Connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n and a 10/100 ethernet port, as well as an HDMI port. The twin-sided remote hooks up vie Bluetooth. Maximum video output resolution is 1080p.

There’s also streaming from Android phones using the aVia media app, which Netgear will be preloading on the NeoTV PRIME, and the PrimeTime app for holistic search of content across live TV, app, or web. The Prime’s remote, meanwhile, has an integrated keyboard for swifter search, plus a trackpad and directional pad.

As for the SlingPlayer integration, Netgear’s deal with the company means users will be able to stream content to a NeoTV box, such as from the recently announced range priced from $49.99. It’s also loaded on the new PRIME version.

The Netgear NeoTV PRIME is on sale from today, priced at $129.99.

The first model, the Slingbox 350 shown above, is the more economical option of the two, and offers full HD 1080p video streaming and integrated IR emitters. The Slingbox 500 model offers both of those features, in addition to built-in WiFi, USB storage, a remote, and HDMI/component video ports. Both of the models have been redesigned over previous models, and have a new chassis. Perhaps surprisingly, neither the 350 nor the 500 have an ATSC tuner.

Slingbox works by allowing you to toggle your home media content so that it’s available wherever you go. You can use your Slingbox to watch a show in a different room of your house, for example, or to watch your DVR content while away from home. These products are two of many that aim to remove the restraints of your current DVR and TV system without adding another monthly subscription fee into the mix.

Despite its surprise appearance at Best Buy, it won’t be officially available until October 14th. Prices haven’t been announced yet. Although the picture circulating of the two accidentally-put-out-too-early products have price tags under them, both are for different items.

The new models are the Slingbox 350 and the Slingbox 500. Both the devices stream content at up to 1080p and have redesigned chassis. Like all other Slingbox devices, the point of both new products is to allow you to placeshift your content recorded on your home DVR to your computer or mobile device.

The Slingbox 500 has an HDMI input and an HDMI output, a remote control, USB storage, and apparently an on-screen wizard for set up. The device is also the first Slingbox to have integrated Wi-Fi. One side effect of these new devices being unannounced is we don’t know what all the features are.

You’ll notice in the photograph that there are some price tags underneath each of the devices, which are apparently for different items. Zatznotfunny reports that Best Buy wouldn’t sell either device so perhaps it’s not so much that they were both unannounced as someone place them on the shelves too early.

[via Zatznotfunny]

The big deal with the first announcement with Sling, as reported by Light Reading Cable, is that while most streaming television solutions on the market currently require you to stay within the confines of your very own wi-fi network, this new deal with Broadcom will allow Slingbox to break the confines. At the moment, Dish Network is the only other place you can get this “place shifting” (a fancy term for moving around wherever you want) in a Slingbox set-top for your TV. Broadcom’s new chip will allow new cable, telecom, and satellite TV operators to bring a paradigm shift to streaming video in the third quarter of 2012.

As for Myriad Alien Vue, we got a glimpse of what this could mean for us in the very near future last last month. What Broadcom is announcing today with Myriad is that the former will be supporting the latter in their efforts to bring Android apps to the TV. What this will mean in practice is that set-top boxes using Broadcom chips (the same BCM7425 SoC mentioned above) will be able to run and will be encouraged to run Myriad Alien Vue. Myriad Alien Vue not only allows you to run Android apps on your TV, it supports plug-ins such as “Myriad Connect & Share” for multi-screen functionality.

Exciting stuff! In a nutshell this set of deals means we’ll potentially have boxes in the near future that can stream live TV, hook up to any display, and run Android apps as well! Sounds like a neato 2012 coming up!

The app you need to grab if you want to sling your content over to Facebook is called the SlingPlayer app using the Facebook search bar. The install instructions are easy to follow and once installed you are good to go. The Facebook service will only work with the Slingbox Pro-HD or Solo boxes.

We don’t have all the details on the new Facebook integration right now. It would seem that the deal here would be that you could watch your content via your Facebook page rather than having to be on a computer where you can install a plug-in. That would allow you to watch at the office or a web café or on a friend’s computer. I wonder if you can share the content with friends and comment on it while you watch.

Photo via twitter.com/davezatz

The promotion is seen as a move by Time Warner Cable to spite Viacom in the ongoing legal stalemate between the two companies over Time Warner Cable’s TV-streaming iPad app. The cable company launched the iPad app back in March as a way for its cable customers to stream TV programs to their iPads to use the devices like another TV screen. And although it only allowed customers to use the app while in their homes and connected to their Time Warner Cable network, program providers, especially Viacom were adamantly opposed to the service.

Viacom sued Time Warner Cable claiming that the company did not have the rights under its contract to stream its programming via the internet. Viacom has similarly sued Cablevision for an even more advanced iPad app that allowed streaming of channels beyond the home network. This lawsuit, however, has recently been settled.

[via NY Times]

That should allow Sling to modify and tweak its Connected Devices offering more readily than if it demanded a firmware update every time. Since Google developed a custom build of Chrome with 1080p HD Flash hardware-acceleration support, it shouldn’t lag when it comes to performance, either.

As you can see in the video demo below, SlingPlayer for Connected Devices automatically tests the connection speed to figure out what quality settings it should use, and then the UI is generally the same as Sling’s mobile apps. Registration to the beta is free; you can sign up here.

[via ZatzNotFunny]

Deliveries of the HDS-600RS are expected from March 28 2011, though it’s worth remembering that you’ll need a satellite dish to plug the DVR into. EchoStar promised that owners will see regular updates, too; from the outset the STB supports BBC iPlayer, but more IPTV services will be added in later.

As well as watching locally and streamed via the Sling apps, you can also tune in via the free webpage and watch online from your browser. For more on the SlingLoaded HDS-600RS, check out our hands-on report from earlier this week, along with the video demo below.

EchoStar SlingLoaded HDS-600RS demo:

[Thanks Dave!]

Video demo after the cut

The HDS-600RS does a lot, and there’s plenty of box to accommodate all that too. Measuring in at a hefty 386 x 280 x 58 mm, it follows the usual trapezoidal Slingbox style with red highlights. Up front is a 16-character LCD display and a row of nine touch-sensitive buttons, along with a USB 2.0 port and Smart Card reader. On the back, meanwhile, there’s HDMI, two SCARTs, S/PDIF digital audio, RCA audio, another USB port, 10/100 ethernet, twin RF inputs and the power port.

Inside, meanwhile, there are two DVB-S2 freesat+ tuners – allowing the HDS-600RS to record two channels simultaneously, or show live TV while recording another program – together with a 500GB hard-drive good for up to 300hrs of SD content or 100hrs of HD. Regular 576i SD broadcasts can be upscaled in-box to 720p or 1080i.

Rather than the more common – and more easily installed – Freeview standard, EchoStop opted for freesat+, which is subscription free but still demands a satellite dish be installed (or a leftover Sky dish be used). That, the company told us, was to bypass the “unregulated free-for-all” of budget Freeview boxes and DVRs as well as give the company more scope for launching the HDS-600RS hardware across Europe. With only minor – and relatively low cost – modifications, the DVR can be adapted to suit Germany, Italy, France and Spain, following the UK debut.

Of course the most interesting aspect of the new EchoStar box is its Sling functionality. Like the Slingbox Pro-HD, it can push content from its own tuners either within the home network or over the internet, using automatic quality-scaling to suit the capacity of whatever connection you’re working with. The HDS-600RS is particularly targeted at multiroom media addicts; 55- to 60-percent of Sling users funnel their content around the home rather than outside it, and EchoStar expect the DVR to be popular with young couples and small families who want to be able to pause TV in one room and resume playback elsewhere without the traditional hassle of setting up a distributed A/V system.

EchoStar SlingLoaded HDS-600RS demo:

The Sling component works with the company’s existing iPhone, iPad and Android apps, together with the web portal for notebooks and PCs. If you’d rather watch on a regular TV, there’s the SlingCatcher; that comes with its own remote, but the software viewers show the same on-screen UI as the main HDS-600RS itself. Since that’s being rendered on the DVR and then squirted over the wireless connection it can be a little slow to respond; we asked if there were plans to make a free-to-download remote app, similar to what Logitech and Sonos offer, to run on an iOS or Android smartphone, but currently EchoStar plans to stick with just the regular place-shifting apps.

That does mean you’ll have to pay a reasonably hefty fee per mobile device. The iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows Phone 7 and other apps are $29.99/£17.99 each (though you can install the iOS versions on up to five devices, as long as they’re registered to the same iTunes account) though the regular web portal is free. EchoStar is yet to confirm pricing for the HDS-600RS itself, though the box itself is expected to go on sale – initially in John Lewis retail stores and though Amazon online – from April 1, with pre-orders from tomorrow.

After that, EchoStar told us, they’d be looking to potential bundles, pairing the HDS-600RS with other Slingbox components. A “TV Two” style package is perhaps the most likely, with the PVR and a SlingCatcher. Meanwhile, the PVR itself is likely to see regular updates thanks to its expansible design; it will ship with BBC iPlayer support, and the company tells us other IPTV services will be added shortly after launch. Future plans could include pay-per-view or subscription streaming content, something which – when paired with Sling functionality – might mean an end to digital rentals going unwatched because they’re stuck on one device in your living room. If the HDS-600RS is popular enough, a Freeview HD version could also be on the cards.

Press Release:

EchoStar Europe launches the world’s first Freesat+ digital television recorder with SlingLoaded® TV anywhere

London – 22 March, 2011: EchoStar Europe (www.echostar-europe.com), a leading developer of added value, connected device solutions to the digital television industry, announce their SlingLoaded® HDS-600RS, the world’s first HD digital video recorder (DVR) to combine Freesat+ features with Sling Media’s (www.slingmedia.com) unique place-shifting ability, enabling TV anywhere, on all popular smartphones and tablets*.
The SlingLoaded feature enables users to watch and manage their live and recorded TV remotely anytime, anywhere, via 3G or Wi-Fi, with no additional monthly fees. With Freesat+, viewers get over 150 digital channels, including HD, On Demand services and the ability to pause, rewind and record TV, all subscription free. There’s seamless access to catch-up TV including BBC iPlayer, with other connected TV services including ITV Net Player to follow.
Once connected to home broadband, the EchoStar HDS-600RS will Sling live or recorded TV anywhere, to your iPhone®, iPad® or Android™ smartphones or tablets, and any device supported by SlingPlayer® Mobile* (www.uk.slingbox.com/go/spm), even to your Mac® or PC via SlingPlayer® (which can be accessed for free, online at www.uk.slingbox.com). This ensures that you’ll never miss a moment of your favourite show, movie or sports event ever again. Throughout your home or around the world, you can truly Sling your TV anywhere.
The EchoStar HDS-600RS delivers a host of viewing options; ‘live pause and rewind’, simultaneously watch one show and record another, and one touch series-link via the High Definition (HD) Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) all ensure that you’ll never miss a show! The 500GB hard disk drive provides huge capacity to record up to 300 hours of Standard Definition (SD) programming or up to 100 hours of HD programming. You can even connect to a compatible Dolby® Digital home cinema amplifier, using the integrated Digital Audio Port, allowing you to enjoy cinema quality sound at home. All this is packaged in a stylish unit with a touch sensitive display.
“For TV lovers everywhere, this is the ultimate combination of subscription free TV anywhere meeting digital television recording and connected TV”, said Rhod Williams, General Manager of Echostar Europe. “We’re bringing together the strengths of EchoStar and Sling Media Inc. to create a hybrid device that will give people the ultimate TV viewing experience; what they want, when they want and where they want it. With this industry first we’re making TV anywhere a reality that delivers an enhanced user experience to consumers, with no monthly fees.”
Freesat Managing Director Emma Scott commented “This is a great partnership for us. It’s our first foray into EchoStar’s ‘TV anywhere’, and offers even more fantastic choice for our customers. Freesat has constantly evolved since launch and this paves the way for more exciting innovations in the future.”
The product will be available for purchase online at Amazon.co.uk and in-store and online at John Lewis (www.johnlewis.com) from 1st April 2011. Consumers can pre-order from Amazon.co.uk from 23rd March 2011. Please see retailers’ websites for the latest pricing.
For all of the latest product news and purchase information, please visit the new EchoStar consumer website www.myechostar.com.

There’s no word right now on which devices will be supported, nor how much the extra service fee will add to a monthly bill. The offer will begin later in the year, and subscribers will be able to sign up through V CAST Apps.

Press Release:

Complete Package to Include Slingbox and SlingPlayer with Easy Billing for Subscribers

LAS VEGAS and BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – From the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Sling Media, Inc., today announced a subscription offering that will soon be available on select 4G smartphones on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network.
Sling Media has created a subscription service offering that gives Verizon Wireless customers the ability to watch their home TV on new 4G smartphones. The subscription service provides a Slingbox®, the SlingPlayer™ application and networking accessories.
“With significantly increased speeds and reduced latency, the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network provides an ideal environment for a fantastic Sling viewing experience with great video quality,” said John Gilmore, senior vice president and general manager at Sling Media. “Sling’s subscription offering is a new, easy way for consumers to start enjoying their home TV wirelessly, with one monthly bill from Verizon and without a long term contract for the Sling app.”
With a Slingbox at home and a Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband connection, the award-winning SlingPlayer application gives users the ability to watch live sports, catch up on the news or enjoy movies on their smartphones. Users can enjoy their TV while having their oil changed, waiting for a flight or taking a study break. Verizon Wireless customers will be able to sign up for the offer through V CAST Apps, Verizon Wireless’ mobile storefront, beginning later this year.

The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network, launched in December 2010, is the fastest, most advanced 4G network in the United States, providing speeds up to 10 times faster than Verizon Wireless’ existing 3G network. Consumer devices with a wide range of applications are expected to be available later this year. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network currently reaches one-third of all Americans, with plans to expand the network to the company’s entire 3G coverage area over the next three years.
More details about the Verizon Wireless and SlingPlayer offering will be available during CES in Verizon Wireless’ booth (#35216 in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center) and at the Sling Media booth (#9014 in the Central Hall of the LVCC). For more information about Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network, visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte. For more information about Verizon Wireless at CES, visit www.verizonwireless.com/ces or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/verizonwireless.

Meanwhile the SlingPlayer Mobile application for iPhone will continue to work in “Compatibility Mode” on the iPad, though without the higher resolution video support. The new app is priced at $29.99, £17.99 or €23.99, depending on location. Obviously a Slingbox is sold separately.

Press Release:

Sling Media Announces Availability of SlingPlayer Mobile for iPad

App Transforms iPad into a TV

Foster City, Calif. — November 24, 2010—Sling Media, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), today announced the availability of the SlingPlayer Mobile™ player for the Apple iPad. Available for purchase on the iTunes App Store, SlingPlayer Mobile software for iPad lets Slingbox® owners extend their living room TV experience to their iPad and takes advantage of the iPad’s high-resolution, 9.7-inch LED-backlit display for great video quality. The revamped program guide uses the iPad’s intuitive native interface, and a recent channels feature puts a viewer’s recent channels at his fingertips.

“A Slingbox is the perfect accessory to an iPad,” said John M. Paul, executive vice president of products at Sling Media. “When combined with the new SlingPlayer Mobile app, now anyone with an iPad can enjoy a beautiful, personalized TV experience anywhere in the world.”

How it Works
When connected to a Slingbox SOLO or PRO-HD, the award-winning SlingPlayer Mobile software makes it easy to watch your home TV on your iPad. Now Slingbox owners with iPads can change channels, control their DVRs and watch their favorite shows anywhere they have an internet connection. They never have to miss another show or game, no matter where they are.

Pricing and Availability
SlingPlayer Mobile for iPad is available now for U.S. $29.99, UK GBP £17.99, and Euro €23.99 from the App Store on the iPad or at http://itunes.com/apps/slingplayermobile. SlingPlayer Mobile for iPad can be purchased from the iTunes Store, downloaded, and installed in minutes.

The SlingPlayer Mobile application for iPhone will continue to work in “Compatibility Mode” on the iPad at no extra charge. The iPhone version of the app streams from all Slingboxes, but not at the higher quality resolutions required for the iPad.

UPDATE: As it turns out, this iPad app only works for Slingbox SOLO and PRO-HD, making it even less useful then it’s iPhone app relative. Perhaps instead you’d like the Android app or SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Phone 7? According to Engadget, Apple or Slingbox will be sending out a $50 coupon that’ll help them upgrade to one of the newer units. Craaap.

Video demo after the cut

Sling Media is yet to confirm an official release date for the new app, nor any pricing details, but we’d imagine it will be priced at around the $29.99 of the Android version.  You can sign up to the company’s mailing list for updates here.

[via WPCentral]

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

As with a Slingbox, with the Vulkano and the right smartphone app you can remotely control channels and access the EPG; on the iPad and PC/Mac apps you can also pause live TV.  UPnP streaming support allows you to display content stored on NAS or wirelessly-connected smartphones or PMPs, while Yahoo! Widgets, Netflix and Hulu compatibility is promised for the near future.

You can also view YouTube in up to 1080p HD quality, record to either 8GB or 16GB SD cards, or install up to a 1TB eSATA external hard-drive.  Connectivity includes HDMI, composite, component and S-Video, among other ports, plus two USB 2.0 ports (host and device); the basic Vulkano comes with 16GB of storage for $279.99, while the Vulkano Pro comes with a 1TB external drive for $379.99.  Both will ship on August 10th 2010.

[via Crackberry]

Press Release:

Vulkano – World’s First Universal and Affordable Video Platform for Smartphones, PC/Macs, iPads and TVs

Vulkano Integrates Multiple Disruptive Technologies – DVR, Web Video, Place Shifting, Universal Plug and Play streaming and Mobile Video Recording – Eliminating Multiple Boxes

SAN MATEO, CALIF. – July 27, 2010 – Monsoon Multimedia, a leading provider of video convergence products, today announced it is now taking pre-orders for Vulkano, which is shipping in early August 2010. Vulkano is a sleek consumer device as easy to set up as a video game console. Vulkano is a tightly integrated hardware and software platform that has a powerful video processor and local storage. Vulkano in addition to replacing multiple boxes such as TiVo, Slingbox and Roku provides significant other benefits and energy savings, giving consumers tremendous performance at a low cost. Cost of a Vulkano ranges from $259 to $379, depending on storage capacity.

When connected to a set-top box and a TV, Vulkano enables a complete video experience across Android, Blackberry, iPhones, iPads, Macs, PCs and the living room TV. Vulkano allows users for the first time to experience their TV channels, videos and photos on whichever screen they want, when they want it. Vulkano will be sold through Monsoon’s www.myvulkano.com, Amazon.com, leading retailers and etailers, and through strategic OEMs.

By downloading a free software application onto their device from www.myvulkano.com, or for iPhone/iPad from the Apple App store and installing a Vulkano, consumers can watch and control any home TV channel through a wired, Wi-Fi or 3G connection from anywhere in the world. They can schedule a recording through an included EPG (electronic program guide) and transfer and watch these recordings at any time on their TV, computers, smartphones or iPad type devices. Software players for PCs/Macs and iPads also come with Pause/Live functions.

Vulkano lets users watch YouTube on their big screen TV. Moreover, by using a technology called UPnP (Universal Plug n Play), Vulkano users can stream video and photos from their smartphones, computers and cameras wirelessly on to their living room TV without having to use messy cables. In the near future, Vulkano will offer free service upgrades such as Google TV, Yahoo! Widgets, Netflix, Hulu and others.

TV set-top boxes are commonplace in households today with over 210 million shipped in 2009 alone, according to analyst firm In-Stat. The fundamental flaw in nearly all set-top boxes is that they are “closed.” Vulkano “opens” these boxes by allowing consumers to enjoy a total video experience on their smartphones, iPads, PCs and Macs, or access services such as Netflix or YouTube.

“The combination of mobile video recording on iPads/smartphones, viewing YouTube on big screen TV, DVR and Universal Plug and Play streaming changes the television and web video experience in ways never before imagined,” said Colin Stiles, EVP Sales and Marketing at Monsoon. “We are proud to the be first to deliver your live and recorded TV content immediately with a simple screen tap. Whether in your backyard or on an international flight, you’ll have your favorite programming available anywhere, anytime – live or recorded.”

“We designed Vulkano from the ground up to replace single purpose solutions, such as TiVo, Roku, Slingbox, etc,” said Steve Stone, CTO at Monsoon. “In the coming months we will be pushing new apps to Vulkano owners for free so they can rest assured that this is the first and last product they’ll need for all their TV and Internet media needs.”

Mobile Video Recording (MVR): By using Vulkano’s unique MVR technology, consumers can schedule and record content from any TV channel on to the Vulkano’s local storage and either on demand or automatically transfer the content to smartphones, computers or iPads/iPod touches. A wired, Wi-Fi or 3G connection is required and an included EPG can be used. For instance, iPad owners can schedule a recording before going to sleep and have it automatically downloaded to the iPad. It is then ready for watching anytime, anywhere at a cafe, airport, airplane, office or in one’s bed. Hundreds of recorded movies, sports events or TV shows can be stored onto the 64GB iPad for viewing anytime. PC, Mac and iPad apps also come with Direct Record, Pause and Live functions.

Place Shifting Live TV: Consumers can watch and control their home TV or TiVo from anywhere in the world, including their home.

Digital Video Recording (DVR): Users can select programs to be recorded to the Vulkano SD card or optional hard drive, which can store over a thousand programs depending on memory size. Once recorded, the programs can be downloaded to computers, smartphones or played back on living room TVs. Vulkano also allows a consumer to schedule recordings through a TiVo or other DVRs that may be built into a set-top box.

Web Video: Vulkano supports YouTube content (up to 1080p) streaming and progressive downloading for a big screen TV experience. Future software releases will add support for Netflix, Cinema Now, Amazon and free media content providers. Yahoo! Widgets will be released later this year and Google TV early next year. A fully functional web browser with media extensions (including HTML5 media support) will be released later this year.

Universal Plug and Play (UPnP): Consumers can easily enjoy photos, video and music stored on smartphones, iPads, PCs and Macs on a big screen TV by deploying industry standard UPnP technology. This capability also enables multiple UPnP devices, such as video cameras, to play directly on the TV eliminating the tedious job of plugging and unplugging cables into the TV.

State of the Industry
Hundreds of millions of TV set-top boxes worldwide are “closed” preventing consumers from accessing new services and exciting video experiences. Due to the cost and logistics involved in constantly upgrading these boxes, companies cannot keep pace with the rapid changes in technology. The result is an array of single feature boxes resolving specific issues.

Consumers today are saddled with paying for TiVo, Sling, Roku, Vudu, Apple TV and other single solutions to address their needs. This has led to a cluttered living room, multiple service fees and constant maintenance of multiple devices. They are also often difficult to install and can cost over a thousand dollars combined. Vulkano eliminates all of these issues while saving on power consumption.

Summary of Vulkano Features:
• Transforms smartphones, iPads, iPod touches, PCs and Macs into Mobile Video Recorders
• Recorded programs play back on smartphones, iPads, PCs and Macs
• Direct record mode allows for Pause, Fast Forward/Rewind
• Schedule TV recording by show, channel or date and time
• Browse EPG for shows and episode descriptions
• Mark channels as Favorite for quick access
• Watch and control your live TV on the go via Wi-Fi or 3G
• Watch at home on iPads and computers in near HD resolution
• Change channels just like at home
• Search and watch YouTube videos on your home television
• Enjoy photos, video and music on home TV from UPnP supported devices, such as smartphones, PCs/Macs and cameras
• Multiple users can have recordings on Vulkano hard-drive and access independently
• Control Vulkano features and settings through intuitive television menu
• Connect to all major TV sources – cable, DVD, satellite, DVR, TiVo
• Stream video at H.264 and MPEG-4 standards at rates as low as 150kbps
• Includes 8GB or 16GB of SD card storage or e-SATA hard drives up to 1TB
• Connects wirelessly through Vulkano’s on board .11n WiFi to home router
• TV content is passed from the set-top box’s analog output (component, composite) to Vulkano; using resolutions up to 1080i

Pricing and Availability
Vulkano is available immediately for pre-order at www.myvulkano.com and www.amazon.com. Vulkano comes with 8GB, 16GB of SD storage and Vulkano Pro comes with 500GB and 1Terabyte e-SATA hard disk storage. Vulkano will be generally available in August through selected etailers, retailers and distributors worldwide. 8GB Vulkano will cost $259, 16GB $279, 500GB for $349 and the 1Terabyte Vulkano for $379. Monsoon will release its 3G version for the recently introduced iPhone 4 in August, 2010.

Video demo after the cut

We tried the app over both a WiFi connection and over a 3G connection, but it would only play nicely with WiFi; when we attempted to log in via the cellular network, SlingPlayer couldn’t get online (though other apps would).  [Update: We've spoken with Sling Media about the 3G connection issues we've been seeing, and they think it could be to do with the O2 network in the UK that our Nexus One is using; apparently they've seen similar issues with O2 iPhones.  They're looking into the issue and we'll revisit this when they have a solution; needless to say, they intend Sling over 3G to work on Android, and it's performing just as it should over US 3G networks.]

Image quality wasn’t as good as with local media but was still very watchable, and latency between on-screen button tapping and the PVR – in this case a DISH Network box – felt low.  Considering the Slingbox itself is in the US and we were testing the beta Android client from the UK, that’s impressive.

Since the app is still pre-release we unsurprisingly stumbled across a couple of issues.  Occasionally the stream would crash and then, when we restarted the app, it would throw up an error message saying that the Slingbox was already in use by another user.  Force-quiting SlingPlayer and re-opening it generally did the trick, but we observed the error even after hitting “Disconnect” in the app’s menu.  We also wished there was a persistent OK button on each screen, as sometimes a dialog on the set-top box would pop up and we’d have to change the set of controls we were dealing with so as to dismiss it.

Still, we’re guessing these will be ironed out in time for the full release.  No word from Sling on when exactly that will be – beyond the initial “Summer 2010″ they first mentioned – but from what we’ve seen we’re impressed so far.

SlingPlayer Mobile for Android demo:

According to the Sling Media rep, the company are still working on finalising the UI for the app, but it’s expected to resemble what we’ve already seen on the iPhone version.  No word on pricing, though given all their other mobile apps are around $29.99, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Android client hit that point too.

[via Android Community]

The TV shows they are a-streaming…

In the first few weeks of this experiment, I came to find out that 90% of the TV shows my wife and I watched on a regular basis were available online from either the networks’ websites themselves or from Hulu. What suffered however was live sports and shows for our kids, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as kids probably get enough TV as it is.

Since I am a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan, though, it was very difficult for me to not be able to watch a single game the entire season from the comfort of my own home. I tried connecting to hacked streams; I tried watching them through my dad’s SlingBox; I even tried MLB.TV, but since I am in the Giants local market the games were blocked out. Nothing came close to watching the game in HD on my big screen. Which leads to a conclusion with live events being that they still have a long way to go when it comes to an equally or more compelling offering through the Internet.

For most other shows that were not available online I found that iTunes had season and individual episodes for sale. For example, things like Discovery channel episodes are not streamed, but were available in iTunes.

One other observation was how cumbersome the process was to find the show we wanted to watch. Bookmarking each show’s portal was the most efficient way to quickly watch each show. What is really missing in the world of online streaming is something akin to the guide or EPG provided by network service providers. Boxee made an attempt but I still found their user interface awkward and unintuitive, allthough it has improved. In both the online world of TV as well as the service provider world a more efficient way to quickly find what you want watch or discover something to watch is yet to be solved. Another frustration was that each new episode would appear online generally 24 hours after it aired and in some cases 48 hours — which made talking about the latest episodes with my friends a little awkward since I wouldn’t be able to chime in on the conversation until several days after it aired. It seems as though the trend in connected TV shown at CES this year may take steps in addressing some of this weaknesses.

Connected TV and Streaming Services

One of the big trends we see coming to new TVs in 2010 is the integration of streaming services. We see momentum by TV manufacturers to integrate services like Netflix, Amazon “Unbox”, Hulu, and more directly to the TV or set top box. If you have seen the VIZIO commercials for their connected TV you get the picture. Research from The Diffusion Group anticipates that by 2014 there will be 360 million connected TV’s or Set Top boxes worldwide. The broadband services delivered to these connected devices may come in the way of applications or simply a “walled garden” portal with each service, but consumers will decide which services if any they choose to “install.” This is of course extremely valuable to the content providers providing streaming services, but also to consumers who may already subscribe or pay for those services and want to enjoy that content on their TV as well as their PC or mobile device.

Another element of connectivity coming to the PC is by way of “web apps” for lack of a better term. Things like Yahoo’s Widget channel and even TV applications being developed by service providers like DirecTV are demonstrating what a simple application connected to the Internet for quick information can do for consumers. Quick access on your TV to things like sports scores, weather or stock information, as well as integration with applications like Flickr and Facebook can offer consumers “information snacking” with the services they are interested in without ever having to open a web browser or check them on a mobile device.

TV manufacturers are showing increased interest in adding more intelligence to their TV sets so that they can capitalize on connectivity and streaming services. We are seeing more and more very powerful CPU’s getting integrated into these next generation TV sets and set top boxes that inevitably will move the TV from a simple dumb display into an intelligent screen in your home that can now be a platform to develop new and innovative services or applications.

The Challenge Ahead

One of my key takeaways in exploring the world of Internet TV and streaming services was that the mainstream TV networks are at a major crossroads. Down one road they have their traditional distribution methods through the cable and satellite service providers who pay them large up-front sums of money for their network content. Down the other road is the world of Internet distribution through their own sites and in collaboration through Hulu.com. This road offers them a more direct relationship with their customers and the ability to benefit directly from the advertising spends, but has steep up-front costs associated with it. This is why there is speculation that Hulu.com will offer a paid service or a subscription model so that the networks can benefit from this model in a way similar to the service provider model where money changes hands up-front. This road, however, poses a challenge to their deeply vested service provider model and the networks are extremely cautious not to do anything that aggravates their service provider partners since they represent such a large chunk of their business.

Balancing this world of broadband vs. broadcast content will be one of the more interesting things to keep your eye on. Whether or not a service like Hulu.com and the network content on that service can benefit from a freemium model is yet to be determined. However an interesting model presented by Epix HD could prove to be worth paying attention to. In essence, Epix HD is a premium cable channel that will offer its subscribers free access to epixhd.com, where consumers can stream on-demand movies and other content offered by the service from any PC web browser. This model works because the online streaming service is a perk for being a subscriber to their premium channel. HBO as also announced something similar. This model makes the likes of Comcast happy because they are getting revenue from their broadcast infrastructure as well as creating more demand for their broadband infrastructure. Bringing the value of their broadband to more then the PC is a major initiative for many service providers.

Another key challenge is around the debate about where this intelligence I speak of should end up. Should it be in the TV or does it make more sense for all the horsepower to move into the set top box either provided by the service provider or bought at retail with the ability to connect to a service providers service.

We believe that we are at the very beginning of some shifting consumer behavior where the three screen, TV-PC-Mobile device, experience begin to blend and offer seamless entertainment experiences. Each major screen in consumers lives represents a different consumption experience and each have a role in this ecosystem. Content owners and service providers are going to have to begin to experiment with what it means to offer both broadcast and broadband content and wrestle with how that content may be complimentary, provide elements of convenience to consumers to discover and enable consumers to consume their content in ways they could not before on whatever screen they happen to desire to view it with.

Where did I land?

My grand conclusion is that for the foreseeable future the standalone “Internet tv” offering is truncated and isolated at best. It is not, by itself, an all encompassing experience and is instead a fraction of the overall experience to come. Because of things like the lack of a guide, effective discovery tools, and live programming all led me back to “selling out” and signing up with a service provider again. Besides, many of my friends and family were getting tired of me inviting myself over to watch college and NFL football games. Luckily I got all hooked up just before the San Francisco Giants season starts. After much research I choose DirecTV for three Reasons:

1. Out of all the service offerings I liked their remote access / programming remotely features. They have an iPhone app as well as a very good online UI to remotely program my DVRs, both of which will evolve and include many interesting features. I also know they have enough technology in the hardware in their latest box to make remote viewing and access to my recorded content, similar to SlingBox, possible.

2. They offer free software to connect any PC in my home remotely to my main DVR and stream recorded shows in SD or HD to any computer in my house. Since I have a computer elegantly connected to one of my TV’s, it now acts as a second set top box allowing anyone to watch a recorded or recording program even as the DVR is currently viewing or recording something else. I am also doing this wirelessly and am having very good success streaming my DVR content in HD wirelessly to my PCs.

3. The DirecTV latest generation DVR’s are software upgradeable to HDMI 1.4 making them 3D-capable when they are updated. DirecTV has one of the only boxes on the market capable of this whereas customers of Comcast, DISH and others will need to upgrade their hardware if they want 3D.

Sling Media reckon the app “dynamically adjusts the bandwidth based on network conditions and picture quality”, something more usually seen in preserving picture quality on variable-speed networks rather than preserving the network itself.  The new version of the application is yet to be released, as it’s waiting on approval from Apple for inclusion in the App Store; it will be offered as a free upgrade for those who bought the original $30 app.

What we’re perhaps more interested in is whether Sling Media are working on an iPad-specific version of the software.  While the iPhone app will obviously work on Apple’s new tablet, we’d like to see a version which better takes advantage of the extra screen space the iPad has to offer.

The Sling Receiver 300 has component, composite and HDMI connectors for hooking up to your second HDTV, along with both analog and digital audio outputs for if you’re not using HDMI.  EchoStar have confirmed they’ll be offering the device as an accompaniment to their SlingLoaded 922 HD DVR sometime in the not-too-distant future.

As for the Slingbox 700U, it hooks up to a compatible DVR via USB and automatically decrypts incoming video, transcodes it and then re-encrypts it ready to be sent out over the internet connection.  The concept is enough to appeal to DISH Network, who plan to offer it to their line-up as a companion to their existing ViP HD DVR.  No word on release dates, however.

Press Release:

Sling Media Introduces Sling Receiver 300 for Television Service Providers

Enjoy your primary SlingLoaded™ DVR content on any HDTV in your home

Las Vegas, Nev., USA – Jan. 6, 2010 – Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), today unveiled the Sling Receiver 300 to television service providers. The Sling Receiver 300 is a companion product to a SlingLoaded™ set-top box, such as the award-winning EchoStar SlingLoaded 922 HD DVR, that delivers a full 1080i video stream from an HD DVR to any other HD television in a home using the viewer’s wireless home network. The Sling Receiver 300 was selected as a CES Innovations 2010 Design and Engineering Award honoree in the Multi-Room Audio/Video category.

With the Sling Receiver 300, viewers can enjoy the same HD programming that they experience on their primary HDTV on a secondary HDTV in their home without the need to run additional cables or purchase a second DVR.

“HDTV viewers often want to extend their main set-top box experience to another HDTV with minimal hassle and expense,” said John M. Paul, executive vice president of Products at Sling Media. “The Sling Receiver 300 can extend the full quality of a primary HD DVR experience to any secondary HDTV in the home, while eliminating the cost and problems of running cable.”

How It Works
The Sling Receiver 300 connects to a second HDTV via its built-in HDMI, component or composite video connectors. Depending on the connection method, multiple video formats up to 1080i can be delivered. Audio is delivered to the second TV using HDMI, digital audio or analog audio outputs. The Sling Receiver 300 is small enough to be mounted behind an HDTV.

The Sling Receiver 300 is one in a suite of products and services that EchoStar Technologies L.L.C and its affiliate Sling Media are making available to television service providers to help them attract new subscribers, retain current customers, and bring placeshifting to the largest audience possible.

Sling Media will be demonstrating this new technology in Booth 9021 at the Consumer Electronics Show 2010 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Press Release:

Sling Media Introduces Slingbox 700U for Television Service Providers

DISH Network plans to be first to take sleek, ultra-slim device that adds HD Slingbox capability to any compatible set-top box using simple USB connection

Las Vegas, Nev., USA – Jan. 6, 2010 – Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), today unveiled the Slingbox 700U and announced that DISH Network plans to be the first television service provider to add the device to its product lineup. The smallest Slingbox® yet, the Slingbox 700U is the fastest way of adding award-winning Slingbox capabilities to an existing Internet-connected set-top box such as DISH Network’s ViP® HD DVR.

“Television service providers are constantly looking for ways to deliver new and exciting services to satisfy existing customers and attract new customers,” said John M. Paul, executive vice president of Products at Sling Media. “The surprisingly small, easy-to-install Slingbox 700U delivers ‘TV Everywhere’ services at a low acquisition and installation cost because it connects via USB on the existing set-top box and self-configures.”

The Slingbox 700U eliminates the need for television service providers to invest in the development of their own placeshifting set-top boxes in order to offer “TV Everywhere” services. The newest Slingbox is easy to set up and can help television service providers reduce training and installation costs. The Slingbox 700U can significantly reduce time to market for television service providers wanting to add “TV Everywhere” services to their portfolio.

“The Slingbox 700U is an ideal device to implement our ‘TV Everywhere’ strategy for existing customers with ViP series satellite TV receivers,” said Ira Bahr, Chief Marketing Officer for DISH Network. “Sling Media has developed an easy-to-install Slingbox that greatly expands the number of customers who can enjoy ‘TV Everywhere’ around the house, or anywhere outside the home, on their laptops or mobile smartphones.”

How It Works
The Slingbox 700U’s sleek, modern and ultra-slim enclosure only hints at the technical sophistication inside. It is powered through a USB connection which removes the need for any other wires or connectors. In real time, the Slingbox 700U decrypts incoming video, transcodes it and then re-encrypts it for secure transmission over the Internet.

The Slingbox 700U is one in a suite of products and services that EchoStar Technologies L.L.C and its affiliate Sling Media are making available to television service providers to help them attract new subscribers, retain current customers, and bring placeshifting to the largest audience possible.

Sling Media will be demonstrating this new technology in Booth 9021 at the Consumer Electronics Show 2010 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The two companies are positioning the Sling Monitor 150 as ideal for temporary viewing situations – such as taking you TV into the garden during the Summer – or for places in the home where it’s unfeasible to run physical wires.  As well as watching live TV you’ll be able to access recordings made on the DVR.

Since this is another operator-paired product – like the Touch Control 100 remote – don’t expect to be able to pick one up independently.  Instead we’ll have to wait for DISH Network to announce a release date as well as a price.

Press Release:

Sling Media Introduces Sling Monitor 150 for Television Service Providers

DISH Network plans to be first to take sleek, flat-screen display that wirelessly extends HDTV experience anywhere in the home

Las Vegas, Nev., USA – Jan. 6, 2010 – Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), today unveiled the Sling Monitor 150 and announced that DISH Network plans to be the first television service provider to add the device to its product lineup. The Sling Monitor 150 is a light-weight, portable flat screen display that wirelessly shifts your primary HD DVR video experience to any location in your home, eliminating the need to run cables or purchase a second DVR.

“Television providers now have a unique way to wirelessly extend their customers’ HDTV experience to places in their home where it’s not practical to run a cable such as in their kitchen, home office or workshop,” said John M. Paul, executive vice president of Products at Sling Media.

The elegant Sling Monitor 150 is the only free-standing monitor that can accept a full HD broadcast stream over a WiFi network (802.11). In addition to receiving an HD video stream, the Sling Monitor 150 can control all the features of your primary HD DVR. You can watch live TV and view or manage your recordings.

“DISH Network looks forward to becoming the first multichannel video operator to offer our customers wireless multi-room HD services later this year as part of our TV Everywhere strategy,” said Ira Bahr, Chief Marketing Officer for DISH Network. “Sling Media has developed an innovative solution for providing whole home video delivery, giving customers a convenient way to enjoy their DISH Network programming wirelessly, anywhere in their home.”

How It Works
The Sling Monitor 150 is designed around a high-quality, 15.6 inch, 720p display that includes stereo audio speakers and incorporates a built-in folding stand for countertop or wall-mounted use. The product includes integrated dual-band (2.5 GHz/5 GHz) 802.11n networking, with an internal MIMO antenna and support for WEP, WPA and WPA2 security.

The Sling Monitor 150 is one in a suite of products and services that EchoStar Technologies L.L.C and its affiliate Sling Media are making available to television service providers to help them attract new subscribers, retain current customers, and bring placeshifting to the largest audience possible.

Sling Media will be demonstrating this new technology in Booth 9021 at the Consumer Electronics Show 2010 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

There’s also a docking station which can recharge the Touch Control 100′s Li-Ion battery, and Sling are quite proud of the dock’s shallow angle which means you don’t necessarily have to whip out the remote in order to use it.  They’ve also clad it in soft-touch plastic.

Unfortunately you’ll need to have a forward thinking satellite or cable company if you want to get your hands on the Touch Control 100.  Sling are initially making it available to their network partners, rather than direct to the consumer market, to “help them attract new subscribers, retain current customers, and bring placeshifting to the largest audience possible”.

Press Release:

Sling Media Introduces Sling Touch Control 100 for Television Service Providers

Next-generation, touch screen device redefines television control experience

Las Vegas, Nev., USA – Jan. 6, 2010 – SlingMedia, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), today unveiled the Sling Touch Control 100 for television service providers. The Sling Touch Control 100 is a next-generation, touch-screen device with an interface based on Sling Media’s popular SlingGuide™ electronic program guide. It interacts with and controls SlingGuide-enabled DVRs as well as most line-of-sight controlled audio-visual devices. The Sling Touch Control 100 comes in an elegantly designed enclosure, providing a large screen size and extensive battery life.

The Sling Touch Control 100 was selected as a CES Innovations 2010 Design and Engineering Award honoree in the Video Accessories category.

The Sling Touch Control 100′s interface delivers an intuitive and flexible user experience that goes beyond the traditional electronic program guide. Current on-screen program guides can limit a consumer’s ability to find and view what is really available to watch both now and later. Using SlingGuide’s powerful search technology, the Sling Touch Control 100 makes it easy for viewers to discover new programming they may never have known was available.

“As the volume of compelling television content increases, it is becoming increasingly difficult for consumers to search and navigate available content,” said John M. Paul, executive vice president of Products at Sling Media. “The Sling Touch Control 100 and SlingGuide changes the way viewers interact with programming and helps them discover and manage programs that they might miss using existing on-screen electronic programming guides.”

How It Works
The Sling Touch Control 100 features a bright 4.3 inch, capacitive touch-screen LCD display with 272 x 480 resolution. Its comfortable, soft-touch molded finish makes it easy to handle. The Sling Touch Control 100′s Lithium-ion battery is charged while sitting in the included cradle, which is designed with a shallow angle so the remote can be used while charging. The Sling Touch Control 100 communicates with HD DVRs and other SlingGuide-enabled devices via IP over a home 802.11 network and communicates with non-IP devices via IR-based control.

The Sling Touch Control 100 also allows viewers to control most of the IR-based devices in an AV rack. With a few touches of the screen, viewers can program each of the AV devices into the Sling Touch Control 100. Then, by touching an icon on the screen, viewers will be presented with an easy-to-navigate interface. They can play, fast-forward, rewind and perform all the other functions that they would normally do with their device’s native remote control.

The Sling Touch Control 100 is one in a suite of products and services that EchoStar Technologies L.L.C and its affiliate Sling Media are making available to television service providers to help them attract new subscribers, retain current customers, and bring placeshifting to the largest audience possible.

Sling Media will be demonstrating this new technology in Booth 9021 at the Consumer Electronics Show 2010 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Almost complete silence from Echostar has spurred fears of the Sling line being axed. Not all is lost, recently ZatzNotFunny editor Dave Zatz received a CES invite promising the following:

You’ll experience an up close view of Sling’s new placeshifting products including WiFi television, ultra-slim Slingboxes, and a next-generation touch screen device.

WiFi television was shown at CES last year where it was pitched as an accessory to  the SlingLoaded VIP 922 Echostar DVR. So what is this new device? A touch screen device to interface with the 922? An entirely new stand alone product? We will find out in January.

“Be knowledgeable about and/or interested in becoming an expert on the existing user interface paradigms used on iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Android, and Palm WebOS” Sling Media job listing

What’s striking is that, to date, Sling only have applications for a number of those platforms, suggesting that behind the scenes the A/V placeshifting experts are beavering away to deliver more versions of their mobile SlingPlayer software.  Likely to be near the top of the list is webOS as on the Palm Pre; Sling were one of Palm’s announced partners at the Pre launch back in January 2009, but until now there’s been no word of the software’s release.

Whoever eventually gets the role will be responsible for the pretty end of Sling’s SlingPlayer app.  However they’ll also work in other departments as well as mobile; the listing suggests that “there will be opportunities to work on other platforms as well.”

[via PreCentral]

Unfortunately there’s still no 3G support, so you’re limited to using a WiFi connection to get your remote viewing fix.  Sling did submit a version of the SlingPlayer Mobile app to Apple which supports 3G connections, albeit intended only for international markets rather than in the US, but there’s no word on whether that too has been approved or is still mired in the bowels of Cupertino.

SlingPlayer Mobile 1.1 for iPhone and iPod touch is a free upgrade for v1.0 users, while costing $29.99 for new buyers, and is available in the App Store now.  However you’ll also need a SlingBox to take advantage of it; more details at the company’s official site, here.

Whereas in the first-gen version of the app DISH Network users had to navigate from a streamed image of the TV UI, Sling have now created a native browser for trawling the service.  It actually offers more functionality than a standard DISH Network box might give you when you’re sat in front of the TV, too, as there’s search and filtering on offer.

While AT&T and Apple have still not changed their tune on 3G streaming – and the version of SlingPlayer Mobile submitted for inclusion in the US App Store only supports it over WiFi – the company have submitted a second version for international use that enables 3G access.  Sling Media tell us they’ve “not heard back” on whether that second app will be approved or not.

i-Verse is apparently another string to AT&T’s U-Verse home TV and DVR system, which would add the ability to remotely view content – over their 3G network – on your iPhone from a U-Verse setup.  You’d also be able to load recorded shows from your U-Verse DVR onto your iPhone over your home network.

According to the tipster, AT&T made a number of closed-door demonstrations of i-Verse last year, and based on positive feedback went on to pump time and money into full-scale development.  If this all pans out to be true, it’s a pretty crappy move by the carrier, intentionally crippling a rival application (and potential hardware investment by their subscribers) to give their own system an edge.

The app is officially supported by all of Sling’s current SlingBoxes. Customers with legacy boxes, including the AV, Classic, and TUNER are on their own should they need technical support for any reasons.  I had no problems installing the app, configuration and connecting to an existing SlingBox Directory.  Connection was painless and quick but even though I was on WiFi, flicking through channels took a couple of seconds per channel.  Navigating through channels is as easy as flicking up or down and flicking left or right for navigating through your list of favorites.

Right now Sling only support 4:3 aspect content, which scales up to fill most – though not all – of the iPhone’s screen.  The company tells us that 16:9 widescreen support will be added in the app’s first update, though it will still have small black bars top and bottom since the display isn’t true widescreen.

The biggest drawback to the app, then, isn’t even its own fault.  Unlike the S60, Windows Mobile, Palm and BlackBerry versions of SlingPlayer Mobile, the iPhone software is unable to access the handset’s 3G connection and is limited to WiFi connections.  AT&T are at fault here, and it’s thanks to the App Store and the software limitations it places on developers if they want to be included that the carrier’s terms and conditions are being so rigorously imposed on one particular user group.  AT&T’s statement is as follows:

“Slingbox, which would use large amounts of wireless network capacity, could create congestion and potentially prevent other customers from using the network. The application does not run on our 3G wireless network. Applications like this, which redirect a TV signal to a personal computer, are specifically prohibited under our terms of service. We consider smartphones like the iPhone to be personal computers in that they have the same hardware and software attributes as PCs.

That said, we don’t restrict users from going to a Web site that lets them view videos. But what our terms and conditions prohibit is the transferring, or slinging, of a TV signal to their personal computer or smartphone.

The Slingbox application for the iPhone runs on WiFi. That’s good news for AT&T’s iPhone 3G customers, who get free WiFi access at our 20,000 owned and operated hot spots in the U.S., including Starbucks, McDonalds, Barnes & Noble, hotels, and airports. AT&T is the industry leader in WiFi.” AT&T official statement

The underlying message seems to be that AT&T don’t think their network could manage 3G streaming.  Going a step further, we’d wager that the success of the iPhone and use of the App Store means that SlingPlayer use among owners of the smartphone will be much higher than that of other handsets.  AT&T doesn’t feel the need to clamp down on 3G streaming for other devices, because they’re a relatively small percentage of overall network use.  However we’ve all seen what happens to AT&T when iPhoners start using their handsets in earnest: the 3G gets overwhelmed. 

AT&T are facing a situation that analysts have been predicting for years now: mobile media taking off, and network capacity being unable to support it.  The problem is that it seems to have happened sooner than the carrier expected, and the only way to deal with it is, ironically, forbid it.  That’s not a long-term solution, but the only real way to get around it is significant infrastructure investment, and right now that’s what no carrier particularly wants to do, especially if they’re not making money from either selling content themselves or charging for data access.

As it is, SlingPlayer Mobile works reasonably well over WiFi, and from talking with Sling themselves we’ve no doubt that future versions of the software will tidy up loose ends like navigation sluggishness and being limited to 4:3 aspect.  The overall experience, however, is the mobile TV equivalent of wearing a patch over a perfectly good eye.

The BlackBerry SlingPlayer Mobile application was launched as a beta release at the end of last year.  Downloads until now have been free; however this official release is priced at $29.99 with a 30-day free trial.

Both 3G and WiFi connections are supported, and there are settings which allow for low-bandwidth streaming.  BlackBerry users can download the SlingPlayer Mobile client from http://mobile.slingmedia.com/ directly in their smartphone browser. 

Compatible Devices:

• BlackBerry Bold from AT&T
• BlackBerry Curve 8900 from T-Mobile*
• BlackBerry 8820 from AT&T*
• BlackBerry Curve 8320 from AT&T*
• BlackBerry Curve 8320 from T-Mobile*
• BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 from T-Mobile*
• BlackBerry Pearl 8120 from AT&T*
• BlackBerry Curve 8350i from Sprint Nextel*

* Supported by SlingPlayer Mobile when used with Wi-Fi connection.

The Vip 922 will be available to customers starting in Spring of 2009. With this new technology users can not only watch but control their favorite TV programming from anywhere in the world over broadband internet on their laptop or mobile phone. TV enthusiasts will never run out of programs to watch with five video sources including satellite, broadband and optional over-the-air tuners.  The Vip 922 also features a multi-tuner DVR with up to 1,000 hours of recording time with support for connecting external storage for more storage capacity.

“DISH Network is pleased to add another award-winning product to our suite of MPEG-4 HD DVR ViP receivers: a groundbreaking set top box that offers consumers the true experience of TV everywhere,” said DISH Network Chairman, CEO and President Charlie Ergen. “By integrating Sling Media’s Slingbox technology into our industry-leading HD DVR, DISH Network is providing even more ways for our subscribers to view their TV programming – through their television sets, their desktops at home, their laptops on the road, and their smartphones including Blackberrys, iPhones and more.”

With the Vip 922 you have an innovative remote control that eliminates half of the buttons on the standard remote control which providing cursor-like navigation on the screen. Viewers also have access to many onscreen widgets which allows you to get instant access to news feeds located right on the home screen. Users can also control the Vip922 with the new SlingGuide over the Internet.

The New SlingPlayer for Mac HD is a web-based version of the SlingPlayer software that can be downloaded at Sling.com. With the services offered by SlingPlayer you can watch your favorite local sports team, video on demand, and pay per view programs anywhere you would like from your iPhone.

“SlingPlayer Mobile is ideally suited for the iPhone’s large touch screen display and I know iPhone users are eagerly anticipating the application’s availability,” said Blake Krikorian, co-founder and CEO of Sling Media. “Add to that HD streaming support for Slingbox PRO-HD customers and live TV support on our video entertainment site, Sling.com, and you can see Sling Media is committed to delivering great solutions for Mac users.”

Just watch any program you would normally watch from the sofa anytime anywhere from your iPhone. In addition this application you can control your home digital recorder (DVR) to record, pause, rewind and fast forward live TV shows without being home. The SlingPlayer for iPhone has been submitted to Apple for approval and are slotted for release upon approval sometime in the first quarter of 2009.

Other devices – including those limited to EDGE connectivity – will still run the app, but RIM are not officially supporting them as the data connection may be too slow for uninterrupted viewing.  One unavoidable pre-requisite is BlackBerry OS 4.5; any handsets running earlier versions of the software are out of luck.

The new SlingPlayer software can be downloaded direct to your BlackBerry by visiting http://mobile.slingmedia.com/ on the smartphone’s browser.  Sling’s site automatically checks for compatibility; we’d be interested to hear not only your experiences with the new beta but whether your BlackBerry is blocked from downloading the app for reasons of model incompatibility..

Apple carved out its usual little niche of news and rumor this week, starting with a system update (1056) then surprising everyone with confirmation that Steve Jobs wouldn’t be presenting at the next MacWorld and, from the year after that, neither would Apple at all.  Still, that hasn’t stopped the rumors as to what they might be announcing: a $499 budget Mac mini is one suggestion, together with the perpetual talk of a netbook.  SlashGear will be at MacWorld, live-blogging the keynote announcement, to bring you all the details as they happen. 

Less impressive was the MacBook trackpad driver update, intended to fix stability issues on Windows but falling pretty flat.  As for the iPhone 3G, it and its iPod touch PMP cousin are getting a new Metal Gear Solid game (but don’t get too excited, it’s really just a simple point-&-shoot) and the Dev Team are promising a 3G unlock by the end of the year.  Future graphics capabilities for the devices were also questioned this week, as Apple bought up 3.6-percent of mobile graphics experts Imagination.  Still, if it’s the current iPhone you’re after, it looks like you’ll be able to pick it up from Walmart come December 28th.

Elsewhere in mobile devices, Samsung confirmed it would be launching an Android-based smartphone in Q2 2009 for Sprint and T-Mobile USA, while Sprint themselves debuted the U300 dual WiMAX and EVDO modem.  Motorola’s 2009 line-up for Verizon leaked, suggesting the manufacturer may not have lost its design mojo after all, while Sling finally announced a release date – December 30th – for their BlackBerry SlingPlayer app.

In notebooks and netbooks, there was news at both ends of the scale.  NVIDIA and Qualcomm both demonstrated their ultraportable platforms, with the latter’s perhaps somewhat more ambitious, while Lenovo’s massive dual-display ThinkPad W700ds graphics workstation sucked the air from the lungs of designers all over.  Meanwhile Dell’s Studio XPS 13 teased with its part-leather casing (and gave hints to the MacBook Air-challenging upcoming Dell Adamo). 

Here at SlashGear, our HP Magic Giveaway found its winner, but don’t despair if you weren’t lucky: there’s still time to enter our two new giveaways.  If you’re in the market for a set of high-quality headphones, we’ve two of Sleek Audio’s customizable SA6 in-ear earphones – one with the company’s lossless wireless adapter – up for grabs.  Meanwhile, if it’s hands-free Bluetooth you’re looking for, how about six – that’s almost $900-worth! – of Plantronics’ Discovery 925 headsets?  We’re accepting entries up until midnight central time on December 23rd, so act fast!

Officially supported at launch are the Bold, Curve 8900, 8820, Curve 8320, Pearl Flip 8220 and the Pearl 8120. Versions for the US, Canada and the UK will be available, all as a free download during the beta period.  If you’re unsure about whether your BlackBerry is compatible, there’s an online checker tool here.

Of course, the requirements for non-WiFi use are a 3G connection, but we’ve heard on the unofficial grapevine that the app will work with EDGE-only BlackBerry handsets running OS 4.5.  The issue here is widely varying connection speeds, so don’t expect a 100-percent perfect user experience using the slower connection.

It’s been over ten months since the SlingLink Wireless was announced at CES 2008, and while the company does have something of a habit of keeping users waiting (though, admittedly, they tend to deliver decent products when they finally arrive) it’s hard to imagine exactly what’s holding up a USB WiFi adapter.  According to the yanked product page, setup of the device is straightforward: plug it into your SlingCatcher’s USB port, follow a few on-screen instructions (likely just scanning for the network and entering the encryption password) and you’re done.

Details on the page unhelpfully avoid suggesting release date or pricing.  The former is a mystery – though you could presume that the existence of a new web page suggests release is sooner rather than later – while we only have initial estimates of $49.99.

[via Engadget]

Flexibility scores the SlingCatcher points, with a range of outputs and a lightweight design that means transporting it from room to room – or even taking it on holiday – is painless.  Receiving SlingBox media is equally simple, and while initially the concept of streaming content from one part of your house to another seems bizarre, when you consider how expensive adding extra cable TV boxes to your subscription package can be, the SlingCatcher could be a far cheaper option.

SlingProjector is perhaps less clear a success: although no less useful, the lower resolution means you wouldn’t particularly want to watch a whole film with it.  MyMedia similarly has some rough edges, with too many unsupported file types and limitations on what hard-drives you can use with it.

Still, for its primary purpose the SlingCatcher works very well.  Whether it sells as well seems to depend on Sling Media themselves, and the sort of software and feature updates they offer over the coming months.

[thanks David!]

It’s proved to be a mixed experience: because since the SlingCatcher is not quite yet released (in Sling Media’s eyes) and as they don’t include in-box software (as it’s invariably out of date by the time it reaches customers and they have to download the new version anyway), there’s no way to get the SlingCatcher Projector software.  That won’t be available to download until the official release.

A Sling Media representative has also confirmed that, in the beginning at least, streamed content from the SlingBox PRO-HD – which is capable of sending high-definition 1080i media – will only be shown on the SlingCatcher at 640 x 480.  HD catching will have to wait until a future update.

[via Engadget]

Arguably the biggest news of the week, however, has been T-Mobile’s G1 – the first Android-based handset to be officially announced.  Our sister-site AndroidCommunity.com ran a Live Blog of the whole event (and gave away a G1 to one lucky forum member), and we’ve got the photo galleries and hands-on video to show for it.

In components, Intel started shipping the dual-core Atom 330 CPU and Toshiba announced a 256GB SSD that’s just 3mm thick.   Hitachi took the wraps off a prototype display 58-percent thinner than their existing range, and SanDisk showed new 16GB microSDHC and Memory Stick Micro cards (the former of which should please would-be G1 owners who were getting annoyed by taunts of “the iPhone 3G can hold more media”).

Speaking of the iPhone 3G, Apple partially gave in to requests for online ordering with a supposed queue-busting system that allows you to buy your cellphone, and fill in the accompanying paperwork, online.  Then all you need do is queue up in the nearest Apple store to collect it.  Far more interesting are the latest round of Apple MacBook rumors; what is “the brick” and will we find out on October 14th?

Personally, a new MacBook might be nice but I’m feeling a lot more lustful toward Sony’s new VAIO TT ultraportables.  With Blu-ray, a 256GB RAID array and 3G WWAN in an 11.1-inch package, I know what I’ll be asking Santa for this year.

The week also saw Sling Media’s Slingbox PRO-HD hit shelves and reviewers (not literally, of course, as that would hurt), leaving good impressions if not some frustration that most broadband upstream speeds simply aren’t good enough to funnel high-definition content through smoothly.  Here at SlashGear, we also took a look at the Motorola Z9 on AT&T; it might look like a mundane slider, but with 3G, GPS and on-device streaming media, it has the guts to match the appearance.  Check out the review here.

Installation gets a general thumbs-up, with the range of inputs available mostly to everyone’s satisfaction.  SlingCommunity do note that the PRO-HD drops an A/V input from the previous Slingbox PRO, and there’s still no built-in WiFi; however a WiFi draft-n ethernet bridge has been shown to work fine, with sufficient bandwidth. 

What doesn’t disappoint is video quality, with Dave Zatz describing it as ”outstanding”.  This is no doubt partly due to the Slingbox moving from Microsoft’s Windows Media Video format to H.264.

Of course, the limitation on how much you can do with high-definition place-shifting is the broadness of your internet pipe.  In their review ZDNet flag up the fact that, unless you have a 1.5Mbps or higher upstream rate, you won’t be able to view HD content remotely.  Instead, until broadband catches up, think of it as half of a pairing with the SlingCatcher (expected to land in October) to make funneling HD media at different points around your home.

As for CTIA Wireless, key cellphones in the show were probably RIM’s BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 and HTC’s Touch Pro and Touch Diamond on Sprint.  One of the most interesting handsets this week wasn’t actually on show, however; news of HTC’s upcoming Touch HD broke on Wednesday, promising a wide-aspect WVGA touchscreen and more connectivity than a regional branch of Radio Shack.  What we did see, however, was Android firmware v1.0 running on a Qualcomm prototype handset: check out the multiple videos here.

Things got a little heated in the comments this week, in the run-up to the first tests of the Large Hadron Collider.  Scientists manning the project have apparently been receiving death threats. 

Wisely or otherwise, Microsoft chose this Monday to announce their new Zune PMPs, and promptly got lost in the iPod furore.  Elsewhere, the SlingCatcher and SlingBox Pro-HD went up for pre-order, while AT&T’s U-verse system got a Total Home DVR upgrade for whole-house HD.  If that’s not enough home entertainment news for you, then how about TiVo planning a DVR service through BlackBerry devices?

In reviews this week, we’ve featured Rosewill’s Conqueror WSL PC case and Scandyna’s Micropod SE Active speakers; we’ve also had a hands-on session with Velocity Mobile’s 103 WM6.1 Pro smartphone.  We’ll have the full review of that device, plus some exclusive Acer Aspire One content this coming week, so stay with SlashGear!