Testing Remote Set-Top Boxes over the Internet with Slingbox
The closed nature of set-top boxes makes them difficult or impossible for most test automation tools to work with. This article gives step-by-step instructions for connecting to a set-top box using Eggplant Functional in conjunction with a Slingbox.
What is a Set-Top Box?
A set-top box is a device that generally contains a TV-tuner input and a display output that connects to a television set and an external signal source. By tuning the source signal, it can display the content into a form that can then be displayed on the television screen or another display device.
Why Use a Slingbox?
Eggplant Functional’s image-based approach enables a user to test a set-top box using an intermediate hardware device called a Slingbox
. A Slingbox is itself a set-top box that connects to any other video-output device and streams the signal to your desktop in real time over a network connection.
The Slingbox sends this information to the SlingPlayer software, which must be installed on a Windows or a Mac machine where a Virtual Network Computing (VNC) server is also installed. You can then connect to this Windows or Mac machine from Eggplant Functional to test the set-top box.
The Slingbox usually has 3 main components:
- A connection to the output of a video transmitting device (set-top box).
- A viewer, which will allow you to show the output of the set-top box on a computer through a browser interface.
- A remote control center (SlingPlayer, the Slingbox software).
Eggplant does not provide the Slingbox hardware or software. These must be purchased separately.