Sling Receiver 300 And Slingbox 700U Add Placeshifting To EchoStar And DISH Network

Slightly less eye-catching than a touchscreen remote and a portable HDTV with integrated WiFi, Sling Media's two remaining products could be no less useful if your cable or satellite provider does the decent thing and decides to offer them.  The Sling Receiver 300 is a slip of a box designed to hook up wirelessly to EchoStar's SlingLoaded 922 HD DVR and funnel 1080i content to a distant HDTV, similar in principle to the Sling Monitor 150 only without the integrated display.  Meanwhile the Slingbox 700U hopes to add place-shifting functionality to existing internet-connected DVRs.

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.