Still, you can get the smaller model in a variety of colors – white, pink, blue and green – though you only get half the battery life: 3hrs, versus the 6hrs of the SD-P96DT. Each has an SD/SDHC memory card slot, and can play DivX video, MP3/WMA music files and JPEG images from either a card or a DVD.

Toshiba will throw in a 12V adapter for in-car use, an A/V output cable and a remote control, while the larger version gets external antennas for the tuners. No word on pricing at this stage, but the REGZA SD-P96DT is expected to drop in Japan in early December, while the REGZA SD-P76S will follow on midway through the month.

[via Akihabara News]

Apparently Giovannoni wasn’t satisfied merely designing the not-especially-bag-friendly casing of the alessiTab, but instead completely overhauled the interface too.  It comes preloaded with various widgets – for news, weather, recipes and acting as a digital photo frame – and an internet radio app, but it seems there won’t be Android Market access.  Instead Alessi claims they’ve picked a carefully curated set of software experiences that should suit the home market the alessiTab finds itself in.

There’s also IPTV support, video and audio playback, plus a webcam, microphone and speakers for using the alessiTab as a videophone.  Connectivity includes USB and an SD card slot.  It’ll arrive in Italy in November, priced at €399 ($532).

The Sling family resemblance is obvious, and in fact you’d be hard pressed – from the outside at least – to tell the difference between this new PRO-HD and the two year old original.  A squat trapezoid measuring 13.25 x 5.75 x 2.25 inches and finished in high-quality matte black and silver plastic, it has minimal hardware controls (a reset button is the only physical control) and just three LED indicators: red network and power lights in the bottom right hand corner on the fascia, and a larger inverted-U that pulses and cycles during streaming.

It’s on the back that the action happens, with the whole rear panel covered in connections.  The number of ports is actually deceptive, since most are actually pairs: one set of inputs and then another set of matching outputs so that you can slot the PRO-HD in-between the source and the local TV.  From left to right there’s the reset button, power input and ethernet, an unused USB host port, then the SD inputs (L/R audio, video and S-Video), the HD inputs (L/R audio, S/PDIF and component video), the IR blaster port and then coaxial input/outputs.  Notably missing is HDMI and any sort of integrated wireless; both would have been helpful additions, given that they’re increasingly common A/V and networking standards.

Setup is reasonably straightforward.  Sling supply a set of cables for each type of connection, so that you can connect up the Slingbox and then route it back to your TV, though of course you may not use all of them.  There are also four IR blasters, L-shaped self-adhesive plastic sticks which can be used to control sources like satellite TV boxes via the virtual remote control in the SlingPlayer software.

To start, we hooked up a regular TV antenna and went to the online setup page.  After registering an account (and installing a plugin which required restarting the browser) we encountered the first problem.  On our test Mac, Sling only supports Safari in 32-bit mode (rather than the default 64-bit); you can force the browser to load in 32-bit mode, but you may then have some issues with performance or other plugins.  Chrome – on either PC or Mac – is not yet supported, which leaves Firefox (on both platforms) or Internet Explorer.

After that hiccup, we told the Sling setup wizard that it was connected via the coaxial port (it was unable to locate the input automatically) and it tuned in the available Freeview stations.  From that point we had a simple video window – which could be resized or made full-screen – and an optional on-screen remote control panel.  The latter was a decidedly simple affair, just numeric keys, a last-channel button and channel up/down controls, plus a numerical display to show channel number.

That led us to the biggest issue with the new PRO-HD: the lack of a Freeview programming guide.  On a regular Freeview box you can call up a multi-day EPG of what’s showing now and what’s on next; that’s missing from the new Slingbox.  With 87 channels tuned in (some of which are radio stations, others which require subscriptions that aren’t compatible with the PRO-HD), it proved frustrating not knowing what was showing on each, indeed not knowing – beyond the number – which channel we were currently watching.

It’s obviously not an issue when you plug in external sources, since any guide they output is sent over the Sling link.  We hooked up a basic Freeview tuner (with EPG) and had no problems viewing the content and navigating the menus and guide using the on-screen remote.  Similarly, a DVD player worked with no issues.  The Slingbox PRO-HD supports up to three devices (one SD, one HD and one via the coax input) connected simultaneously, and either 720p or 1080i HD; if your DVR or Blu-ray player outputs 1080p you’ll need to manually limit it to 720p/1080i if you want the Slingbox to work with it.

As always, the limiting factor to quality is the strength of your internet connection.  With a 1Mb uplink we were able to get smooth playback on an Android phone running the SlingPlayer app over a 3G connection (no surprise, given the small screen).  The SlingPlayer client will automatically adjust bitrate according to network capacity.

Sling has also launched Slingbox.com with an in-browser viewer, avoiding the need to install a PC or Mac app to view the streamed content.  This, they reckon, makes it easier to access your SlingPlayer on a friend’s computer or a public machine; however, on each browser we tried, we needed to install a plugin before we could watch the stream, so its flexibility will depend on how locked down the computer actually is.  No plugin, no Sling.  It’s also worth noting that Slingbox.com won’t stream to an iOS browser, so you’ll still have to buy the company’s iPhone/iPod touch app (or the upcoming iPad version) if you want to use an Apple mobile device.

Those points aside, we’re still fans of the Slingbox PRO-HD.  The company says they’ve been surprised with the number of users who rely on their Slingbox not for travel access but simply for shifting media around the home: roughly 70-percent of buyers, in fact.  For that, it works exceptionally well, and the addition of the Freeview tuner means one person can be watching the satellite or cable tuner in the living room while someone else accesses free-to-air digital TV elsewhere in the house.  Our minor issues with setup could readily be bypassed by using a different browser (or making a tweak to Safari), leaving only the absent EPG as the biggest stumbling block.

You can work around it, certainly – there are plenty of online Freeview guides – but it’s a gap in what otherwise is a very user-friendly device.  Still, at £249.99 it’s hard to think of another device that does exactly what the Slingbox PRO-HD can, and most users will likely be relying on it to shift content from a hard-drive equipped DVR or other source and may never even consider the Freeview tuner.  Just don’t forget to budget an extra £18-20 for each mobile version of the SlingPlayer app if you want it on your smartphone or iPad.

Like the original PRO-HD, the new version has composite, component, S-Video and S/PDIF inputs and pass-through outputs (for hooking up the local TV).  Still no HDMI port, and nor is wireless built-in; instead Sling recommend a pair of their SlingLink TURBO powerline adapters.

Meanwhile Sling is also launching Slingbox.com in Europe, an online portal that takes the SlingPlayer experience into the browser.  Rather than requiring a software client be installed on your PC or Mac, you can now view your streamed content in Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari.  Sling reckon it’s ideal for watching media when you’re at a friend’s house or using a public computer.

We caught up with Sling Media’s VP for Europe, Stuart Collingwood, to find out how the PRO-HD fits into the company’s vision, and he was unsurprisingly keen to point out that it’s just one step in pushing place-shifting to a broader audience.  Collingwood said Sling was currently in talks with TV manufacturers regarding integrating Slingbox hardware into their future HDTVs, so you could plug in the set’s ethernet cable and automatically be pushing out content.  Interestingly, Sling’s research found that 70-percent of buyers are using their Slingbox not for travelling but simply to placeshift content around the home, something Collingwood expects to increase as tablets like the iPad and Dell Streak increase in popularity.

Meanwhile, they’re also working with carriers and cellphone manufacturers to see the SlingPlayer app preloaded onto new handsets (the company has Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Flash versions of its SlingPlayer Mobile app, and is working on a Windows Phone 7 version).  In fact, they recently demonstrated a stripped-down Slingbox Solo – smaller than a new Apple TV – which they’re promoting among carriers as a potential bundle option: the buyer would just have to plug the tiny box into a video source and then start streaming content to their phone (likely with an unlimited data plan thrown in with the deal too).

Finally, we asked about YouView, and whether Collingwood saw either Sling’s hardware being integrated into upcoming YouTube IPTV STBs or, alternatively, a SlingPlayer client being developed for the OS.  With discussions still at an early stage, he was understandably coy about saying anything concrete, but did say that Sling were keen to get placeshifting onto as many platforms as possible and that a Sling-capable YouView box was an obvious route.

The European version of the Slingbox PRO-HD is available to buy in the UK now, priced at £249.99.  It’ll roll out across Europe in the coming weeks.  Of course, you shouldn’t just take the press release at face value; check out our full review of the Slingbox PRO-HD too.

Press Release:

Sling Media unveils Slingbox PRO-HD: Watch High Definition content wherever you want it

Enables high quality content delivery to compatible SlingPlayers

London, UK — 23rd September 2010— Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), today announced the UK launch of Slingbox™ PRO-HD, a new addition to the award winning Slingbox family.

With the Slingbox PRO-HD , viewers can enjoy HD content originating from their home television, including over the air DVBT digital signals, HDTV cable or satellite receivers, or HD PVR’s, on a laptop or desktop computer. In addition, when paired with the SlingPlayer for mobile application, customers can stream content straight to their compatible mobile device for viewing on the go.

“Millions of people are enjoying the benefits of HD quality pictures at home, creating a huge market for new products like Slingbox PRO-HD. With Slingbox PRO-HD, our customers can placeshift their HD programming without sacrificing the quality of the picture,” said Stuart Collingwood, VP EMEA, Sling Media. “Slingbox PRO-HD marks a giant leap forward in hardware and software development from Sling Media, such as powerful encoding enhancements. All of this means the Slingbox PRO-HD delivers a delightful user experience and amazing picture quality.”

As part of the launch Sling Media is also announcing Slingbox.com. Visitors to the new online portal can watch their content using any major Internet browser, without need to download the SlingPlayer application.

The Slingbox PRO-HD is the first and only Slingbox product capable of streaming HD content. While the Slingbox PRO and Slingbox SOLO scale HDTV sources to SD resolutions, the Slingbox PRO-HD preserves the original resolution and delivers it to a HD-compatible laptop or desktop computer or secondary TV when paired with a SlingCatcher.

Slingbox PRO-HD is designed to meet the varied requirements of today’s multi-faceted TV-viewing households. The product includes standard (4:3) and widescreen (16:9) video support and features multiple integrated sets of audio-video inputs and outputs (Digital Terrestrial TV Tuner, S-video, composite video, component video and either analogue or multi-channel, 5.1 surround digital audio) and features integrated looping outputs for each input. Slingbox PRO-HD transforms PCs, laptops, Macs and a variety of smartphones (including the Android platform) into personal, portable TVs and builds upon the goals of the original Slingbox – to give consumers the freedom to view their home TV programming anywhere.

Slingbox PRO-HD will be available for purchase in the UK, for a suggested retail price of ₤249.99, from Amazon, John Lewis, Best Buy and PC World and will be rolling out to other European countries in the coming weeks.

About Sling Media

Sling Media, Inc., an affiliate of EchoStar Technologies L.L.C., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), is the leading provider of video place shifting products and services for consumers and television service providers. Sling Media’s product family includes the internationally acclaimed, Emmy award-winning Slingbox that allows consumers to watch and control their living room television shows at any time, from any location, using internet-connected PCs, Macs, PDAs and smartphones. For more information, visit www.slingbox.com

Other hardware details are unconfirmed, but the Motorola tablet is expected to have two cameras – for photography and video calls – together with the ability to share its 3G connection among WiFi-enabled devices in a similar way to a MiFi.  Meanwhile the chassis is tipped to be thinner and lighter than Apple’s iPad, while also throwing Flash support into the mixture.

Motorola is Verizon’s supplier for FiOS set-top boxes, and the potential integration with the digital TV service is being seen as a key differentiator from the expected flood of iPad rivals.  Last month an analyst predicted a 10.1-inch Motorola slate for the Verizon network in November, complete with Android 3.0 Gingerbread.

In comparison to previous tuner chipsets, the Pixela RFS3000Q is 40-percent smaller; that means smaller overall electronics.  It also brings the surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters and low-noise amplifier (LNA) on-die, further reducing external components.  Mass production is expected to kick off in fall 2010; no word on whether Pixela have signed up any takers as yet.

[via PC Watch]

Video demo after the cut

The hardware consists of a STB with dual DVB-T2 HD digital TV tuners for OTA high-definition broadcasts, along with a 500GB hard-drive, UPnP and DLNA streaming, and two USB 2.0 ports.  There’s also 10/100 ethernet connectivity (though 3view will sell you a USB WiFi dongle if you ask nicely), HDMI, SCART and S/PDIF.  Out of the box, the 3view software will support YouTube videos, MPEG 1, 2 and 4 H.264, Windows Media (with and without DRM) and both 720p and 1080p HD.  BBC iPlayer support is expected to be added in a subsequent upgrade.

As for home automation, that depends on 3view’s software and what Z-Wave kit you already have around.  The only thing the company are talking about now is an energy monitor, which would track your home electricity use via an on-screen TV widget.  The 3view box is set to hit the market at £299 ($448), though there’s no specific release date at the moment.

[via TechCrunch Europe]

Inside the compact silver box there are two tuners, meaning two different computers can watch different programmes simultaneously.  Elgato supply a telescopic aerial for use with the EyeTV Netstream DTT, but it’s really meant for use with a proper roof-mounted aerial.

The company include software for PC and Mac (and it’s Windows Media Center 7 compliant), and the box uses UPnP and Bonjour for easier setup.  Bear in mind you will need a fast wireless network if you want to cut the cord; Elgato reckon 802.11n is necessary, or 100-ethernet.  The Elgato EyeTV Netstream DTT is available now, priced at €249.95 ($338).

Press Release:

Elgato Launches EyeTV Netstream DTT: Superb Quality TV For Every Computer on Your Home Network

Easy setup, works great on Macs and PCs, comes with premium TV software

MUNICH–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Elgato today announced the new EyeTV Netstream DTT an intelligent network dual TV tuner for DVB-T. EyeTV Netstream DTT streams digital television (DVB-T/Freeview) to all the Macs or PCs on your home network. A dual tuner, EyeTV Netstream DTT enables two people to watch and record different TV programmes at the same time. Setup is easy, thanks to built-in support for Bonjour and UPnP. EyeTV Netstream DTT comes with EyeTV 3, Elgato’s award-winning Mac TV software. It also works with Windows 7 Media Center and ships with TerraTec Home Cinema (THC) software for Windows. EyeTV Netstream DTT is available immediately at a price of 249.95 Euro.

Superb quality TV, location-independent
Traditional USB 2.0 DVB-T receivers are susceptible to “dead spots”, so reception can never be optimal in every location within a room. EyeTV Netstream DTT solves this problem; as a network device, it does not have to be installed near your computers. Simply locate EyeTV Netstream DTT wherever you have a convenient antenna outlet or sufficient signal strength for the included telescopic antenna. Then connect it to your network router/switch and stream the live signal to the computers in your house. If you have a Wi-Fi network you can watch TV wirelessly on a portable computer, free from cables.

An intelligent device
EyeTV Netstream DTT’s auto-discovery feature (via UPnP & Bonjour) simplifies set-up. Tune EyeTV Netstream DTT once, and it stores channel list and serves it out to any Mac or PC on the network. Thanks to its dual tuners, two people can enjoy different TV programmes at the same time. EyeTV Netstream DTT operates seamlessly on multiple computers. The tuners are automatically allocated between computers as needed.

Works great on Macs and PCs
Included is EyeTV 3, Elgato’s award-winning TV software for the Mac. Watch, record, edit and enjoy live television on your Mac. Search two weeks of Program Guide listings, and export recordings automatically to iTunes to sync with Apple devices. EyeTV Netstream DTT works with Windows 7 Media Center and also includes THC TV software for Windows, which offers many of the same features as EyeTV 3.

System requirements
EyeTV Netstream DTT requires a Macintosh Computer with an Intel Core CPU and Mac OS X v10.5.8 or newer. On PCs or Netbooks EyeTV Netstream DTT requires Windows 7 and 2.0 GHz Intel/AMD CPU or Intel Atom CPU. Network bandwidth must be high enough to allow for streaming of television signals (100Base-T Ethernet, 802.11n for wireless).

Pricing & Availability
EyeTV Netstream DTT ships today. You can buy direct from Elgato at www.elgato.com or most Mac retailers, including the Apple Store. The price is 249,95 Euro (£229,49 GBP) including VAT.

The S-Band is a section of the wireless spectrum near to that used for European 3G connectivity, and Solaris Mobile will use it to broadcast DVB-SH TV data streams across the 27 European member states.  While the eventual goal is to see the receivers integrated into mobile devices, the Pocket Gateway Device will mean that existing hardware should be compatible too.

Rather than demanding a device-specific app, Solaris Mobile’s system uses the web browser on a WiFi-enabled phone.  The gateway has an integrated webserver, turning the TV broadcasts into something the phone’s browser can display.  No word on when we can expect to see the device on sale, however.

Press Release:

Solaris Mobile Announces Pocket Gateway Device

New device allows reception of S-Band services to smart phones

Mobile World Congress 2010
The App Planet Hall 7, stand 7G4
DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Solaris Mobile Ltd, the Dublin based operator of new pan-European hybrid satellite and terrestrial wireless networks for next generation mobile services, announces the development of a mobile gateway device allowing the reception of services in S-Band on smart phones.

“We are excited to be working with Solaris Mobile on this development which provides an efficient and cost-effective way for broadcasters and mobile network operators (MNOs) to enter the mobile TV space and a convenient way for subscribers to enjoy their favourite TV channels on the move”

The Solaris Mobile Pocket Gateway is a pocket sized S-band receiver which decodes DVB-SH TV, radio & data streams and relays them over WiFi via a mini web server built into the device. This technology allows any compatible smart phone with WiFi and a web browser to access mobile TV and radio over Solaris Mobile’s hybrid network without modification.

The development has been achieved in conjunction with Finnish company EB (Elektrobit) and resolves the issue of how to manage the availability of mobile phones with S-Band reception. In addition, the Solaris Mobile Pocket Gateway is planned to be used in the car by linking to a roof-mounted antenna and providing passenger entertainment on mobile phones.

Commenting on the development, Steve Maine, CEO, Solaris Mobile, said; “This is a significant step forward in the development of the S-Band ecosystem and solves the problem of how to get compatible handsets into the market place, permitting the user to choose his preferred mobile phone and have the benefit of being able to access a range of high quality mobile TV and multimedia services”.

Jani Lyrintzis, Vice President, Wireless Solutions, EB, commented; “We are excited to be working with Solaris Mobile on this development which provides an efficient and cost-effective way for broadcasters and mobile network operators (MNOs) to enter the mobile TV space and a convenient way for subscribers to enjoy their favourite TV channels on the move”.

The device will be developed further over the next few months, including the use of enhanced security. On this latter point, Solaris Mobile is pleased to be working with Nagravision, a world-leading supplier of conditional access systems.

A demonstration is available at the Solaris Mobile stand in The App Planet Hall 7, stand 7G4 at the GSMA Mobile World Congress (Barcelona, 15-18 February 2010), where Matt Child, John Darkin and the team from Solaris Mobile, will answer any queries on the technology.

Solaris Mobile, a joint venture between Eutelsat and SES-Astra was set up in 2008 to develop next generation mobile communication services. The company intends to deploy a hybrid satellite and terrestrial network enabling the provision of mobile television, radio and data channels as well as broadband and voice communication services to be delivered to mobile phones, portable terminals and in-vehicle devices. In May 2009, the European Commission awarded Solaris Mobile the right to operate satellite & terrestrial services in S-Band in all 27 EU member states. S-Band is spectrum residing in the 2GHz band and is adjacent to UMTS used by mobile 3G operators.

At present, Solaris Mobile is carrying out trials in Paris, demonstrating the broadcast of TV and radio services to phones, other handheld devices and cars – across the city and surrounding areas.