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Slingbox 350 and 500 show up unannounced in Best Buy, flaunt 1080p and built-in WiFi
You might say Dave Zatz just had a happy accident. While he was hunting for the as yet unofficial Logitech Harmony Touch in Best Buy, he discovered the Slingbox 350 and 500 -- two more living room gadgets that have yet to receive an official introduction. The placeshifting hubs both look to be major improvements over the aging Slingbox Pro HD and Solo, making 1080p streaming available as long as the connection is up to snuff. Those who spring for the 500 should also get long overdue support for WiFi without having to use a wireless bridge, although they may miss the Pro HD's ATSC tuner. Outside of the networking, Sling Media is making expansion its upsell angle: the 500 supports USB media sharing and HDMI, while the 350 has to make do with whatever can pipe through its component and composite jacks. Zatz was unfortunately foiled in an attempt to buy one of the new Slingboxes and couldn't get final pricing, but Best Buy's suggestion to try again around mid-October hints that we won't have long to wait for a much-needed upgrade to our remote TV viewing.
SlingPlayer for Facebook is okay, Chrome(book) compatibility is better
Ready to let the world know all about your most intimate TV-viewing habits? Good, because the SlingPlayer Facebook app is now available, and prepared to do just that. Once installed, the app allows Slingbox Solo or Pro-HD owners to manage their DVRs and watch their favorite live or recorded shows, all from the comfort of their own social network. The share button doesn't automatically tie in with any kind of guide data, so friends don't need to know you're watching the Teen Mom reunion finale at the office -- unless you want them to. The other big news from Sling is that its plugin finally supports Google's Chrome browser (Mac version of FF8 is still a no-go, while Chromebooks can at least access a Flash stream now, but only via Facebook), so if you've been waiting for a way to ditch IE and FireFox then congratulations, your sometime is now. [Thanks, @wyldtek]
Facebook SlingPlayer revealed, proves you can't escape social networking (video)
Add another future platform for SlingPlayer to the pile, as the company recently showed off this quick demo of streaming video through Facebook. While the old Sling.com streaming still works just fine, this one adds some new social features to the mix. That will let viewers share the shows and what they enjoy watching easily while not-so-coincidentally making sure their friends know they're watching TV via Slingbox. There's no word on when this will actually hit the OpenGraph'd streets, but so far it's already in line behind players we've seen demonstrated but not yet released for Boxee and Google TV. Press play to check out the video and think back to a world where no one knew you were watching Law & Order for the eighth time today. [Thanks for the video, Dave Zatz]
SlingPlayer for Mac HD browser plugin beta launched
OS X Slingbox users can finally enjoy HD streams, now that the web based SlingPlayer for Mac HD originally planned to launch in Q1 has been released. It's still carrying the beta tag, and SlingCommunity users have noticed some issues with audio and picture quality at this time. Another downer? A lack of access to older SlingPlayers, you'll need a PRO, PRO HD or SOLO and Intel based Mac to come to this h.264 encoded party, but if the requirements meet your setup, fire up Safari or Firefox and head on over.Read - Sling.com Enables OS X Slingbox StreamingRead - Sling.com HD access for Macs (finally!)
Sling's $50 rebate on iPhone-compatible boxes rendered useless by stupid pricing
Think Sling Media is partially making up for its ridiculous arbitrary lockout of iPhones on older Slingboxes by offering a $50 credit toward the purchase of a new model? Think again: turns out that the credit is applied against prices in Sling's own online store, which are already jacked beyond reason. Actually, they aren't, they're just MSRP -- but let's be honest, no one pays MSRP for anything anymore, and you can actually get the PRO-HD for less from Amazon than from Sling's store after the frickin' credit (and the SOLO isn't faring much better after fast shipping, especially if you've got a Prime membership). It's a pretty backhanded way to say "thanks" to your early adopters -- and it's just a shame that the iPhone version of the SlingPlayer will likely be a strong enough draw to let the company get away with murder. Read - Slingbox SOLO on Amazon Read - Slingbox PRO-HD on Amazon
Slingbox SOLO gets reviewed
First spotted in FCC pics back in August, the Slingbox SOLO has finally hit the review circuit. Lacking the hardware-assisted HD streaming output of the just announced Slingbox PRO HD, the SOLO brings the original Slingbox Pro's HD inputs and VGA-res output to a dongle-less existence. The people at PC Magazine hooked up up the 'box and found plenty to admire in Sling's software and easy setup, pausing only to lament the short included ethernet cable and lack of WiFi. With its $180 MSRP, this Slingbox is a good option when your HDTV is far away, at least until the PRO HD hits the streets.
Where's the Slingbox HD?
Late last night we learned that Sling Media has another box that is one step closer to what we want, but not quite there yet. Sure, built in component inputs are great -- even if the box can't encode HD -- but where is the QAM or ATSC tuner. With the release of the latest addition to the Sling Media family we are still left wanting, especially when we noticed that the UK version of the Slingbox Pro includes a DVB-T tuner. We suspect that it's coming when we consider that the new Sling site no longer showcases the Slingbox Tuner and with the rumors of a Sling cable device making its way through the FCC.
Hands-on with Sling Media's Slingbox SOLO
Considering that the cat's out of the bag, we couldn't help but take the opportunity to get a closer look at the newest Slingbox. The unit boasted a small frame and plenty of ports, but it still rocked that tried and true Slingbox look throughout. Go on, check the gallery below to get up close and personal with the SOLO.%Gallery-7835%
Slingbox SOLO gets official, includes built-in component jacks
Earlier this month, Sling Media's Slingbox SOLO surfaced courtesy of the FCC, and now the firm's first box to be released with built-in component jacks is finally official. Granted, we already know that this FCC-exposed Slingbox is set to include these coveted ports as well, but this bad boy should be the first of the two to hit store shelves. Furthermore, it'll boast passthrough outputs to save you from scrounging around for a splitter, the ability to control a single set-top-box and support for incoming HD signals. Oh, and while the actual purpose of the built-in USB port has yet to be confirmed, we've all got external storage (and WiFi) on the brain. As for pricing and availability, look for this sucka to ship very soon for $179.99 in the US, $199.99 in Canada and £129.99 in the UK.
Slingbox SOLO and Slingbox Catcher pass through FCC
Ok, we can tell you precisely nothing about the final version of the Slingbox Catcher (recently delayed) or the fresh new SOLO we're just now hearing about for the first time (thanks a LOT, FCC), but we can tell you they're both approved by the government for use in the US of A, and that usually means it won't be long until we'll see them on store shelves. Also, in case you didn't notice, they're referring to the SlingCatcher as the Slingbox Catcher now. Hmph.
