Slingboxes are awesome. I had a Slingbox Pro for a few years. At least 5 years. It worked like a dream. I could watch the bedroom TV from my office, I could watch TV from work (hey, we just got laid off. Zero fucks were given that month). It was glorious. Then one day, it refused to connect. The web interface (which I LOATHE! Why, WHY in the fuck should I have to log into a web page to watch a tv that is in the next goddamn room and on the same fucking internal network????) couldn’t find it either. That’s when I knew, my poor Slingbox Pro was dead.
Slingbox Pro, I miss you so much.
Being hopelessly addicted to visual entertainment, I bought the Slingbox Solo. It was smaller, sleeker, less ports. And for 18 glorious months we lived in harmony. It worked on the website, it (more importantly) worked with the ancient desktop software that I refuse (REFUSE) to give up. Then, late(ish) Tuesday night I smelled cigarette smoke. Really bad cigarette smoke. Like cigarettes soaked in old pee. I stood and sniffed. And sniffed. The funk was strong in the bedroom. FUCK! I sniffed the DISH receiver. It was overly warm, but no. It was not the culprit. The little used DVD player (Phillips 5960 represent! Region unlocked, muthafuckas!) was not either. I lifted the Slingbox and inhaled. HOLY CHRIST HOW IS MY ROOM NOT FILLED WITH SMOKE?!?!?!?!
You. You BASTARD!
No lights. It was dead. No reason. Wasn’t even using it. So I look around. It was well out of warranty. Which didn’t seem to matter since Sling Media still charges for support after the first 90 days.
Well. Fuck. I google a bit more and see it could be a couple of blown capacitors. Hey! I have a soldering iron and like $10 to spend on capacitors! I crack open the case. Caps are fine. GREAT! But what is this?
Is…is that what I think it is?
Is that a….
FUCK!
Yup. Burned the fuck out. What is that? Word on the street is that it’s a diode. Replaceable? Possibly. Bypassable? YUP! Am I going to do that? Fuck no. $70 gets me a refurbed unit that will be here in a couple days.
So why not get a new one? Because the new ones run too much fucking money and ONLY work the retarded ass web interface that I hate so goddamn much.
Will this one die the same death? Possibly. Nothing else in this stupid world lasts. Just being a good little Consumer Whore.