The Belkin @TV Plus ($129.99 direct) is a set-top box that lets you watch live and recorded TV anywhere you go, on a laptop, smartphone, or tablet computer, and over both Wi-Fi and cellular networks. The @TV Plus competes directly with the Sling Media Slingbox 350, which costs $50 more and does the same basic things. But unlike the Slingbox 350, the @TV Plus works over Wi-Fi; you'd have to step up to the $299 Slingbox 500 ?for that capability. Another key difference: You can record TV directly to your mobile devices, instead of just being able to watch already-recorded content from your home DVR while on the go. Some significant software issues keep the Belkin @TV from being on top, but if you're a little patient, it's a solid pick at a budget price.
Design, Connectivity, and Setup
The Belkin @TV Plus is a flat, glossy plastic square measuring 9 by 9 by 1.4 inches (HWD). The design tapers as it goes down, with hard cut lines around the edges.?There are waves in the plastic surface that bend reflections unevenly, and you can see indentations when the top piece has been fastened to the rest of the unit; it feels flimsily constructed, and the top panel scratches easily.?The package contains a short guide for getting started, an Ethernet cable, component video cables, stereo RCA cables for audio, the power supply, and an infrared blaster for controlling your cable-company-issued receiver or DVR.
The front panel is clean save for an infrared port. The right side contains a USB port, a WPS button for enabling Wi-Fi Protected Setup if your router supports it, and a small indented Reset button near the corner. Around back, there's an IR blaster port, an Ethernet port, component and composite inputs and outputs, and a power input. The Belkin @TV Plus has no built-in tuner.?There's no HDMI input or output, either; the value of this is somewhat questionable, since so much of what's on cable TV or your DVR is encrypted, as we were reminded when testing the Slingbox 500, but at least an HDMI out to the TV would have been nice.
One pesky aspect of the Belkin @TV Plus is that despite its wireless capability, you still need the Ethernet cable during setup?even if you're going to use it over Wi-Fi later. The software installs via a Web-based download. The manual directs you to Belkin's website, but you have to download the software from one of the HTML links in the list, as it's actually a support page with no welcoming information of any kind. Plus, after I began downloading it, Belkin's page crashed the browser tab in Google Chrome. I installed the software?which served up cryptic messages like "installing prerequisites" in various dialog boxes?only to then be asked to run a setup wizard, which then downloaded and installed a firmware update. None of this is a dealbreaker, but the setup process could use some polish.
Video Quality, Mobile Apps, and Conclusions
After the firmware update, the Belkin @TV Plus reconnected to my wireless network. Video quality was good, but not great, overall. The Belkin @TV Plus smoothly adapted to whatever bandwidth was available and adjusted picture quality accordingly, with an emphasis on smooth frame rate and audio over picture detail (as it should be). I would have preferred a more detailed image, though. I saw an eminently watchable, widescreen picture that worked reliably, but without high-definition capability, it's not particularly sharp at 480p (see photo above). There's no Web-based interface, so you can only watch using one of the dedicated PC or Mac apps. You can timeshift video, meaning that you can pause and rewind live TV as well.
If you've got an iPad or Android tablet, you can watch your @TV Plus on the go; Sling Media charges $14.99 for its SlingPlayer iPad app, and again for its Android app, so this is a nice freebie. Android smartphone and iPhone owners have to pay $12.99 for Belkin's mobile app. These apps aren't just for watching TV; you can actually record content to your device's internal storage and then watch it later, which is a handy capability to have. I tested the Belkin @TV app on an iPad 2, and saw occasionally jerky but still quite watchable video. Recordings played back smoothly and looked identical to the streaming picture. The recording process disturbed the video smoothness a bit?I saw a few one-second-long freeze-ups?but again, it wasn't too objectionable. You can't schedule recordings, unfortunately.
Overall, the Belkin @TV Plus is a flawed, but still worthy and less expensive alternative to Sling Media's offerings. It performs well, even if it's a little rough around the edges. The Slingbox 350 doesn't work wirelessly and doesn't let you record directly to mobile devices, the way Belkin @TV does. But its smoother setup process and more polished interface lead me to feel better in recommending it as an all-purpose device for watching TV or recorded DVR content on the go. Finally, the Slingbox 500 remains our Editors' Choice, thanks to its smooth wireless performance and simple on-screen setup; it's significantly more expensive than the Belkin @TV Plus and Slingbox 350, but worth the additional cost.
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