Slingbox to be available June 30

CEO of Sling Media Blake Krikorian has confirmed that the Slingbox Personal Broadcaster will be available from CompUSA and at least one other national retailer as of June 30. In case your memory has waned since they announced the product last year, Slingbox is a solution that will allow you to stream TV content from your cable, satellite or DVR to any computer with a high-speed internet connection. They expect to make the official announcement on Thursday, with product available in stores the same day. According to the website, price on this box still comes in at $249.

[Thanks, Jeff]

[the don @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Depending on the kinds of programs you like, doesn't that waste a lot of memory after a while? wouldn't it be more efficient to store it onto a dvd-r or something?

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

It's not for recording purposes. All the box does is allow you to view content remotely. If connected to a PVR you could, of course, view pre-recorded content. Think watching your Local newscast on a laptop while on a business trip or enjoying your Sunday Ticket NFL games on your WiFi enabled PocketPC while at Starbucks.

[Jonathan Burge @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

I think that this, and other such devices may be illegal now that the Grokster case has been decided. Do cable stations and companies allow you to "share" their signal over the Internet. Time will tell.

[JFM @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Sounds great - but it all comes down to how well it performs (both quality and reliability) when sending video over my cable modem's slow upstream channel. Hopefully they'll also work it out so it'll be easy to control my TiVo remotely when I'm watching it through the Slingbox.

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

JFM,

You're exactly right about the implementation. The company line is that their software is smart enough to work with variations in bandwidth and optimize the settings to best suit the available speed. We'll see how well they do that soon enough.

As for device control, the Slingbox has an IR emitter. As part of the software setup, you select the device being controlled and it pulls the appropriate IR codeset from its database as buttons you can click on while you watch the stream to send IR commands. I've used something like this in Sony's Location Free TV. Blake's comments on the forum this info about the release came from also included mention of additional remote customizability as they improve the software. Initialy, he says it will be slightly more customized than Sony's control scheme.

[mjsmitho @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

The Cable Overlords will block this, if it is uploading over the Interweb on their broadband.

"to any computer with a high-speed internet connection."

What about Mac support? Or is that mispoken?

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

No Mac software, at least not initially. XP support only at the outset with additonal clients rolled out in the coming months (they've already demonstrated clients for Windows Mobile, Windows Smartphone, and Symbian). Palm support will be offered and they have already received mnay requests for a Mac client.

[a lee @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

until there's a generic java/web client what's the point?

just use vlc and you are done right?

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Except that you need a computer on both ends. The Slingbox is a cheaper and easier alternative for people who don't have/want a PC near their sources.

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

I don't think any of us can know what the industry will say about this type of technology. However, there is definitely a difference between streaming your paid for content to yourself (again the business trip sceanrio as an example) and allowing someone else to view and therefore "share" that content remotely. The latter is certainly more objectionable to the industry than the former. I'd also guess that the latter is almost certainly illegal or in violation of your cable/satellite contract while the former is probably within a user's fair use rights.

[BWN @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Only one device can receive streamed content from the Slingbox at a time, so I'm sure it will qualify as fair use.

BWN
Slingbox Beta Tester

[Justin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Okay I'll be the first to point out the design:

What the hell IS that THING??!

It looks like... three giant keyboard keys... what's with the round overhangs? and jesus, what's all that... WRITING on it? looks like something out of an Indiana Jones movie... I wouldn't be caught dead owning that hideous contraption.

[Kevin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Yeah, that's ugly. I couldn't see this selling hugely, personally.

I also couldn't see it being any kind of sharing issue.

[Kevin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Yeah, that's ugly. I couldn't see this selling hugely, personally.

I also couldn't see it being any kind of sharing issue.

[Brian @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Personally I can't wait for the thing to be released. I work nights and we're allowed to play games & watch movies and such (nice, huh?) but there's too much interference here to pick up any TV signals.

Mark me down as in the group that doesn't want a PC next to my source. Of the 3 PC's I have, all of them are at least midtowers and there's no way I'm putting those beasts in the living room. At least it looks like I could possibly hide this funky looking thing.

[Colin Heichman @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Ugly? Even if it is, who cares?

If the box does something cool (and it does) it's stupid to pass on it because it's not pretty.

This, combined with my laptop and my EVDO card, makes it so I can watch my ReplayTV anywhere!

[Ted Shelton @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Alternatively you could just get Orb Media for free... Why is Slingbox so exciting? You can only play movies on an XP box? With special software installed? Orb will stream to ANY player -- Windows Media, Real, and 3GP...

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

And Orb was a fee based solution initially. The point is that solutions change and while initial support on the Slingbox is limited to XP devices, they'll offer players for other platforms as stated above in the coming months. They've already demonstrated several of these other players at CES.

By the way, while Orb's software is free, the hardware requirements are not. TV tuner cards are not extremely common in non media center PCs. Those with Media Center PCs don't need a Slingbox.

It's not revolutionary, just eveolutionary. There are lots of people who would like to placeshift their content but don't have or want a computer near their sources. Even if they were ok with that, if all they want to do is placeshift and they don't already have a PC to put in their family room, the Slingbox is a much cheaper alternative.

[Colin Heichman @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

I suppose Orb would be fine if you wanted to dedicate a computer with a video capture card to the task.

The Slingbox is a dedicated box that does one thing and does it well. It's not limited to just movies...it's true placeshifting of any video device you have (DVR, DVD, cable box, whatever).

[Amy Taylor Avery @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Colin - you haven't chnaged since your days in Reston with your love of ugly applicances that are practicial.

[andy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Hi Everyone,

I have a question about sling box installation.

I have a cable modem that is connected to a VOIP router that is connected to a wireless router that goes into a desktop computer. I recently purchased a Slingbox and a got a extra cablebox from the cable company. Any idea how I put the cablebox and slingbox in line with the existing connections?

Thanks very much... any help is much appreciated...

-- andy

[andy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Hi Everyone,

I have a question about sling box installation.

I have a cable modem that is connected to a VOIP router that is connected to a wireless router that goes into a desktop computer. I recently purchased a Slingbox and a got a extra cablebox from the cable company. Any idea how I put the cablebox and slingbox in line with the existing connections?

Thanks very much... any help is much appreciated...

-- andy