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Slingbox rolls out two new units that stream to Mac or iOS
You might have forgotten about the Slingbox service if you're not using it. The company hasn't updated its hardware in over four years. But that's not the case anymore. Today, Slingbox introduced two new boxes, the Slingbox 350 and the 500, which let you stream video from your TV to any number of connected devices, including your Mac, your iPhone or your iPad. Both devices stream in HD quality, and the 500 model also includes a WiFi connection, an HDMI hookup and a new service called SlingProjector, which allows content to go the other way, streaming from your devices onto the TV. The Slingbox 350 is available now for US$179.99, and the Slingbox 500 is listed at $299.99. In addition to the new devices, Slingbox has rolled out brand new versions of both Slingplayer for iPhone and Slingplayer for iPad (the apps that hook up to content from the set-top boxes), and both have been discounted by 50 percent from the usual price, to $14.99. That's a little pricey just for the technology to stream video (especially since there are so many other ways to get video on your iOS device), but if there's a TV show not available online that you absolutely can't miss, Slingbox is the best way to do that.
SlingPlayer for Android gets a long-awaited update, adds reminders and better Android 4 video quality
Fans of both Android and Slingbox streaming have had a long wait for a significant update to the SlingPlayer app, to put it mildly -- the last major upgrade was to introduce Kindle Fire support at the start of the year. Imagine our delight when Sling Media posts a pair of low-key but significant updates for Android phone and tablet users alike. Smartphone owners get the most out of the upgrade with a new electronic program guide, a fresher overall look and better high-quality video for any phone using Android 4.0 and beyond. Tablet users do get a more optimized interface for the Nexus 7, however, and both form factors will let avid placeshifters remind themselves when a much-anticipated show goes live in the future. Neither of the updates is a complete revolution, but we would say they're coming just in time.
Monsoon Vulkano do-it-all media box starts shipping, gets unboxed
Looking for one box to rule them all? If so, you must have glossed right over Monsoon's Vulkano launch, but lucky for you, there's a reminder coming in the form of a 'now shipping' proclamation. Just weeks after the $379 mega-box -- which aims to replace all of those other STBs under your television -- went up for pre-order, the earliest of adopters have started to receive their devices. We're still waiting on a proper critique, but if you're yearning to have a glance at what the future of media looks like, give those links below a look. Just kidding about that last part, by the way. [Thanks, Dan]
Monsoon Vulkano all-in-one DVR/placeshifting/media streaming box ready for preorder, ships August 10
Monsoon -- after taking advantage of a few delays since our initial hands-on by adjusting the name and pricing -- is finally ready to show off the followup to its HAVA line of placeshifting media streamers, the Vulkano. Integrating a video processor and local storage into its slim frame, the Vulkano accepts HD video over its analog inputs for recording and live streaming to other devices (PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, Blackberry and Android players will be available at launch, with a Symbian version on the way) or it can convert recordings locally for them to be downloaded over WiFi or 3G and stored on those devices for offline viewing. Remote scheduling and channel changing functionality (controlling connected set-top boxes via IR blaster) isn't a shocking new feature, but this goes a step further by bringing internet videos to your TV (YouTube, local UPnP devices) Boxee and Popbox style, and other big names like Hulu, Netflix, Google TV, Amazon Yahoo! Widgets and a full HTML browser are promised to show up in firmware updates soon. Believers can hit the site to preorder now, with units ranging from the $279 Vulkano with 8GB of SD card storage, up to a $379 Vulkano Pro with 1TB eSATA HDD included and other sizes planned in between. Check after the break for a press release with more details, and our hands on video from CES. %Gallery-98258%
Motorola showcases USB-powered Media Mover
We didn't think much of Motorola's MCU3E (MCUBE) wireless transcoder when it was launched as a prototype late last year, but obviously Moto's got dreams of seeing this in homes around the world. Showcased at this year's Cable Show, the rechristened Media Mover is a USB-powered device that not only transcodes media on your DVR, but also broadcasts said media (transfer or streaming) locally or remotely via WiFi or Bluetooth. Dave Zatz reported that the quality was actually pretty stellar, and while the company wasn't exactly forthcoming when it came to hardware specifics and availability, we don't suspect it'll be too long before the company comes right out with those very details. Check the read link for a few more hands-on shots.
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.
Sling Media's Slingbox Pro HD: how would you change it?
Sling Media's Slingbox Pro HD arrived with lofty expectations, and while the box handled its core tasks reasonably well, we found it to have some issues on the software side. But as always, YMMV, so why not have a look over on Engadget Classic and let us know how you'd tweak it?
How would you change the Slingbox Pro HD?
Sling Media's Slingbox Pro HD arrived with lofty expectations, and while the box handled its core tasks reasonably well, we found it to have some issues on the software side. The good news there is that software is modifiable, which means Sling could definitely improve matters in the near future. To that end, we're interested to see how you'd change the high-def-capable placeshifter. Any bugs you want knocked out? Any particular hardware traits you aren't fond of? Is it simply too difficult for your mother-in-law to get working? Sound off below! You never know -- someone important may be listening.
Hands-on with the BlackBerry flavor of SlingPlayer Mobile
There's still not a solid word on when BlackBerry users across the lands will be able to exchange a small sum of currency for their own license of this thing, but we're happy to report that Sling's BlackBerry player was on full display at CTIA -- and it's looking very good. WiFi or 3G is obviously recommended for best performance, but Sling was using EDGE in lieu of a solid WiFi connection at the show and we were pleasantly surprised at the goodness of the video quality. There are still a couple bugs to work out, but it's definitely on the right path, and we'd be shocked if it wasn't out in the wild within a few months. Go get 'em, Sling!%Gallery-19896%
MLB backs off of Sling -- a little
Major League Baseball may not be happy about Sling Media enabling fans to stream out of market baseball games over the internet, but it is apparently backing off of plans to sue the company into oblivion, RIAA-style. Bob Bowman, president of Major League Baseball Advanced Media said in an interview that winning could be done with "good technology and good content, not lawyers". Following up on its decision not to freeze cable customers out of its Extra Innings package, baseball's new strategy seems to lean towards not irritating its best customers. While we're intrigued by their ideas, we're not subscribing to the newsletter -- yet.[Warning: subscription req'd for link]
Major League Baseball still barking up Sling Media's tree
While some broadcasters are actually utilizing the Slingbox and appreciating its benefits, leave it to Major League Baseball to further alienate its dwindling fanbase. After cable customers were just barely able to get back in on the Extra Innings love, it appears that Sling Media is still being blacklisted in the eyes of MLB, as a recent interview with Michael Mellis, Senior VP and general counsel of MLB Advanced Media's offices reinforced the friction between the two. Most recently, Mellis and friends seem to be mulling a lawsuit against Sling, as he claims that the Slingbox "allows viewers to circumvent geographical boundaries written into broadcast rights deals," and moreover, had no shame in admitting that profiteering was at the forefront of their minds by suggesting that "if the league can't protect the rights it sells, that doesn't bode well for future contracts when it wants to resell the rights at higher margins." Reportedly, the CEA has indeed come to Sling's side by proclaiming that this case is a "classic instance of copyright owners trying to suppress innovation purely because it empowers consumers." Of course, we hope you don't let Mellis' words get you too riled up -- after all, he also stated that "there's no guarantee that Slingbox would be around next year as it's just a startup." Let the snickering commence.[Via CNET]
Pinnacle rolls out PCTV To Go placeshifting box, bundles WiFi
If you're scouting the perfect placeshifting device to cure those television blues while stuck at your TV-less grandmother's house for Thanksgiving, the Slingbox might not be the obvious choice anymore. Granted, it'll probably be awhile before the current king is dethroned, Pinnacle is giving the shifting game its best shot with the PCTV To Go. Sporting built-in WiFi / Windows MCE support, this content liaison works essentially like any other timeshifting device out there, and channels MPEG4 video to wherever you're logged in (or MPEG2 if connected locally). It also allows full control over your attached DVR, giving you the opportunity to schedule a recording for that oh-so-critical rerun of Nick Arcade, Season One. It reportedly works seamlessly with your home entertainment system, acting as a pass-through device that won't complicate things when wiring it up, but there's no word on whether it supports HD signals. The Pinnacle PCTV To Go should be available just before Turkey Day for a very competitive $249.99.Update: Thanks to an eagle-eyed reader who prefers to remain anonymous (apparently Pinnacle's got some leg breakers on its payroll) we now know that this is little more than a rebranded HAVA box from Snappy -- not that there's anything wrong with that, just sayin'.[Via PVRWire]
Sony Ericsson P990 gets LocationFree support
It looks like the Symbian Smartphone Show is shaping up to be a bit of a showdown betwixt placeshifters today, with both Sling and Sony announcing Symbian support for their respective products' players. Unlike Sling, which announced both UIQ and S60 versions of its SlingPlayer Mobile, Sony is only going as far as UIQ support for its LocationFree on the wings of its fresh P990 smartphone -- a very Sony-like (read: proprietary) move, considering Sony Ericsson isn't down with the Nokia-backed S60 platform. Odds are Sony would've liked to have cut a version for its smartphones a year or two back, but the P990 is the first phone in the P series to rock data fast enough (via UMTS and WiFi) to handle the heavy-duty bandwidth requirements LocationFree -- or most any other placeshifting tech, for that matter -- requires. Sony Ericsson's claiming immediate availability of the Symbian client, though it's not yet live on the P990's download site. Of course, a LocationFree player doesn't do much good without the device itself, and a US version of the P990 is nowhere in sight, so just keep on toolin' around with those PSPs until further notice.[Thanks, Alex]
