slingbox

Maximum PC reports that Sony plans to kill its $30 license fee for LocationFree client software. Much like the popular Slingbox, Sony's LocationFree TV platform consists of a hardware base station that you plug into your TV or other A/V device, and software that runs on your Mac, PC, or Windows Mobile device.

When you buy a base station, Sony currently throws in one client license. But if you want to stream your TV signal over the internet to multiple devices, you'll have to shell out $30 for a license.

That's about the same price Sling Media charges for SlingPlayer Mobile. But SlingPlayer for Mac or PC is free, so if Sony plans to stay in the market, it only makes sense for the company to offer up similar service for about the same price (or cheaper).

It looks like the folks at Sling Media have a few interesting things up their sleeves.

The folks over at the Sling Community have spotted a patent application that seems to indicate Sling Media has plans to enable advertising over your Sling connection. There are a couple of different ways the company could insert ads. For example, your Slingbox or SlingPlayer software could determine which batter is at plate during a baseball game and then choose a fitting ad to display on your playback window. Sling Media could also insert preroll advertisements or insert an ad at the end of a video.

Sling Media is set to release the SlingCatcher by the end of the year. And now that we've seen some spy photos of the retail packaging, we're inclined to think that the release will be sooner rather than later.

We already knew that the SlingCatcher would be Sling's first dedicated device that receives video rather than sends it. In other words, you put a SlingCatcher next to your TV and connect it to your home network. Then you can stream video from your PC, the internet, or any other audio/video device that has a Slingbox connected to it.

And here's what we found out by reading the box:

• Support for resolutions up to 1080i
• Support for WMV, MPEG2, MPEG4, H.264 and XviD in a variety of file formats, including .VOB
• Attach a USB 2.0 hard drive or flash drive with at least 1GB of free space and you can download video

The SlingCatcher will probably run about $199 when it hits the streets.

[via EngadgetHD]

Sling Media officially launched SlingPlayer for Symbian phones today. That means Slingbox users who have Palm, Windows Mobile, or Symbian phones can stream live TV over the internet from their home to their phones.

The Symbian version of the SlingPlayer software has been available to beta testers for the past few months. The application is designed to work with Nokia N75, N95, and E65 phones, but may also run on other phones using the Symbian operating system. You'll need a Wi-Fi or 3G internet connection in order to stream video at a decent rate.

SlingPlayer Mobile software usually costs $30, but Sling Media is also announcing a partnership with Nokia to offer the application free to all N95 users. Of course, the software is useless if you don't shell out the $130+ to get a Slingbox, so the move makes good marketing sense from Sling Media's perspective. In fact, we wouldn't be too surprised to see the company negotiate similar deals with other companies to build a market for Slingboxes.

On the other hand, once EchoStar completes its acquisition of Sling Media, the company might not have to work so hard to build brand recognition.

Sling Media has announced the latest addition to its lineup of place-shifting devices. The $180 Slingbox Solo fits between the top of the line Slingbox Pro ($230) and the entry level Slingbox AV ($130). Not only does the solo fit squarely between its siblings when it comes to price, but it also has some of the same features as its big brother, on a smaller scale.

While the Slingbox Pro can control 4 separate devices, the Solo handles just one. The Solo also lacks the built-in NTSC tuner found int he Pro. But unlike the Pro, the Solo can handle HDTV out of the box. It includes component inputs and outputs, so there's no need to spend $50 on a separate HD Connect.

This is the first Slingbox to include a USB port. It doesn't do anything at the moment, but it's reserved for future use. No word on what that use is, but perhaps a firmware update will let you store programs on an external hard drive. Or something.

This is also the first Sling Media device that will be launched in the US, Canada, and the UK simultaneously. It should be available in stores next week. Sling Media is also launching the Slingbox Pro in the UK this week for £199.99. That unit will include a DVB-T tuner and comes bundled with an HD Connect.

EchoStar Communications, the company behind the Dish Network satellite service has agreed to buy Sling Media for $380 million. Sling Media is the maker of the popular Slingbox place-shifting device.

Over the past few years, the Slingbox has become synonymous with place-shifting, much the way some people refer to generic PVRs as TiVos. The difference is that Sling Media doesn't face much serious competition yet. While Monsoon Multimedia, Sony, and Orb do make products that compete with the Slingbox in one way or another, place-shifting isn't built into generic set-top-boxes from Motorola or Scientific Atlanta yet.

By acquiring Slingbox, EchoStar is in an excellent position to be an early player in the place-shifting game. The company can continue to sell standalone Slingboxes to non-satellite customers. And EchoStar can integrate Sling technology into its existing products, putting the company far ahead of the competition when it comes to place-shifting.

EchoStar was among the earliest investors in Sling Media, which was founded 3 years ago. What does this mean for future Sling products? It's hard to say, but we're pretty sure EchoStar can pump an awful lot of money into research and development. And it's not like Sling Media was resting on its laurels. The company has put out a number of updates to its original place-shifting Slingbox line, and has a new SlingCatcher device that will bring internet video to your TV set scheduled for release soon.

Living without cable can be a real hassle... especially when one's job depends on it. "TV blogger" kind of implies the need for TV. I recently moved into an apartment where there is absolutely no option for cable television and had no choice but to look into alternative methods of getting quick access to TV. Enter Slingbox, about which I have been hearing nothing but glowing reviews. It's been around for a while, sure, but I haven't had any need for it until now.

For those of you who don't know what a Slingbox is, here's the short explanation: It's a box that you hook up to your home's cable and Internet. Once you grant that Slingbox remote access, you can watch your home's cable TV and access TiVo or DVR on your computer, from anywhere in the world. No subscription is required; it's a one-time purchase. The only catch is that if you're watching your home TV with your laptop in a hotel states away, your family back in the house cannot change channels on that home TV. Not too big of a deal, I think, unless you're already an inconsiderate TV hog. Anyway, since my current apartment isn't my permanent residence, I have cable set up in my house in Florida and I'm doing this whole Slingbox thing.

I was originally going to buy the basic tuner from the official website for about $129, but then I checked out Amazon and saw the same thing for $99.99. Just as I was about to buy it, my family in Florida insisted that they look around in stores before I buy anything, to save on shipping and handling. So here's the best part...

Although we have yet to meet anyone that actually uses Sony's LocationFree media extenders (as opposed to say, a Slingbox), Sony is continuing to update the product.

The LocationFree Home HD is the first in the line to include support for HDTV with resolutions up to 1080i. The LF-W1HD achieves high def video transmission over 802.11a/b/g wireless networks by using MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression technology.

You'll be able to pick up a transmitter and receiver in Japan this December for about ¥50,000 or a bit over $400 US. No word on if and when we'll be seeing this puppy stateside. Or if anyone will notice.

[via Engadget]

It looks like the FCC has spilled the beans on yet another top secret product. Sling Media has received approval for an update to its Slingbox Pro place-shifting device.

While the new model carries the Slingbox Pro name, it doesn't include an HDMI port, making it a cut below the existing version. But it does support S-video, coaxial, and RCA inputs and outputs as well as an ethernet jack. TG Daily speculates that this feature set could make the new box a replacement for the Slingbox A/V.

No word on pricing or availability, and a Slingbox rep would neither confirm nor deny this device's existence, other than to say that the company continues to develop new products. But thanks to the FCC, we do have a whole slew of pictures after the jump.

[Photo credit: Sling Media via FCC]

There's a whole slew of updates coming out of the Sling Media camp this week.

• The SlingCatcher launch has been pushed back to this fall.
• Sling Media released a firmware update for all Slingbox models with some minor networking fixes.
• HP is shipping selected laptops with SlingPlayer preinstalled.

Of course, having SlingPlayer preinstalled does no good unless you also shell out the money for a Slingbox. But with PC makers constantly dangling incentives like free printers or flash drives in order to convince you to buy their model, perhaps we'll see a notebook/Slingbox bundle some time down the road?

The nice thing about HP's SlingPlayer integration is that the application has been added to HP's QuickPlay software, meaning you can load up the SlingPlayer to watch streaming television without fully booting up your PC.
[via TiVo Lovers and Dave Zatz]

With all the talk about Slingbox and Hava, you may have forgotten that Sony was one of the pioneers of the place-shifting revolution (if you can call it a revolution).

Sony's LocationFree boxes, which let you stream content from your TV, PVR, DVD player or other A/V components to any internet-connected PC, Windows Mobile device, or Playstation Portable. But in recent years, Sony's LocationFree line has been operating in the shadow of the more popular Slingbox.

Sony plans to launch the latest member of the LocationFree family under the VAIO name. Not that the move alone is likely to raise much awareness about the product. But Sony also plans to pre-install LocationFree software on VAIO noetobooks. In other words, buy a PC, notice that it has place-shifting software, and maybe you'll go out and buy the hardware to enable it. Maybe.

Slingbox competitor Monsoon Multimedia has announced that its HAVA Gold and HAVA Platinum HD streaming video products are now both available in stores.

You can plug either box into your TV, TiVo, or pretty much any device that plays back video. Then just fire up the HAVA player on your computer or mobile device to watch your media on the go.

The HAVA Platinum HD also includes support for high definition video, which you could probably tell from the name. This higher end model also includes a TV tuner, and integrates with Windows Media Center PCs, enabling you to time-shift as well as place-shift.

Unlike the Slingbox, you can use a single HAVA box to stream video to multiple PCs simultaneously. The HAVA Gold sells for $130, and the HAVA Platinum HD goes for $150, although you can find both a bit cheaper if you shop around.

Sling Media has released the final version of SlingPlayer for Windows Mobile 6. The full version will set you back $30, but it's a free upgrade for Windows Mobile 5.0 users. You'll need to contact Sling Media to get anew registration key.

While the main new feature is Windows Mobile 6 compatibility, there are a few other goodies in the latest release:

• Support for wide screen viewing
• New remote control functions for additional audio/video devices
• Localised UK client with channel logos and written in "Queen's English," (as opposed to Queens, New Yawk)
• Automatic installer support broadened to support Windows Vista

After spending several weeks in beta, SlingPlayer for Mac OS X turns 1.0 today, with hundreds of bug fixes and a redesigned GUI based on user input..

Probably the biggest updates include support for remote control of several new Apple products, including Front Row, AppleTV, and the iPod in a Universal Dock or an iPod Hi-Fi.

SlingPlayer for Mac supports PowerPC and Intel processors running Mac OS X 10.3.9 and later.

If you visit Sling Media's download page for this free download (Slingbox not included), you're still directed to download link for the beta version of SlingPlayer for Mac OS X. But version 1.0 should be available for download later today.

There was a Woot-Off yesterday, and while there were a few great deals on items like video cards and TV tuners, it's not worth posting about them while the Woot-Off is still going on, because the items could sell out before we hit publish.

But today Woot is selling a Slingbox Classic for just $70. While it's a bit outdated by today's standards, that's still a box that can take your TV, TiVo, or other A/V sources and send them out into the internets in tiny little digital bits for your remote viewing pleasure.

In other words, $70 is a pretty good price. These are still selling for upwards up $120 at most stores that have them in stock.