How to Watch Live TV on a Pocket PC

There are three options for watching live TV on a Pocket PC-type smartphone. You can purchase a TV subscription add-on from your cellphone carrier; you can trawl the Internet looking for Microsoft Media Server (MMS) streams, or you can simply invest in a Slingbox--a device for streaming your home TV signal onto the Internet--and capture it with a Pocket PC-installed Slingbox client.

Things You'll Need

• Windows Mobile Pocket PC smartphone
• Unlimited-use 3G data plan
• Cell phone carrier that doesn't block Slingbox streaming
• Slingbox
• Internet router
• Slingbox Windows Mobile Pocket PC Client

Instructions

1. Purchase a Slingbox from a consumer electronics store. The most basic Slingbox available will be suitable for this application. The Slingbox will be supplied with multiple types of cable. Take the appropriate cable and run it from an output connection of your source--TV, cable or satellite box--to the "Input" of the Slingbox.

2. Using the supplied adhesive strips, stick the remote control senders on the source box line-of-sight to the infrared eye. Connect the remote control sender cable to the Slingbox.

3. Connect the Slingbox to an Internet router connected to your home Internet. You can do this through a power line, Wi-Fi, or hard-wired connection. A hard-wired connection is best. Use the supplied Ethernet cable.

4. Run the Slingbox configuration on your local computer. During the installation, you will be prompted to configure your router to allow Port 5001 to be opened. This is an important step for the stream to function on your phone, and cannot be skipped. All routers have a slightly different interface, so use the Internet router's provided instructions to do this. Test the stream and the remote control functionality on your local computer.

5. Purchase the Slingbox Windows Mobile Pocket PC client from the Slingbox website (slingbox.com), and follow the onscreen instructions to install it to your Pocket PC device. Enter the Slingbox Finder ID, which you will find in your local computer's Slingbox software installation.

6. Run the Slingbox Pocket PC Client on your phone. The device will connect to the Internet, and the TV signal output from your source at home will be displayed. You can now change channels, volume and other features, using the Pocket PC Client.

Tips & Warnings

• When you run the Slingbox on your Pocket PC--like on a business trip--you will be streaming and controlling your source at home. So, if you have family members at home sharing the same source, consider getting a dedicated source for the Slingbox (for example, a second cable box).

• Make sure you have an unlimited data plan from your mobile carrier to avoid any unpleasant surprises on your bill.

References

• Slingbox

Resources

• Sling Community