Question:

Hi, Big Picture Big Sound,

I am a US soldier in Afghanistan and want to watch some HBO. What do I need to do to make that happen?

-Dean

Answer:

Hello, Dean,

First of all THANK YOU for all that you do.  To answer your question, there are web sites such as Hulu.com that allow you to watch TV shows online, but these are typically limited to the standard (non-premium) networks, and they may not work outside the US.  And while there are illegal ways to download all sorts of content from various web sites, the only legitimate way to do what you are asking (at least the only way I'm aware of) would be to get a Slingbox installed back home and attach this to your home cable box or satellite box. This assumes that you already have HBO service on your home TV.

With a Slingbox installed at home, you can watch "your TV" from anywhere in the World

Basically you'd need to have a friend or family member connect the Slingbox to your cable box output and to the internet via a home network router. Once it's properly installed and configured, you would download the Slingbox player software to your computer in Afghanistan and you could then "remotely control" your home cable box and watch anything that is available on that home box from anywhere in the world with a standard PC and internet connection. If your home cable box is a DVR (digital video recorder) then you can record anything you like and watch it later on your own time.

I did see some news last month that Netflix may be considering offering a premium streaming channel (including HBO content) to their subscribers for a monthly premium on top of the regular Netflix subscription rate, but at this point that still seems to be mostly speculation, with no confirmation from either company.

More Information:

• Slingbox Solo Review
• Slingbox Solo on Amazon.com

I hope that helps.

-Chris