when I'm towelling off etc.

The battery life has also surprised me. Since it's dark outside, I usually turn the brightness all the way down before I go out to the spa, and it's lasted well into 3 hours without going halfway down the battery meter. I did have it run out on me Saturday when i'd been watching tv for about an hour and a half in the spa after returning from my trip (hey, I'd been driving the car for 12 hours, I needed that Spa!) I didn't charge the tablet the entire time I was away and it was at about 1 third battery when I started watching tv that night.

Since I'm also using this just for music in the spa (tuning to a satellite music channel) it would be nice if I could completely turn off the backlight when in video mode, and I can't seem to find that option. But now I'm getting picky.

Any questions?

I've been meaning to post for a few days--really appreciate the further details of your hands-on w/ the Location Free system. I do have a couple of questions:1) how does the unit deal with HD or 16:9 anamorphic content, i.e. do you have to set something up for 4:3/letterbox downrezzing on the source output or what?; 2) have you heard anything specific out of Sony on their timeline for resolving the remote control codes issue for PC/PSP viewing?; 3) could you talk about the PQ quality of watching DVDs playing through the system, (one of my top interests in this system is the idea of hooking up my new Sony DVD jukebox to it, enabling access to my movie collection anywhere/anytime).

Once again, thanks!!

According to the rep I talked to, they were supposed to be releasing new code sets on 12/03 (today) but I noticed the other day that there was a new version posted, but it doesn't have all the codes for the 942 yet. I need to call again...

As for the way it displays anamorphic content, the tablet itself has no ratio correction like the psp does. The 942 I'm using has ratio control where I can adjust the pic etc so I just do it there. The 942 also takes care of the downrezzing for me too so...

Also, I don't have a dvd player hooked up to it, but I would venture a guess that it would work fine, but it's never going to be as good of a picture as a direct wired connection. I find it completely serviceable for watching tv around the house/ on the road, but for something I want the full HT experience for, I'll watch it in the HT.

I should also mention that I'm using the tablet right now to write this post

Quick follow-up as I happened to stop by a Sony Style this afternoon on hopes they had their LocationFree set up properly this time. While they couldn't get the DVD player that was hooked into the PSP running (all I saw was the DVD's screen saver), I did get an eye of a DVD playing on the 12" tablet.

Wow. What a difference from what I'd seen on the previous systems viewing cable inputs. Goes to show how crappy SD cable is...the on-the-fly transcoding/re-encoding was obviously just compounding the artifacts/pixellation already present, because the DVD looked quite good. It was what I'd hoped for from this system, a solid 85-90% percieved quality of the original (I say percieved, as it's probably less but on the smaller screens, quite acceptable).

Since I'd most likely be looking at DVDs or HD movies downrezzed off of my 942 DVR, I bet the results will look quite good. I would assume my 1.5 Mbs DSL and home WiFi network will offer enough bandwidth, according to the above posted experiences as well. Hmmm, might be making a purchase sometime soon...

Can't believe nobody else is giving this system a rundown on the forum. It's seemingly quite functional (even more-so than the Slingbox), decently priced, and pretty widely available--could be a breakout hit if the word gets out.

I agree whole-heartedly, but I think it's still being percieved as an extremely early adopter type product. Sony needs to start marketing it and needs to address the few usability issues that exist.

I will say though, that even under $400 the base station alone didn't seem like enough value (given the comprimises) but the tablet makes the deal, because of it's other functions etc.

I've been spreading the word at my office (a post-production facility) and have perked a couple of ears on the client service uses of such a system in-house. Imagine entertaining clients with PSPs and the ability to watch TV or select a DVD or play games...shhhweet! Only caveat is getting the PSP WiFi to work with a 'hidden' password protected network, which Sony doesn't seem to support yet.

And I want such for myself ;).

Anyone else get one of the LocationFree setups? ptwyzard? Any further insights/experiences to share, buji? Been quiet around this thread of late...

Well, I've been a bit busy trying to get a 360 :<

I did hear something interesting the other day about how the ps3 may act as a base station for LF services. That may explain why sony isn't marketing the LF product very much yet, they may be saving it for the ps3 launch.

Anyone else get one of the LocationFree setups? ptwyzard? Any further insights/experiences to share, buji? Been quiet around this thread of late...

Since you asked.....
I picked up the LF-X11 last week, it works as advertised.
The only big issue I ran into was with NetAV.
It turned out that my DSL modem is also a router even though it has only one ethernet port. This caused a problem when I connected the Sony base station to a second router. I spent a lot of time with Jason and Danny from Sony tech support and Qwest tech support trying to bridge the router in the modem.
I replaced the Netgear router attached to the modem with a switch, reset everything to factory default, ran the NetAV set up wizard and NetAV was working in minutes.
I took my laptop, PSP and locationfree 12" tablet to the local coffee shop with wireless broadband for a real world test of NetAV and it all works!

I have the base station connected to a Direct TV HD TiVo (HR10-250).
The HR10-250 is set to output 1080i via HDMI to a Mits 73" 1080p RPTV by default.
The Sony LocationFree will only accept 480i. No problem. I set the HR10-250 to toggle between 480i and 1080i when I press the up arrow.
If I connect to the HR10-250 when it is set to 1080i I still receive audio and a black screen. Just bring up the virtual remote, click the up arrow and it sets the HR10-250 to 480i.

The virtual remote on the laptop, PSP and locationfree panel perform all of the functions I need.

The picture quality while not perfect is acceptable considering all that is going on in the background to transmit video over WiFi.

I would like to see:

The ability to use a handheld remote to pass IR commands from the tablet/panel to the base station. The panel has an IR receiver for learning custom IR commands, it should be able to pass those commands?

The ability to change the aspect ratio of the panel as well as the PC/laptop.
The PSP is able to display 16:9 correctly. The panel and laptop are fixed at 4:3 therefore 16:9 material is squashed.

All things considered the LF-X11 does every thing I hoped for and does it very well.

-Bill

Thanks bbm3 for the write-up. Very good info. I can see by your 'like to see' list that you're of like mind...those issues would be on my want list, too. Wonder why they lock things in to 4:3 on the tablet/PC--seems silly?

Question on your networking issues (this is to all folks who've set up this system, btw). I have a DSL modem though SBCyahoo, and a WiFi router/repeater system is in place in my home (Apple Airport Extreme Base Station/2 Express repeaters in a WPA network). What I'd planned on doing was to rely on NetAV, bypassing the systems WiFi altogether. In short, I thought I'd run the LocationFree base station wired off of a 10/100 switcher that comes off the Airport Express (WiFi repeater) in the front of our condo. I have two other devices on that switcher right now that've functioned fine (a PS2 and an EyeHome music/media server box). Is it relatively simple to do this, i.e. DHCP connect to the existing network, letting my Airport act as the router/address generator, rather than set the base up as another WiFi node/repeater (which I'm not sure is do-able, Airport Extreme doesn't like 3rd party/PC hardware for inclusion in its WPA networks)?

So any word on the codecs they're using and how the PQ and functionality compares to the Slingbox?

The one appeal over the Slingbox would be PSP support. The tablet is like over $1000? Wouldn't you be better off buying a laptop instead?

What kind of resolution do you get? Is it upscaling from say 320x240 to the resolution of the tablet? Obviously to support the PSP and a 10 or 12-inch tablet, there's scaling going on. Not to mention laptops, unless it only plays in a window.

It's $100 more than the Slingbox so it's questionable value, unless it performs so much better or has better functionality. I don't have a PSP yet either but if I could use it for browsing and also for space-shifting (Slingbox's term), it could be worth it.

One thing on the Sony site was that you needed at least 300kbps upload? Kind of high as a lot of people are still on 128k/256kbps uploads. I thought Slingbox didn't require as much bandwidth.

Well, I've been a bit busy trying to get a 360 :<

I did hear something interesting the other day about how the ps3 may act as a base station for LF services. That may explain why sony isn't marketing the LF product very much yet, they may be saving it for the ps3 launch.


That would be intersting. They talked about running code on the PS3 and then streaming it to the PSP.

The PS3 is planned to have multiple ethernet switches so it should be able to run that kind of application. Certainly with the Cell, it could encode content on the fly. However, it would need AV inputs of some kind wouldn't it?

They talk about a lot of possible things. Like maybe having video chat on a second screen (since it has two HDMI outputs) while the game is on the main screen. But they also talked about PS2 having a lot of Internet functions (basic browsing) and that never panned out.

So wait to see if any of this talk ever pans out into real features.

Well, I've been a bit busy trying to get a 360 :<

I did hear something interesting the other day about how the ps3 may act as a base station for LF services. That may explain why sony isn't marketing the LF product very much yet, they may be saving it for the ps3 launch.

That's a really, really interesting postulation. Where did you hear such? I'm definitely in line to get a PS3...it would indeed make sense that they would test/refine the LocationFree technology as a niche product, then fold it in as a feature sub-set on a plussed-up PS3 as a way to differentiate itself from Microsoft's 360 Media Center/Live functionality.

Hmmmm. Still, even w/ LF folded into the PS3, you wouldn't have the tablet tv, and I'd bet you'll have to buy add-on hardware for it anyway (think added media source input breakout box w/ IR blaster port), just using the PS3 as the DVR/controller--and Sony may let you link a PS3 to a free-standing LF base station if you already have one, y'think?

I did find this link, btw:
http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/ps3/ps3-to-support-locationfree-tv-142369.php

So any word on the codecs they're using and how the PQ and functionality compares to the Slingbox?

The one appeal over the Slingbox would be PSP support. The tablet is like over $1000? Wouldn't you be better off buying a laptop instead?

What kind of resolution do you get? Is it upscaling from say 320x240 to the resolution of the tablet? Obviously to support the PSP and a 10 or 12-inch tablet, there's scaling going on. Not to mention laptops, unless it only plays in a window.

It's $100 more than the Slingbox so it's questionable value, unless it performs so much better or has better functionality. I don't have a PSP yet either but if I could use it for browsing and also for space-shifting (Slingbox's term), it could be worth it.

One thing on the Sony site was that you needed at least 300kbps upload? Kind of high as a lot of people are still on 128k/256kbps uploads. I thought Slingbox didn't require as much bandwidth.


Well, regarding the tablet vs a cheap laptop. Like I stated earlier, I've been looking for a 'utility' internet tablet of some kind for having around the house, preferably something that doesn't have to 'boot' and runs a long time on battery. The tablet works perfect for this, and in my mind is the only way the LF- kit is worth getting into (again, you can't have fully custom remotes on the psp or pc client)

the tablet is 800x600 native resolution.

I would say the value IS questionable unless you get the pack with the tablet, but that's just me. I've already posted my fondness for toting the tablet around to the spa, sunroom, kitchen, etc.

also, the 300k up is for the highest quality, you could get by on much less if you ratchet the rate down.

I went to tahoe this weekend for a bachelor party and was able to whip out the psp while we were hanging out and watch my tv, which just blew the minds of some of the folks I was with. It was that simple. We were done standing around (waitinf for someone else) and I just turned off the psp and put it back in my bag.

So there is a SKU with the tablet bundled with the new base station which they're selling by itself for $350?

Does the tablet support pen input or something? How do you enter text?

Yeah, the LF-X11 (MSRP $1499) is the kit with the 12 inch tablet, which has a netfront based browser and pop3 email client built in. It is touch sensitive, has a built in stylus and a popup virtual keyboard. It also has a usb port you can plug in a kb if you want.

The speakers on this display are surprisingly loud and clear for the size.
the lf-pk1 is the one without the tablet.

Any updates on LocationFree? I'm keeping an eye on CES over the next week to see if there are any announcements, but wondered if folks here who use the system had news to report or whether anyone else has heard anything?

Still jonesing for the LF-X11 setup. If it still seems viable/a good deal post-CES '06, might pull the trigger...

Anyone know of a way to disable the wifi on the LF? Already have wifi in the location LF and can only assume a conflict of signals could exsist?

I'd be in the same boat scottfred. I think you should be able to plug the base station in via the ethernet and set it up to link to that network fairly easily...but it'd be nice to hear from actual users.

Also, I've checked and it doesn't appear there were any significant announcements from Sony about LocationFree, except to tout the feature in the PSP. Or did I miss something? Does this mean the system that's out now is it for now (i.e., would be safe to buy and won't be replaced/outdated any time terribly soon)?

The latest base station, 12" display and PC client just came out in October so I don't think they'll be replaced anytime soon.

Sent mine back, couldn't believe how poor the quality was compared to sling. Was hoping the PSP support would make it a keeper. But convinced my current local wireless network was in conflict with it.

scottfred...too bad it didn't work out for you. I found a site that did a review of the previous incarnation of the system, and while they had an Apple Airport WiFi setup and that may be different than your setup, they described the piggybacking of the LF onto the existing WiFi network as fairly easy (require ethernet hookup to the Airport repeater unit in their scenario, which is what I would be doing).

Curious how you came to compare the LocationFree to the Sling so unfavorably. I've seen DVDs playing over the LocationFree and the PQ looked pretty good (SD cable didn't look so hot when I saw it, but I figure its on-the-fly compression on already very compressed imagery, so classic garbage in-garbage out). I've not had opportunity to see a SlingBox in action yet, but I've also heard people complain about PQ on it elsewhere (I would assume the same weaknesses and the LF).

Yeah, I've got to say, I'm surprised to hear there's a quality issue as well. Like I said earlier, at full strength reception, you can't tell by looking at the picture that it's not wired. Sure the tablet has issues with color saturation and false contrast as do all LCDs in that size range, but that's not macroblocking...

Long-time lurker, first time poster, so bear with me.

Sent mine back, couldn't believe how poor the quality was compared to sling. Was hoping the PSP support would make it a keeper. But convinced my current local wireless network was in conflict with it.

I'd like to hear more on this, I'm about to exchange my Sling today for LF, unless this is really true.

Also, I use a Replay DVR which someone mentioned isn't supported out of the box, any word on the remote codes in the latest fw update?

I might be reaching here, but, would it be possible for someone here to dig around where their custom remote codes are and, potentially, host the file for the rest of us?

I'd hate to be stuck with a (virtually) unusable setup when the Sling has served me so well, albeit sans PSP support.

Thanks for all the feedback, this thread's been helpful (and makes me wish I could pick up one of the tablet packs.) :o

Well, noone responded but I took the plunge, so I'll follow up with my impressions.

The good:

Replay TV is supported, firmware update is a bit clunky but worked fine. Was able to get it up and running fairly painlessly. Image quality is about on par w Sling, maybe just a tad more aliasing. The box itself is nice, Sony quality gear, mmm more blue LEDs.

Having 2 inputs to swap between is very handy. I'd suspect most of us have more than one media source we'd like to stream these days.

PSP support. This was the big reason for my switch from Sling. Image quality looks surprisingly good and, despite the expected lag for a place-shifting codec + IR blaster delay, it's workable. Very happy with the PSP integration, the software even let me connect right through my PSP to get the latest remote code pack and installed it on the memstick, I was up and running w/o even a reboot.

The bad:

No image adjustments! The BenQ panel I use is already a bit washed out, and I loved the contrast/brightness settings in the Sling player. Nothing I could see in the Sony client let me adjust this.

No way to disable the internal wifi access point. I didn't want to use their AP, but it seemed the PSP client forces you to use their AP during the pairing process. This is clunky and annoying, but it worked so I can't bitch too much.

Poor remote support for DVR's. Some extra functionality buttons were missing from the virtual remote, namely Page Up and Down. With the already lag prone codec and ir blaster, it's a pain to wade through a channel list one by one, the Sling player's remotes were far cleaner and very complete.

Has anyone gotten around this, or do the other brand DVR remotes include this?

Lastly, I ran into a bit of a problem during the setup as I use mac address filtering (even on my wired nodes) and nowhere on the box, or unit itself, was the wired mac listed. If anyone cares, the mac address listed on the unit is the wi-fi mac of the AP. The wi-fi mac ended in :32, the wired mac was one digit higher (:33.) So got that working easily enough after disabling/re-enabling my mac security.

I'll also note that Sony neglected to include any cabling. I had my own, but for the premium cost I felt they should have been included. Sling includes everything (svid, coax, and a 3-ft cat5) so it's worth noting the difference.

Overall I'm glad I switched over as wi-fi streaming, to a handheld I already owned, was too much to pass up. The multi-inputs were a bonus as well. If it weren't for these two features, I'd have stuck with Sling's offering as it suited the rest of my needs better.

Bottom line, if you just plan on place shifting from one source to a PC (or soon, to a pocketPC or a Mac, as Sling just previewed @ CES) then Slingbox is clearly a better choice.

If, however, you like the idea of using your PSP or the pricey-but-sexy LF LCD packages, or you need a multi-input setup, obviously you'll do what I did and pick up a Location Free setup.

Didn't mean to turn this post into a mini-review.. but hopefully this will be useful to someone on the fence.

Now someone please tell me how to turn off the AP and get my PSP to work via my own main router... ;)

Cheers all~

Their biggest competition on other fronts is Apple (i.e. Walkman/iPod duel), you'd think they'd acknowledge that market with support software to beat them at their own game (think Apple's FrontRow).

Sony is clueless these days. Their music download store only works with Internet Explorer on Windows... duh? isn't your competition Apple iTune? How could you possibly displace them if you cannot attract their customers?!

(actually their biggest challenge is themselves - I haven't even finished downloading my 10 *free* songs- it was just way too painful! Sony is missing on the digital revolution and will hit the dust soon if no better reaction... but I disgress!)

Well, noone responded but I took the plunge, so I'll follow up with my impressions.

...
Having 2 inputs to swap between is very handy. I'd suspect most of us have more than one media source we'd like to stream these days.
...

Overall I'm glad I switched over as wi-fi streaming, to a handheld I already owned, was too much to pass up. The multi-inputs were a bonus as well. If it weren't for these two features, I'd have stuck with Sling's offering as it suited the rest of my needs better.

...
Cheers all~

Hi,

Great review, I think you made a lot of good observations on both sides here.

I just wanted to chime in on one point - you can hook up multiple devices to the Slingbox, it has the Composite, S-video, and Coax inputs, all of which can handle different sources. We even have a user who has figured out a way to connect up to 4 devices simultaneously: http://lazybastard.ehuna.org/archives/000139.html

Also, while we don't have PSP support at this time, we did announce Windows Mobile and Mac builds recently. For a video demo of both, here's my ugly mug on Cnet: http://news.com.com/1606-2-6026612.html

Best,
Jeremy

Thanks for the links Jeremy, wasn't aware on the input switching, my mistake.

As you can see, I was really impressed with my Slingbox, and made quite a few compromises to move over to LF.

Can't wait to see Sling move further into the market, if I owned a pocketPC or another mobile device besides my PSP, I wouldn't have thought twice about sticking w my SB.

I really want one of these place-shifting solutions because of several trips planned this year.

One thing which might be nice would be to download the client and try to sample some streams.

Is anyone sharing their Slingbox or LF streams when they're not using it?

The way return policies are these days, there's probably a restocking fee at most chains for these things.

I have a PowerBook so the Slingbox Mac alpha is welcome news. I would buy a PSP possibly but then again, maybe I shouldn't worry about watching TV so much while traveling. ;)

Thanks also for the links/input Jeremy. The promise of robust Mac support may out-do the benefits of the PSP in my situation--of course, I have both and would love to have a solution that utilizes both, but...

As for the multiple source inputs, I checked out the link you provided. I'm not squeamish when it comes to rigging up switchers and the like in my system (I've used several and currently have two implemented already), but I was a little unclear on how 'kludgy' and laborious this workaround is to switch between and control the multiple input devices. I plan on hooking up my E* 942 DVR/sat receiver and my Sony DVD megachanger to whatever system I get, and after streamlining my front-end living room experience w/ a new Harmony 880 remote, I want the same kind of seamless/effortless experience w/ the media site-casting solution I buy into.

In short, how exactly does the SlingBox handle two seperate sets of A/V and IR controls--from the hardware hookup to the software interface? Thanks.

I'm thinking about pulling the trigger this week.

I'm fairly excited, and from what I've been reading on this thread, this is one really cool toy.

Edit. Just pulled the trigger at Amazon, good price, they say I'll have it Tuesday.

Thanks also for the links/input Jeremy. The promise of robust Mac support may out-do the benefits of the PSP in my situation--of course, I have both and would love to have a solution that utilizes both, but...

As for the multiple source inputs, I checked out the link you provided. I'm not squeamish when it comes to rigging up switchers and the like in my system (I've used several and currently have two implemented already), but I was a little unclear on how 'kludgy' and laborious this workaround is to switch between and control the multiple input devices. I plan on hooking up my E* 942 DVR/sat receiver and my Sony DVD megachanger to whatever system I get, and after streamlining my front-end living room experience w/ a new Harmony 880 remote, I want the same kind of seamless/effortless experience w/ the media site-casting solution I buy into.

In short, how exactly does the SlingBox handle two seperate sets of A/V and IR controls--from the hardware hookup to the software interface? Thanks.

Without having to 'jury-rig' something, the Slingbox best hooks up to 2 sources: one with coax/RF, the other with either S-video or composite video cables (all of which are included in the packaging). If you employ any kind of audio splitter cable (available at radio shack, best buy, etc), you can hook up a 3rd device without too much difficulty.

The Slingbox itself can store up to three different IR codes (for three different devices), so the only thing you have to do is position the IR cables (supplied with the Slingbox) in a way to hit both/all of your devices. We purposefully selected IR cables that have a strong output, so you can generally position them about an inch or two in front of your devices and the signal will easily hit your various boxes.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Jeremy

Thanks for the clarifications, Jeremy. Food for thought.

Jeremy. I have a question for you:

If you read my previous posts, you'll see that the tablet client itself was the main component which swayed me from getting the slingbox. Are you guys planning on producing any dedicated hardware that will act as a low cost client? One thing I would love to see would be a simple tablet/handheld client with video out for hooking up to a PJ or another tv somewhere.

Buji,

Good question, thanks for asking. At present our focus is to turn devices which you (and other consumers) already own into portable TVs. More specifically, that's PCs today, Windows Mobile phones and PocketPCs in the next couple of months, and Macs in the first half of the year.

The problem with us building the tablet device is the costs involved - as you can see from the Sony product, the tablet basically adds virtually all the costs inside of a laptop. What we've learned from our research is most consumers (that we've interacted with) would rather pick up a new laptop (even a low-end one) to use with their Slingbox than a single-purpose device. it's not to say this is the "right" or "wrong" answer, it's simply that we (as a very small company) need to be very purposeful in all of our engineering and product development efforts.

I hope this helps, and we never ignore an idea - when the market seems ready for a device like this, we'll definitely be there with something. In the meantime, if a dedicated screen is what you need and a laptop isn't appealing to you, I think the Sony product is the way to go for your personal needs.

Best,
Jeremy

ps - although, for $1500 you could get a pretty mean laptop with your Slingbox, and just never install any other software! ;)

Jeremy--Hack the PSP!!! You get an app/viewer on that gem of a gadget and you've got a hell of a ready-made platform. Sound like you're on track and see the target w/ the mobile phone/Pocket PC angle...I know that the coding would be quite different in this case, but that'd be quite a coup, beating the competition with one of their own selling points (and if you figure out how to get the device to see hidden WiFi networks, that beats them at their own game and then some). ;)

New to this site, so please excuse any faux-pas...

Just bought the Sony LocationFree Player Pak, this is just the base station w/ software for PC and PSP.

The Installation was very painless. I was able to setup a direct cable feed (the unit has a built-in cable converter), my STB w/ PVR, and my Sony 400 DVD jukebox. Installed the software on my laptop, powered up the unit, and went into setup mode and voila, I was connected.

The NetAV was a little tricky, since I'm using a Linksys and the UPnP was disabled. Sony doesn't actually remind you to check this; they just tell you to try the more complicated DDNS route. Luckily I took a chance and checked the Linksys admin page, and sure enough I just had to check the UPnP box, and everything worked!

For the PSP, it was the same process. I just had to download the upgrade (now at v2.6) and select the LocationFree Icon, with the base station in Setup Mode. It walks you through a grand total of 4 steps, and it's up and running. The NetAV was just as painless.

I saw some comments about interference btw the two WiFi access Points. I did not notice any problems. From the PSP I can gain access either through my Wireless Router or directly through the Base Station and the quality is about the same.

As for image quality, the image on the PC is slightly grainy, but acceptable. On the PSP, as far as I'm concerned, the image is even better then my regular TV. It's crisp and very bright.

On both units there are a few lags, most evident when you first turn it on, or when switching channels.

The only problem I have is w/ the remote codes. I was able to find a code that works w/ my Scientific Atlanta STB, but it does not support the PVR functionality. Does anyone know if Sony has released new codes for this?

Also there are no codes available for the Sony 400 DVD jukebox (model 995). This really surprised me, since they are both Sony products. Again, anyone found out how to make this work?

Of course this wouldn't be an issue if you could use custom remote codes, but this seems only available if you have the 12" screen.

One last question: are there any security risks w/ turning on UPnP w/ my Linksys router?

Just a general question about LF, Slingbox and spaceshifting in general.

What are the broadband requirements?

I'm now at a HK hotel and this connection is about 170 kbps up/down. A lot of hotels advertise broadband and it's good for general surfing but probably not for heavy multimedia including the video streaming for spaceshifting.

For the Sony LF, as far as I know, then only stated requirement is that you have to have 300k of upload bandwidth. Presumably you would want the same amount on the download, but it doesn't specify.

Haven't tried it in a remote location with that low a download speed, so I can't comment on how well it would work in real world...

So I just got the LF Player Pack tonight. Hooked it up on my PSP and laptop in about 20 minutes with the only (slight) problem being that I had to make sure UPnP was enabled.

So far I am very very impressed with the picture quality although I have not tried it from another location.

The biggest gripe so far - and it is a fairly substantial one - is the same problem as Zinner mentioned. I have a Scientific Atlanta DVR Unit and the included virtual remotes do not include a button that will allow me to access my recorded shows. This is one of the main reasons for me getting this device was so that I could program the device and watch recorded shows on the road. Surely enough people have complained that they are working on a fix. I will be placing a call to customer support tomorrow.

I would also be interested to explore the idea of those with the tablet that can program IR codes possibly being able to save the remote or the codes and trying to get them to work on our LF somehow...

Anyway - just thought I would chip in with my +'s and -'s.

I'm very surprised that Sony hasn't updated remote codes yet--and doubly so that they don't have them for their own 400-disc DVD changer. That was one of the key components I was planning on hooking up to the LF (the other being my E* 942 DVR)--together with remote PSP viewing, those are a hell of a 'killer app' combo. Hope they get with the program, this severely cripples the usablity of the LocationFree system, as far as I can see.

C'mon Sony, how hard can it be to get the codes together? If Logitech/Harmony can have a massive database ready for download (and they do it very well), you can.

I agree. At this point, the remote codes are the only main problem with the system.

No problem if you have the tablet, but what's worse is there's no way to take the codes you learn for the tablet and 'store' them on the base unit for the other clients.

In regards to my prior post regarding missing or incomplete remote codes:

I called Sony customer service and it went as I thought it would. The rep said that it is a known issue and that they will hopefully have a fix in the next update. He would not guess as to when that would be, but did say within the next few weeks. When I asked him how many people have reported problems, he said "4." This surprised me, but I am assuming he meant specific complaints regarding the Scinetic Atlanta 8300HD. I told him to notch a few more complaints for all the people on this forum with the same problem.

Hi,

Just so y'all know, tracking down all this IR code stuff is a *huge* pain. We've been at it since way before our launch and even today we still have some flaws in our codes as well. It's also an ongoing effort for everyone, as there are always new devices coming out!

As a fellow place-shifting device manufacturer I just thought I'd chime in and share.

Best,
Jeremy

ps - if they never get it working, we do have codes for the SA8300... ;)

OK jtoeman,

Sell me on the sling. Here are my concerns:

(1) The IR code problem. Does the sling have the codes that will allow me to access my recorded shows? (ie. the list button for the 8300)?
(2) The thing that sold me on the LF Player was PSP support. How close is Sling to finding a solution? It sucks that Sony plays nasty.
(3) Does the sling have limits on the number of computers the software can be installed on? I get one license with the LF player meaning one computer (+ psp). Can I use any computer to access my Sling box?

I might have to make a return if the IR code problem is not solved quickly.

Hi,

Just so y'all know, tracking down all this IR code stuff is a *huge* pain. We've been at it since way before our launch and even today we still have some flaws in our codes as well. It's also an ongoing effort for everyone, as there are always new devices coming out!

As a fellow place-shifting device manufacturer I just thought I'd chime in and share.

Best,
Jeremy

ps - if they never get it working, we do have codes for the SA8300... ;)


Which is why you give the consumer a way to record (learn) their existing codes. Take it out of your hands, and give them the power.
Don't know how this would work for your platform (IR adapter for the PC?) but I can do this with the tablet portion of the sony kit, and it works great, but I can't share those codes with the other 'clients' of the base station.

Also, I just saw some more information, and it's just about confirmed that the ps3 will also act as a base station to the psp, and allow you to view movies from the ps3 itself and even use the remote psp client to schedule recordings etc using the ps3's pvr functions.

But you know, I can't watch my sony kit with my pocket pc phone :D

Hi,

Just so y'all know, tracking down all this IR code stuff is a *huge* pain. We've been at it since way before our launch and even today we still have some flaws in our codes as well. It's also an ongoing effort for everyone, as there are always new devices coming out!

As a fellow place-shifting device manufacturer I just thought I'd chime in and share.

Best,
Jeremy

ps - if they never get it working, we do have codes for the SA8300... ;)

I appreciate your acknowledgment that its a pile of work. I would think that your company has a tighter set of resources to handle such, too. Seems you manage to pull it off, though. AND you're soon to be releasing a Mac OS client, which you developed in-house w/ the same small team (correct?)--and that's my point, Sony has ZERO excuses exept total lack of will/proper prioritizing with this product.

As it stands, the only things lacking from the Sling product are seamless multiple inputs and PSP support. But, hey, if Sony doesn't even provide remote codes so I can use the multiple devices on said PSP, including their own component hardware, what's the point anyway?

Put some heat on them Jeremy, that's what I'm talking about.

OK jtoeman,

Sell me on the sling. Here are my concerns:

(1) The IR code problem. Does the sling have the codes that will allow me to access my recorded shows? (ie. the list button for the 8300)?

(2) The thing that sold me on the LF Player was PSP support. How close is Sling to finding a solution? It sucks that Sony plays nasty.

(3) Does the sling have limits on the number of computers the software can be installed on? I get one license with the LF player meaning one computer (+ psp). Can I use any computer to access my Sling box?

I might have to make a return if the IR code problem is not solved quickly.

1) Yes, and the remote controls look like the physical remote you own.
2) Our priority is on the Windows Mobile and Mac OSX platforms. Ideally the PSP will happen down the road, but if this is your "make-or-break" issue, I don't have a solution for you on it at present or anywhere in the short term.
3) You can install the software, for free, on any PC you want. Here's the link: http://www.slingmedia.com/support/downloads.php. Any PC can access your Slingbox from any network, but only a single PC can do so at a time.

Best,
Jeremy

Jeremy--

I noticed in your signature that you have 2 Slingboxes in your personal setup. Any conflicts in such a system, i.e. remotes or otherwise (seems I may have run across this elsewhere, but wanted to do a 'horses mouth' as it were)? If two Slingboxes work great in tandem (i.e. in the same rack/AV setup), then two inputs would work for my purposes (when OS X client is released), just a little more cash/equipment outlay I guess. If not, I'll have to keep thinking about this a bit more.

Thanks,
Shane

hahaa.. so all the time I'm going on and on about how I chose the LF pack over the slingbox because the sony unit came with an internet tablet, Jeremy was probably biting his lip on the development of the client for the new UMPC tablets.

If I didn't already have the $$ invested in the sony pack, this would be the way to go. Sony STILL hasn't updated their remote codes.

Jeremy, have you had any hands on time with the UMPCs yourself? Or is the client for them just the xp client with modifications? (since the umpc is an xp machine).

Wondering what the start times are on the UMPCs etc. Chances are you won't see this cause I'm betting you're at Cebit...

Anyone know how to get this bad boy working while at the job/office? This may seem like a dumb question, but I cant find any concrete documentation. I have Locationfree set up at home on my personal comp, as well as my PSP. However, I'm clueless as to how to get this up and running on my work pc. I assume I have to install the software on that comp, (which I have done), and then what? Thats where I get stuck. Do I copy the settings from my home pc setup onto the work pc installation? I've tried that and it doesnt connect. Please help! Thanks.

Chances are that unless you work for a smallish company, the firewall at your work will prevent the connectivity from your pc. I need to re-install it anyway (new pc) so I'll get a refresher in just a minute :D

hahaa.. so all the time I'm going on and on about how I chose the LF pack over the slingbox because the sony unit came with an internet tablet, Jeremy was probably biting his lip on the development of the client for the new UMPC tablets.

If I didn't already have the $$ invested in the sony pack, this would be the way to go. Sony STILL hasn't updated their remote codes.

Jeremy, have you had any hands on time with the UMPCs yourself? Or is the client for them just the xp client with modifications? (since the umpc is an xp machine).

Wondering what the start times are on the UMPCs etc. Chances are you won't see this cause I'm betting you're at Cebit...

I was totally biting my lip!

I like the UMPC as a concept and in the 'generic' implementation, but I honestly haven't spent enough time with it personally to recommend any one of the current configurations. I would very much want one with built-in EVDO, personally.

I'll let you know more once I've really gotten to play with it (will probably write something up on my personal blog), but my early thoughts are - looks very cool!

Best,
Jeremy

Jeremy--

I noticed in your signature that you have 2 Slingboxes in your personal setup. Any conflicts in such a system, i.e. remotes or otherwise (seems I may have run across this elsewhere, but wanted to do a 'horses mouth' as it were)? If two Slingboxes work great in tandem (i.e. in the same rack/AV setup), then two inputs would work for my purposes (when OS X client is released), just a little more cash/equipment outlay I guess. If not, I'll have to keep thinking about this a bit more.

Thanks,
Shane

Shane! Sorry I missed this post until now...

No problem at all with two Slingboxes - in fact they will autodetect each other during setup and you should be able to get them working very very easily...

Best,
Jeremy

Jeremy--
My Slingbox is on it's way. I ordered one for now, that I will probably set up w/ one input back in my office close to the router/DSL/Airport base station and an E* 811 sat receiver (figured the key is to get it working with my home network and remotely and this location vs. in my main A/V rack will assist me in troubleshooting). Is it a pain to add a second Slingbox later, and or relocate/reconfigure the inputs if I move it? I'm also keen on the mobile client, but I need to pay off my new PC laptop first.

Let me know when that Mac client beta begins, too, because I'm all over that ;).

Oh, and a note to Sony--too bad you didn't stay on top of things here, you lost some potential customers, I'm sure. The LocationFree is a great concept, but you needed to keep it improving to make it seem worth the investment.

Chances are that unless you work for a smallish company, the firewall at your work will prevent the connectivity from your pc. I need to re-install it anyway (new pc) so I'll get a refresher in just a minute :D

Aside from firewall issues/opening ports (which your network admin at the office would have to help you with), the PSP doesn't even "see" hidden networks, i.e. ones that fixed/manual detection/login, which many WiFi networks in work environments are (including mine). Seems it'd be a simple addition in capability/software but they haven't added it yet...so my guess is the LF client can't do that either (but that may be a function of the OS/machine itself, i.e. your computer is already seeing the net)?

Jeremy--
My Slingbox is on it's way. I ordered one for now, that I will probably set up w/ one input back in my office close to the router/DSL/Airport base station and an E* 811 sat receiver (figured the key is to get it working with my home network and remotely and this location vs. in my main A/V rack will assist me in troubleshooting). Is it a pain to add a second Slingbox later, and or relocate/reconfigure the inputs if I move it? I'm also keen on the mobile client, but I need to pay off my new PC laptop first.

Let me know when that Mac client beta begins, too, because I'm all over that ;).

Oh, and a note to Sony--too bad you didn't stay on top of things here, you lost some potential customers, I'm sure. The LocationFree is a great concept, but you needed to keep it improving to make it seem worth the investment.

Shane,

Welcome aboard!

No, adding the 2nd slingbox later is perfectly fine, since you ultimately have to configure one, then the other, it's really designed to work this way. Same with reconfiguring inputs - during the initial setup you'll only get prompted to configure one input, then you can come back to setup to make any 'extra' changes you need.

Don't forget to register your Slingbox before April 26th so you can get the mobile client for free!

If you can send me an email personally I can add you to the mac beta list!

Best,
Jeremy

Jeremy,
When is that Mac beta going to start? I'm on the list too.
Thanks.

In looking through the LF-PK1 remote codes, I didn't see one for the Directv DVR. I have a D* HR10-250. Does anybody know if there is another code that will control this unit?

In looking through the LF-PK1 remote codes, I didn't see one for the Directv DVR. I have a D* HR10-250. Does anybody know if there is another code that will control this unit?

I have a HR10-250 and it works fine with my LocationFree system. It has at least a couple remote setups that work with the HR10-250 (one labelled DirecTV and the other labelled TiVo).

The only problem I have is that I have two DirecTV TiVo-based DVRs and can't set the remote/unit code on my LocationFree system to differentiate between the two. So, each remote command affects them both. So far it's yet to cause any problems (like accidentally deleting a show on one sysstem when simply selecting something from the menu on the other), but it could certainly happen!

-Randy

I can't believe I'm still waiting for remote codes for my devices, the SA 8300HD PVR and Sony 400 Disc Jukebox 995. To think that I spent $1000 on the 7" Sony LF-X5 and it's collecting dust because I can't watch archived shows OR DVDs. Not to mention that my model of the base station doesn't have a web-based configuration interface. Couldn't they add this with a firmware release?

I just got the Player Pak from sonystyle after waiting for months for it to be in stock hoping it would have updated remote codes, but no luck. After a quick search online, I found this thread.

Sony, are you asleep at the wheel?

yes, yes they are.
at least with the 12" tablet you can learn whatever IR codes you need, but then the stupid part is you can't xfer those codes to the psp or pc client.

I'm waiting for a 12" umpc (flash-based would be ideal) or something along those lines and then I'm all about the slingbox.

My main thing is I need a ready-on style tablet (turns on in 5 seconds or less) with good sound and long battery life.

the sony 12" tablet works... eh.... well, it works for the av stuff ok, but the 'lite' web browser gets hung up on extensive html more and more. Just one of those 'almost there' kind of things.

Ideally a flashed based umpc that booted in seconds but still had plenty of ram and a full browser would be nice, with hardware buttons to immediately connect to the slingbox, and a decent (at least 12") screen.

I've looked at tablet pcs (and slate pcs) but it just doesn't seem like the battery life is there.

Anyone else have a problem with the Player Pak showing "squished" video. Looks like 16:9 contect squished on a 4:3 screen?

At least now I know the remote codes are an issue. Can't make any of them work for my D* H20

caspyr, vireing with which client? 7" 12" or psp?

http://esupport.sony.com/perl/lfxremote.pl?&mdl=LFB20

Has new remote codes for the SA 8300HD--including the LIST button for DVR usage. They include instructions for adding these codes to the PC client of the software, but I have no idea how to do the same for a Mac or the PSP (the only two devices I use this with).

Any ideas?

I hope this thread isn't too old and nobody looks, but I'll give it a shot...

I just bought a LocationFree Player LF-B20 Wireless unit. I have it set up to view TV on my laptop and psp. The picture quality is OK. The TV I have it set up on is a SD tv with a TWC DVR... Not HDTV.

Does this affect the picture quality when viewing on my laptop and psp? I've changed the settings on the player to have the best quality already.

I'm thinking about getting a second HDTV and HD DVR. Nothing too fancy... it would be the second HDTV in the house and would be used for the LocationFree player and when the girlfriend wants to watch Greys Anatomy when I'm watching college BBall.

Doubtful.

Consumer broadband connections, especially upload speeds, aren't capable of good HDTV streaming. Can't sustain the needed bitrates.

Plus you find a lot of broadband connections on the road, especially at hotels, are all uneven so they may not support even standard placeshifting that well.

Does anyone have a copy ogf the Location Free Player that comes with the Base Station. I bought one off Ebay and upon arrival no CD. Owner doesnt recall seeing one, whiich we know is false. Maybe someone could upload a copy to rapidshare com
Anyway thanks, it does look pretty sitting there blinking LOL

Each wireless device must have its own registration code... so you're SOL with out the registration key on the CD.

IF I gave you my key, it would not work since I have it on my laptop.

I just got my LF-PK1 today and set it up with my HTPC.

Using PSP, I can now run BeyondTV to watch live tv or play HD recordings.

If you want to know how I did it, check out

http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=pspmedia&message.id=186969#M186969

Folks, I've been searching around the Net for an answer to how to get learned codes working on the PSP, and I've finally got it working!

It's a tribute to the programmers at Sony -- I'm pretty sure they weren't expecting this use case when they designed their system, but it works like a charm.

Step 1: Learn your codes using the base station's IR receiver and the PC client as documented elsewhere.
Step 2: Inspect your RC Data folder (should be a desktop link named something like that after installation) for the file created after saving your settings -- it's a plain text file ending in .RCD
Step 3: Move the .RCD file to the appropriate spot on your PSP's Memorystick Duo card. This is easy to find if you've already set up another remote control, say for another input.
Step 4: In the Remote settings area of the Settings control panel, choose the Custom remote, which in my case was displayed at the bottom of the list.

Sorry for the lack of gory details. I'll come back and post again with more specific instructions, but I wanted to get the word out since I don't think may folks know this is possible.

Good luck!

Oh, and for those users looking for the List button on a Scientific Atlanta 8300HD cable set-top box, Sony has published a remote control file for that on their Additional Data site. It works on both PC and PSP platforms, allowing me to watch and control recorded content.

Oh, and while I've got your attention, check this out:

I've got the following wild thing working now:

Video iPod
Remote controlable iPod dock
LocationFree B10 with additional IR blaster (got it at BestBuy's Magnolia HT desk)
Linksys 54G wifi router
Cable modem
Internet
Verizon EVDO cellular data service
Magmount car antenna
Verizon EVDO PCMCIA card
Top Global EVDO/Wifi router, powered by 12V inverter
PSP

So I can watch content from my video iPod, with remote control capability, on my PSP, within about 50 feet of my car! (or anywhere there's wireless Internet)

This is extreme, but it was fun getting it all working together.

Holy mackeral. Bless you, I kept getting told by Sony tech support that this was not achievable. I've been using the tablet but will set up the pc client to capture my IR codes right away.

Regarding the remote viewing of the ipod. Cool, but why don't you just use the ipod?

I plan on doing a similar setup in my camper van with my lf pack and tablet with a mobile router. The van will also have a dish reciever and in-motion satellite dish, so we will be able to watch tv anywhere in the campsite. If we're somewhere that we get the 3g Data service, we'll be able to watch the programming we have stored on the dvr at home. (have already done this part with just the tablet and sneaking on to open wifi).

FREE Sony LocationFree -- Week Ending Aug 11 07 at Staples -- Check your location Flyer - last page. Yes, you do have to buy a laptop to qualify for the rebate of the $200 model (hardwire only). NO- LT may not be HP or Compaq. (No personal interest).
Questions for current owners -- nothing on this posting for 6 months -- does that mean no more problems? Any downside to this if one needs the LT anyway?

I take it there is no way to get new codes for the LF-X5? Seems like Sony has discontinued all support for this product.

I take it there is no way to get new codes for the LF-X5? Seems like Sony has discontinued all support for this product.

It's a shame - I wanted one of these but if it is no longer supported...oh well.

Do you know if the X-5 tablet works with the new LF-V30 base station?

V.