Sling Media starts shipping $300 Slingbox PRO-HD, Canada to get it soon

You already witnessed our unboxing and hands-on with Sling Media's Slingbox PRO-HD, and if you're anxious to know when you can grab one of your own, how's about right now? Sling has revealed that its $299.99 high-def box can be purchased this very instant from its website and other B&M retailers, and for Canadians feeling a touch left out, take heart -- you all will be able to purchase the unit "in the coming weeks" for $329.99.

Gallery: Slingbox PRO-HD unboxing and hands-on

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[paragraph @ Sep 25th 2008 10:38AM]

what, no HDMI...

[pball_inuyaha @ Sep 25th 2008 10:57AM]

I read somewhere else there are copyright issues and fees or something to use HDMI.

Only bad thing is i doubt most people have the upstream bandwidth for streaming good quality HD content.

I'd love to get one and leave it at my parents place and just give them a couple bucks a month for "cable". Too bad it takes over the cable box and has some minor draw backs.

[paragraph @ Sep 25th 2008 11:17AM]

@pball

not saying i need to stream 1080p ;)

just saying that since this sits in the middle of the source and the TV, it'd be nice to let me keep my HDMI connection from my cable box to my TV.

Also: does this sport Gbit Ethernet? I'd imagine it'd have to.

[Chris Anderson @ Sep 25th 2008 11:47AM]

ridiculous! what about DVI then?

[pball_inuyaha @ Sep 25th 2008 11:48AM]

@paragraph

sorry if you got kinda confused, each separate set of lines is a different though. That and you you didn't seem to respond to what i said about HDMI. I'm not sure but isn't there some form of copy protection in HDMI (like how DVI has HDCP)? That and the fact HDMI isn't free to put in your product is the impression i got to why it doesn't use it

[Chuck @ Sep 25th 2008 12:56PM]

If they put an HDMI connect on it they would have to include one in the package, since the cable makers and hardware manufacturers seem to have this unknown pact to never put an HDMI cable in the packages why would they put it in the box. Oh, that's right I'm such an idiot, they want you to pay a minimum of thirty bucks for something that only cost's them twenty five cents to make. I forgot how you are supposed to support these people's greed and hunger for more money than one person can ever use in their lifetime. Wait a minute, isn't that how the USA got into this problem in the first place, corporate greed?

[MegaZone @ Sep 25th 2008 1:57PM]

HDCP. 'nuf said.

[Christian @ Sep 25th 2008 11:04AM]

I was looking for Slingcatcher on the Internets and found these guys pre-selling them in Canada.
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowSearchList&kw=watch+your+tv+with+slingbox&cid=all&sort=0&mfg=SLING+MEDIA

I can't wait!!!! More importantly, I can't wait for the long time comming Slingplayer for iPhone.

[mike @ Sep 25th 2008 3:48PM]

Save you're money and buy one of the old ones with the older connections. The Directv receivers have all there connections live so you can run HDMI to your TV and still use component or S-video instead. This just has more/better connections. It doesn't stream a clearer picture.

[Steve @ Sep 25th 2008 4:14PM]

Actually it does stream a better picture. The other slingboxes use MPEG2 to stream in SD while this one uses H.264 and can stream up to HD resolutions.

[hughbie93 @ Sep 25th 2008 6:07PM]

why do us Canadians always pay more, when our dollar is better? What's that all aboot, eh?

[Christian @ Sep 25th 2008 8:39PM]

um.....first off, our dollar is currently 1.03 US, which means our dollar isn't better. Secondly, this product is shipped from the States so the Duty, freight/shipping charges, etc. are all worked into the price we have to pay.
Is it fair? Naw, not really. Until we have some stability in the energy sector (oil / gas prices) and better trade agreements, We Canadians are always gonna dish out more dough.

If you value the product, price becomes a non-issue. I for one will dish out the extra $30 for one of these babies (I do alot of traveling!).