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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]
Sling sends some users offline with PRO-HD update, issues fix
"Having difficulty with your PRO-HD this week?" That announcement headlining the Slingbox Answers Forum sums it up: a software update pushed last week "caused some Slingbox PRO-HD models to appear unavailable for TV streaming" -- a fairly significant issue, considering TV streaming is what these things do. Sling Media has since released a fix, but your device will need to connect to the internet to receive it. A spokesperson said that a "very small percentage" of users were affected, and that power cycling the device and waiting 10 minutes should solve the problem, as each box is programmed to connect and check for updates during the boot sequence. One Pro-HD owner wrote in claiming that the new software "bricked" his unit, meaning it's unable to power-up to receive the new update. If you're experiencing a similar issue, Sling suggests calling customer service at (877) 467-5464 -- mentioning the failed firmware update should help you avoid that nasty $30 service call charge. [Thanks, Tom]
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!)
Reminder: Sling Media's Slingbox PRO-HD giveaway ends tomorrow!
Nope, the holiday season ain't over yet (at least in our minds), so we're giving you one final shot to enter your name in the hat for a Slingbox PRO-HD. The contest ends tomorrow night (January 2nd) at 11:59PM ET, so head on over and drop a comment in order to consider yourself registered.
Engadget HD's Holiday Giveaway: win a Slingbox PRO-HD!
You know we couldn't let the holidays pass us by without doing a little giving, and the snow shoveling crew over at Engadget HD have put down the Egg Nog just long enough to host up a lovely giveaway (one of two, in fact). Rumor has it that a Sling Media Slingbox PRO-HD fell right out of Santa's sleigh and into an open window at the EHD headquarters, but don't worry, Mr. Claus has a stout insurance policy. Head on over and register to win!
Engadget HD Holiday Giveaway (part I): Sling Media's Slingbox PRO-HD
Why so down? Old Man Winter putting a freeze on your heart? Fret not, downtrodden ones -- Engadget HD is here with a fistful of holiday cheer. Just in case you didn't get that placeshifting box you'd been asking for under the tree this morning, we coaxed St. Nick into coughing up a Slingbox PRO-HD from Sling Media to give to one lucky reader. You know the deal with this one: HD streaming, a wide array of inputs, integrated digital tuner and a sexy chassis that you won't mind showing off. So, what's it going to take to get this in your stocking after all? Merely a glee-filled comment below. Oh, and you might want to stick around -- we've got one more unclaimed gift to give away later today!%Gallery-40028%The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, though we'd prefer one on the strangest, most remote locale you plan on placeshifting the HD Yule Log to. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) Sling Media Slingbox PRO-HD unit. Approximate value is $299.99. Entries can be submitted until Friday, January 2nd, 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
The Slingbox Pro HD review addendum
It's hard to believe that a product line as new as the Slingbox is so mature. This is part of the reason why when we first got our hands-on the new Slingbox Pro HD, there wasn't much to say except that we still like it and even more so now that it can stream HD. But once we had another month or so to toy around and get a little more acquainted with it, we discovered a few more HD related items that weren't there in previous renditions. And so here we are with the Slingbox Pro HD addendum, which among other things includes more extensive testing of the HD streaming feature over the internet, and more importantly the newly added internal HD tuner. Sure, HD component capture is way more useful, but there are still plenty of applications for an internal ATSC and QAM HD tuner. %Gallery-35364%
SlingPlayer 2.0 escapes beta, Slingbox PRO HD "any day now"
Not that any of you would be shy from running beta software, but at least now your milquetoastian friends can experience Sling's latest, Windows-based SlingPlayer 2.0 without fear of the beta baddies. Still no Clip+Sling sharing, but the new 60-minute buffer, EPG, and on-screen SlingRemote certainly makes this a worthwhile update. We've also got good new for those of you waiting for the SlingBox PRO-HD to ship -- Sling says "any day now" in accordance to their late September pre-order promise. Righteous.[Thanks, Martin]
Sling Media's Slingbox PRO-HD / SlingCatcher up for pre-order
Check it, placeshifters -- two new must-have boxes have just popped up for pre-order on Sling's website and Amazon's online marketplace. Sling Media's awfully exciting SlingCatcher and the sleek Slingbox PRO-HD are now ready to be loved for $299.99 apiece, though neither site gives any indication of ship dates. Still, with the holiday season just around the bend, we'd expect to see 'em both out before too long.[Via ZatzNotFunny]Read - SlingCatcher pre-orderRead - Slingbox PRO-HD
