The number of TV channels and services available to us through Freeview, Sky and Cable services is truly dizzying, as can be the cost of having all those channels.

Paying for subscription services like sports and movies is great when you’re at home with access to the box, but when you’re away from home that investment is wasted. Of course, some of the TV providers are moving with the times and allowing you access to certain services when you’re on the go, but there are still some options not available unless you’re in front of your own TV with remote in hand. All is not lost however.

Slingbox is a network video tool that allows you to take your home TV setup with you no matter where you are in the world. All you need is the Slingbox hardware and an Internet connection and you can watch and control your own TV from anywhere, even in HD quality.

The Slingbox plugs into the box under your TV and connects to your network and then you simply install the software on your PC. Through some clever infrared dongles you can control the box from your computer just as you would with the actual remote. This means you can access all the interactive services and every channel you pay for as well as setting up recordings and all the other things you can do on modern set-top boxes.

Naturally, the faster your internet connection the better the quality will be, but with a decent speed broadband pipe you’ll be able to watch your favourite sports live and catch shows without having to record them and risk seeing spoilers on the news or Twitter even when you are thousands of miles from home.

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