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Sling Media Slingbox PRO-HD SB300-100 (Old Version)

3.6 3.6 out of 5 stars 593 ratings
$109.99
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Purchase options and add-ons

Brand Sling Media
Color One Color
Pattern Solid
Item Weight 5 Pounds

About this item

  • No monthly fees
  • Streams High Definition video Around the house or over the Internet (requires minimum 1.5mbps upload)
  • Multiple inputs Up to 3 devices
  • Built-in Tuner ATSC/NTSC/QAM

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Sling Media Slingbox PRO-HD SB300-100 (Old Version)
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Product Description

Product Description

Take your entire HD home theater with you wherever you go with the Slingbox PRO-HD. Connect to multiple A/V devices and tune into your favorite TV shows, sporting events, and special programming in stunning, true-to-life 1080i high definition. The PRO-HD gives you the same features and ease of use as the Slingbox SOLO, plus a high-quality HD viewing experience-anywhere in the world. Easily connect up to three of your home-theater devices to the PRO-HD and take your entire entertainment center with you-on your desktop, Mac, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone.What's in the box: Sling Media Slingbox PRO-HD Internet TV Broadcaster, AC Adapter (100-120VAC, 50-60Hz), Ethernet Cable, Coaxial Cable, Composite AV Cable, Component Video Cable, Remote Control IR Cable, S-Video Cable, Stereo Audio Cable, Quick Start Guide and 1-Year Limited Warranty.

From the Manufacturer

Slingbox turns your PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone into a TV.

Tune in to your favorite shows, sporting events and special programming in stunning, true-to-life 1080i high-definition (HD). Change channels, browse the program guide, and set your DVR with an on-screen remote control that looks just like the one you have at home. The Slingbox PRO-HD easily connects to up to three of your A/V sources so you can take your entire entertainment center with you—on your PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone*.

Easily Connect Everything

Connect one HD video source, one standard-definition (SD) video source, and one coaxial source and watch anywhere.

Take Control

Take complete control of your home theater via the web with the comprehensive and easy-to-use on-screen remote control and program guide.

Tune In to 1080i HD

Watch your favorite shows in stunning HD over the Internet on your PC or Mac desktop or laptop—from anywhere.

No Monthly Fees

Watch and control your TV and its programming on your PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone with no monthly subscription fee.*

*Download sold separately. Additional fees from your mobile provider may apply. Picture quality depends on network speed.

Connections

Getting Started with Slingbox PRO-HD is Simple
  1. Connect the Slingbox to up to three A/V sources, such as a DVR, a cable set-top box and a DVD player/recorder (The Slingbox is compatible with just about any A/V source.)
  2. Connect the Slingbox to your home network (If your router is too far from your Slingbox for a direct connection, use the SlingLink TURBO or another Ethernet bridge for connectivity.)
  3. Fire up your home network-connected PC or Mac computer, complete the Slingbox setup, and enjoy your very own home theater on your PC, Mac, tablet, or smartphone.
What Devices Can I Connect?
  • Basic Cable TV Set-Top Box or Digital Cable Set-Top Box
  • DVRs (such as DISH, TiVo, Comcast, ReplayTV or one provided by your cable/satellite provider)
  • DVD Player/Recorder
  • Satellite Receiver such as DISH or DIRECTV
  • Video/Security Camera
  • Windows Media Center
  • Digital Antenna
  • Digital Cable (clear QAM)
  • HD Component Input Support for 720p or 1080i (60Hz)

What Do I Need to Watch on My Laptop?

Watch and control your TV directly from Slingbox.com. Using Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari, you have complete access to your Slingbox and its connected cable box, satellite receiver or DVR. You get a virtual remote control as well as a searchable TV guide—all without downloading or installing desktop software.

Virtual Program Guide and Remote Control

View all of your television programming with the virtual program guide. With the on-screen remote control, change channels, pause, fast-forward or rewind and set up DVR recordings.

Popup Video Player

Multitask while watching your TV, or if you prefer, watch your TV in full-screen mode.

PC and Mac Support

Access your Slingbox from any high-speed Internet-connected PC or Mac laptop or desktop.

What do I need to watch on my tablet or smartphone?

With SlingPlayer software (sold separately) watch your TV and all of its programming on your iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, Android phone, Android tablet, Windows Phone, Palm OS or Symbian smartphones.

Full Control of Your Home TV

Control your programming with easy-to-use menus and shortcuts on either a touch screen or navigational interface. Easily change your TV channels, navigate program guides and schedule recordings on your DVR.

Easy Access to a Wide Range of Devices and Programs

Control your digital cable box, satellite receiver, DVR or DVD player. Access music channels or video on demand.

High-Quality Viewing Modes

Enjoy stunning full-screen video. Switch to audio-only mode to save bandwidth or battery life. Adjust the video display size or aspect ratio. (Audio-only mode and adjustable video display size are only supported on select devices.)

Take Advantage of High-Speed Mobile Internet Connectivity

Access your television programming over a high-speed 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi connection. (Check your mobile device and service for supported connectivity options. Some Android phones and tablets support 4G connections. The iPod touch only supports Wi-Fi connections.)

Customer reviews

3.6 out of 5 stars
3.6 out of 5
593 global ratings

Customers say

Customers like the ease of setup of the TV sling. For example, they say it's intuitive, easy to teach non-technical family members, and simplistic. That said, some complain about the video reception and signal quality. Opinions are mixed on performance, quality, picture quality, and connectivity.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

114 customers mention82 positive32 negative

Customers like the ease of setup of the gun sling. They say it's easy to use, intuitive, and simple to set up. Some customers also mention that it goes together without a hitch.

"...7. No monthly fees. Nothing new to learn. Easy to teach the "non-technie" family members. My wife LOVES this.8...." Read more

"...It's cheap, it's easy, and it's a lot of fun. Watch for the sales, these can be marked down quite a bit." Read more

"...It was really easy to setup imo, just remember when it updates to walk away and come back in 30 mins...." Read more

"...Other than all that... the product can be very difficult to install on your network for the first time...." Read more

57 customers mention48 positive9 negative

Customers like the value of the box. They say it's well worth the money, the savings are amazing, and it'll be worth the effort. Customers also mention that there is no monthly fee other than for the cable bill at your host. They also say that the inbound is 266 kB/s, which is sufficient for a decent, non-HD viewing.

"...Audio is good. A few buffering pauses will occur.7. No monthly fees. Nothing new to learn. Easy to teach the "non-technie" family members...." Read more

"...There is no monthly fee other than for the cable bill at your host location. Essentially once you buy the device it's a free service...." Read more

"...The net result is excellent, making it well worth the effort of a surprisingly bumpy installation.-..." Read more

"...I would highly recomended this to everyone, it is worth it's weight in gold." Read more

206 customers mention140 positive66 negative

Customers are mixed about the performance of the gun sling. Some mention that it works great, while others say that it doesn't work. They say that the USB doesn''t connect, the HDMI doesn'’t work, and the DVR capability doesn'.

"...HD is not ideal, but quite usable. Standard def still very good. No change in audio quality. - <1Mb: HD not really acceptable...." Read more

"...There are some very slick and easy ways to get the video from your computer to your television, if enough people are interested I'll do a follow-up..." Read more

"...After the first six hours going through the install program and not getting it to work, I decided to call the company of the product...." Read more

"...It worked flawlessly, FOR the First 3 months. I was getting near HD quality from Michigan to Switzerland 2.5 to 2.8mbs signal...." Read more

128 customers mention54 positive74 negative

Customers are mixed about the quality of the gun sling. Some mention that the quality is extremely good, while others say that it's almost worthless, has experienced problems, and was poorly conceived.

"...It appeared that it was non-funtional and not operating I kept getting irratated trying to sign into my account and watch TV on it...." Read more

"...HD is not ideal, but quite usable. Standard def still very good. No change in audio quality. - <1Mb: HD not really acceptable...." Read more

"...Other than a bad product that was poorly conceived. So I hung up on this idiot and called it a day...." Read more

"...main viewing, such as televisions series and movies, I get great quality programming in SD or HD through torrents.Summary..." Read more

94 customers mention55 positive39 negative

Customers are mixed about the picture quality of the product. Some mention that they can get HD picture quality on their office computer, iphone, or iPad, and that the sound quality is great. However, other customers say that they do not get HD quality and that video quality wasn't that great when they had Time Warner Basic.

"...Picture is great at full size as is audio. No jagged or chopped frames. - 1Mb to 2Mb: Pretty Good. HD is not ideal, but quite usable...." Read more

"...and go to access my box in the room and low and behold the picture quality was even worse than at home (like a low quality youtube video)...." Read more

"...The Sling Pro-HD can stream from very low resolution formats suitable for mobile phones, to full HDTV programming...." Read more

"...The picture quality is top notch on my quad core laptop with 18" screen. We have an Ipod and I purchased the app for $30 and it is working fine...." Read more

41 customers mention20 positive21 negative

Customers are mixed about the connectivity of the product. Some mention that it gives them the capability to watch local TV from their laptop, while others say that it didn't fix anything and the box would not connect to the network or maintain an ethernet connection.

"...And still could not get it to broadcast onto my computer that was hooked up to the router via a wire, the same as the slingbox...." Read more

"...And then it provides an electronic remote control you can click on with your mouse cursor...." Read more

"...I tried to see if I could watch it on my 64 Bit system, and it will not connect to it...." Read more

"...connection upload speed is pretty bad, so I am pretty impressed with the remote viewing as it is...." Read more

47 customers mention11 positive36 negative

Customers are dissatisfied with the video reception of the gun sling. They mention that the streaming speeds are now so slow that the video and sound quality are not watchable. They also say that the tuner is a bit slow and takes a good 5 to 10 seconds to switch channels. Some say that HD requires a fast computer and probably needs a direct connection. They do enjoy the quality, but the remote lags a little making it hard to control. They say that it takes a lot of bandwidth and that only one person can watch at a time.

"...my player was receiving a steady signal at 120kbs...." Read more

"...And to make matters worse, the streaming was horrid!! I had to wait almost 30 minutes to watch a show or anything I had recorded to the cable box...." Read more

"...The tuner is a bit slow, takes a good 5 to 10 seconds to switch channels...." Read more

"...More, it can stream data from a TiVo or other DVR device. It was ideal.Setting it Up..." Read more

30 customers mention0 positive30 negative

Customers are dissatisfied with the signal quality of the product. They mention that it lacks HDMI input/output and bugs in the user interface. The Mac version of the software does not support HD streaming. Additionally, some customers report that the HD signal is not that great and that Vodafone blocks the HD signals.

"...7. No HDMI support. A pretty glaring weakness given the HD support, but included component cable worked fine.8. Cables could have been longer...." Read more

"...Wasn't the greatest picture and sometimes had limited channels...." Read more

"...Also keep in mind that there is no HDMi port on the Slingbox to make the interface with another HD product a bit more seamless...." Read more

"...process that the Mac version of the software currently doesn't support HD streaming, and second, when I installed the necessary plugin for Safari to..." Read more

Excellent hardware, software good too but somewhat overpriced
5 Stars
Excellent hardware, software good too but somewhat overpriced
Excellent hardware , software good too but somewhat overpriced.Got this unit used for really cheap price. As soon as it connected it downloaded a firmware update. Now unit is on version 2.1.420.Also installed Slingplayer app on my Samsung S3 running CM11 , ver 4.4.4. NOTE - Slingplayer app did NOT work until I switched the Android runtime from ART back to DALVIK.Tested the Windows side using a laptop on Windows 10 preview. Also worked great on their from within the Firefox browser and using the Slingplayer app from the Windows store.Also working fine with my Roku unit.Only caveats are that you need decent Internet to use it at full potential. Also, I find the Slingplayer apps are vastly overpriced. They should either be free or in the $5 range.
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Top reviews from the United States

Ringgen
5.0 out of 5 stars Slinging with success to laptop, Windows Mobile, and iPhone
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2010
Verified Purchase
Like the majority of reviewers, I purchased the Slingbox Pro-HD to have ready access to my home media content while away from the house. A side benefit is access from different rooms within the house, but I did not justify the investment based on anything other than remote usage. Here's what I bought, how it is set up, and my findings.

Purchased: Slingbox PRO-HD, 4-port SlingLink Turbo. (No wired ethernet ports available near cable box.)
Connection: Slingbox connected to Time-Warner Cable Scientific Atlantic 8300HD DVR. (Component video and regular audio)

Viewing solutions: HP laptops (three configured), Samsung Blackjack (Win Mobile 6.1), and four iPhone 3GS'.

Pro's:
1. Everything worked exactly as hoped right out of the box.
2. SlingPlayer for Windows is much nicer than expected.
3. SlingPlayer for iPhone worked great for BOTH WiFi AND 3G. (A very cool demo to show friends...)
4. SlingLink Turbo was a concern at time of purchase, but worked great. You MUST plug directly into the wall however. No surge protectors can be used, so make sure you have an available outlet near your router and media components. Used additional ports for other network traffic that was formerly wireless. (Wii and MediaCenter PC)
5. Virtual Remote looks and works just like the regular remote that comes with the cable box. Fantastically easy with the Windows Player SW.
6. Streaming quality of HD content rates as follows, based on bandwidth:
- 2.5Mb and up : Perfect. Picture is great at full size as is audio. No jagged or chopped frames.
- 1Mb to 2Mb: Pretty Good. HD is not ideal, but quite usable. Standard def still very good. No change in audio quality.
- <1Mb: HD not really acceptable. Switched to SD. Audio is good. A few buffering pauses will occur.
7. No monthly fees. Nothing new to learn. Easy to teach the "non-technie" family members. My wife LOVES this.
8. Built-in tuner is a plus, but currently unused.
9. Picture-in-a-Picture (PIP) works great. I used it extensively during NCAA basketball tournament.
10. Even with the 4-port lingLink Turbo, this was still a relatively cheap investment via Amazon.
11. SlingLink can easily be mounted on the wall. (I did this and it was great for cable management.)
12. Works at the Marriott over their wireless network, even during the evening when traffic is the heaviest. A true test.
13. Cables for ethernet and video/audio were included. It would have been easy to drop these and force additional investment. A pat on the back to Sling Media for getting this right.
14. Slings ALL cable channels, including the premium channels I pay for. (HBO, Cinemax, etc.)
15. Controls DVR exactly like you are in the room. (Record, Play, Delete, Pause, etc.)

Con's:
1. No media included with box, so had to download the free SlingPlayer for Windows, which took a while to find.
2. Audio on one laptop is unexplainably not very loud. Still haven't figured it out, but I think it is the laptop configuration.
3. SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows works, but value on a small screen device is minimal. Sound actually more valuable than video.
4. Only one user allowed at a time. Takes over HDTV that it is connected to. A given, but worth remembering.
5. SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone is $30 per phone. It would be nice if SlingMedia included at least one license for free.
6. Still concerned about all of the negative comments around Sling's support policy and limited warranty. I am just assuming I'll have to drop $30-$60 a year for a couple of calls if something no longer works. Not an acceptable policy for a product that they should be able to stand behind with pride.
7. No HDMI support. A pretty glaring weakness given the HD support, but included component cable worked fine.
8. Cables could have been longer. (Ethernet, video, audio, and IR cable all seemed about 18-24 inches shorter than I would have liked).

Final thoughts:

I have been tracking the Sling Media offerings for the better part of four years and finally decided that the combination of features, pricing, and reliability was right to jump in. I am glad I did, since it all worked exactly as I had hoped. The recent addition of the iPhone support over 3G was a bonus.

There will always been things that I'd like to see improved, including better quality at lower bandwidths. However, given the content being "slinged", this is really a pretty polished offering. If you are going to be accessing the SlingBox regularly from a "Good" bandwidth connection, I would highly recommend the Pro-HD. Enjoy!
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Steve
4.0 out of 5 stars Placeshifting with the Slingbox Pro-HD
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2011
Verified Purchase
A full review (with photos) is posted here: [...]

Placeshifting technology is very useful. Placeshifting allows us to be in one location while experiencing another location. Or in the case of real technology we can use, placeshifting allows us to watch video which runs live in one location, in our current location. This is different from Utube and other video services because these are not recordings but rather live video content feeds from a satellite or cable service.

Slingbox Pro-HD

There are several placeshifting devices out there but I'm only going to talk about one. Sling Media.

Sling Media started out about five years ago with a simple device that allowed someone to placeshift a small resolution video signal from their home cable/satellite service and stream it over the internet to their handheld mobile phone, Blackberry, Palm, or other mobile device. Think about it, you could be sitting on the train or in the waiting room of your doctor's office watching your favorite live football game on your personal mobile phone or internet enabled device. How cool is that?

Living in Thailand as an expatriate I immediately saw other uses. With a serious dearth of quality English speaking programming I knew I'd appreciate having access to the cable channels from my home country. I looked on their site for the most appropriate device, placed my order, and had it shipped to my sons home in Illinois. The device I felt most appropriate for current and future use was the Sling HD-Pro.

The Sling Pro-HD can stream from very low resolution formats suitable for mobile phones, to full HDTV programming. More, it can stream data from a TiVo or other DVR device. It was ideal.

Setting it Up

Two days later it arrives at my son's house and he rings me up wanting to know what I'd sent. Not knowing how much work would be involved I remember telling him something like this "it's just some box so I can watch your cable, it should only take you five minutes to install." I hear a "sure Dad" and five minutes later he calls back up and tells me it's ready to go! I asked him exactly what was involved.

He unpacked it from the box, plugged it into a wall outlet, and then connected a cable from the Sling Pro-HD to the cable outlet on his wall, and a network cable to his router. He then ran a setup disk that sets a couple ports in his router and that was it. He reads the instructions a bit more and says if I want it connected to his TIVO or other DVR it would require hooking up another cable.

I asked him how big it was and if it took much room around his television. He said it was very small and he didn't put it near his television. He put it in the same room where he has his ADSL modem and wireless router. It pulls about 5w.

On my end in Bangkok I went to the Sling Media site and downloaded the "Sling Player" software and installed it. It didn't take long. I was required to set up a free account and enter some information like my Sling Box ID number, name, email address, and a password. I started the program and a few minutes later was watching a channel from his cable service!

How Does it Work?

Its not as complicated as you might think. The Sling Pro-HD has a built in tuner. The cable that connects it to the host cable system is a cheap cable like the type that connects the cable systems modem to the TV. A single BNC to BNC cable.

It's important to note that installing this device in no way interferes with the host's use of their cable or watching their cable on their television. It's akin to having different televisions in different rooms, each television having its own cable tuner box, in this case the Sling Pro-HD becomes the cable tuner box. This works great for basic cable services. Basic cable services are always available even when the main television at the hosts end is using a digital conversion box for HDTV, surround sound, and additional channels. And if you like you can connect the Sling Pro-HD through an additional digital conversion box, but I figured with the bandwidth (internet speeds) available on my end it would all be for nothing

Once the router is setup the device becomes accessible from outside the home network. You (or anyone with the codes and password) can then access the device and watch the cable channels from anywhere in the world via the internet.

You can download "Slingplayer" for use on a computer, "Slingplayer Mobile" for use on a mobile device, or make use of their new Slingcatcher application.

The reason you set up the account with Sling Media is so when connecting remotely (from outside the home network) you'd have a place to go to find your Sling Pro-HD. Almost all home internet accounts have dynamic IP addresses which means the address changes often. This means you'll need a common meeting point on the internet to learn the devices most current IP address and "hook up." As the home network dynamic IP changes the Sling Pro-HD continuously updates your account with the new address, and from your remote device (mobile phone, laptop, etc) you access this account. The accounts are hosted on a Sling Media site.

Useful Features

Sling Media is always introducing new and useful features. As an early adopter I've been able to watch Slingplayer grow from a basic interface, to the attractive full featured interface of the most current Version 2.0.

One of the most useful features is the built in programming guide. When you set up your account it asks you for your zip code and cable provider, and using this information it then provides a TV guide service. Very nice, especially when you remember you're using this product away from your home and often when on the run.

The main unit comes with a remote control for use in the hosts home. And then it provides an electronic remote control you can click on with your mouse cursor. You can also set up the panels to be there when you 'mouse over' and then disappear when you're done.

Sometimes you'll find a hotel or other network blocks video streaming from the Slingplayer and other such devices. Now Sling Media allows you to go to your personal account in a web browser and watch your programming. If you can access the internet through your browser, you'll be able to access your programming through your browser.

Personal Application?

I use the Sling Pro-HD for several uses. As a programming source in my home here in Bangkok, and as a programming source when I'm traveling and my hotel room provides a suitable internet connection.

3g is starting to go mainstream in different areas of Thailand and 'unlimited' data packages are already available. So it's entirely possible to view your Sling on your mobile device.

Where I live only 1mbps connections are possible. During the best times of the day (when the net is at its peak speeds) I can get very nice standard definition streams. I estimate you'd want 2-3mpbs to achieve the HDTV resolution streams.

Keep in mind that with my setup I'm 12 hours out of sync with the programming source. This means I'm sleeping during prime time. Because of this I usually limit my Sling watching to 24 hour news channels, a few car shows, and the occasional old favorite show from long ago playing on late night television in the states. Still, I find access to my local news invaluable.

For my main viewing, such as televisions series and movies, I get great quality programming in SD or HD through torrents.

Summary

For the relatively low cost of the Sling box I find it a bargain. Some of the older models are still available for under $100. There is no monthly fee other than for the cable bill at your host location. Essentially once you buy the device it's a free service.

For 3 years now I've had access to the news channels I'm interested in watching, car and craft shows from back home, and delight in the occasional old show from years past. It's a unique experience to sit here in a late night Bangkok evening watching Bonanza on the television!

The system is absolutely reliable. In three years there have been only 2-3 times I've had to call my son and ask him to reset the device, and two of those times there were firmware upgrades that needed to be downloaded which was the problem. The local internet is 1000x less reliable than the device itself.

You can watch the browser feed at work, watch TV on your laptop while traveling and staying at hotels, or hook up the main feed to your big HDTV at home. There are some very slick and easy ways to get the video from your computer to your television, if enough people are interested I'll do a follow-up piece and cover this area as well.

The Slingbox is a must have addition to the expatriates entertainment/medial center. It's cheap, it's easy, and it's a lot of fun. Watch for the sales, these can be marked down quite a bit.
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Roudy
1.0 out of 5 stars This is a great product in theory
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2011
Verified Purchase
I can't agree more with the other users frustrations from online support. I got this product so that I could use it when I moved from the US to Switzerland. It worked flawlessly, FOR the First 3 months. I was getting near HD quality from Michigan to Switzerland 2.5 to 2.8mbs signal. It varied at times but for the most part that was acceptable. Then they rolled out a firmware update, and I accepted it and it still worked for another month. Then in December (just in time for the College Football Bowl Games) my player was receiving a steady signal at 120kbs. This occured from France/Switzerland/friends who were in Michigan etc. all got the same signal. It had nothing to do with the quality of the internet service. Their Warranty and support is a sham. I tried but got no help and told the same $30, $50 story. The fact is it is clearly a problem with their equipment. In fact I had my friend at home reset everything box, router, etc. This fixed the problem and I thought it was a glitch and wondered why they didn't post this issue/fix on their website. Well, that only worked for about three weeks and now it is streaming between 120kbs and 200kbs. At least now I do get a picture, the first time it was sound only.

It is such a necessary product for me, but they have mismanaged the support so badly I am thinking of junking it and cancelling cable modem in US and cancelling direct TV.

Also of note, there is a part of their site that claims now that they know about this problem and requests all sorts of information and feedback. Just one problem! There is no place to submit the information.

Buyer be aware.
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Gregory Aaston
5.0 out of 5 stars Works flawless with sling player app I you could watch TV anywhere
Reviewed in Canada on October 27, 2019
Verified Purchase
I love Slingbox for its simplicity and this is what I had from 2009 to 2013 and then it quit working so I bought a used one from this site and it works flawlessly and I’m very happy with it especially when I use it when I go on trips and I use my iPhone 8 as my companion to watch movies or sports or soap operas.
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