TVSquad

Sling Media offers SlingPlayer clients for PC, Mac, and a variety of cellphone models. But so far there's been no support for one of the most obvious mobile devices: the iPhone. It looks like that could all change soon. Sling Media will be showing off a proof of concept version of SlingPlayer Mobile for the iPhone at WWDC.

There are no plans to make this version of SlingPlayer Mobile available to customers... yet. You need a jailbroken iPhone or iPod touch to use the player at the moment. But the company does plan to use the iPhone SDK to release a commercial version in the future.

If you want to check out the proof of concept version, and if you happen to be in San Francisco tomorrow, stop by the Starbucks at 120 4th St between 10am and 4pm and look for product manager Vicky Shum who will be demonstrating the application.

DISH Network is working on a new set top box that will work as a satellite receiver, personal video recorder, Slingbox, and SlingCatcher. The move isn't particularly surprising. Why would EchoStar have purchased Sling Media if the satellite network didn't plan to release an all-in-one set top box. But this is the first time we've heard the company talk about an actual product.

The announcement came during a recent DISH Network team summit, and Satellite Guys has a writeup with some of the highlights from the event. Here's what we know about the upcoming 722s so far:

• Support for Clip + Sling, which lets you send short video clips over the internet to friends
• Redesigned user interface including a program guide with channel logos
• New UHF remote control with a touchpad
• Front of the unit has a touchscreen and no buttons
• 1 TB hard drive, half of which will be preloaded with HD movies
• Integrated web browser for accessing a handful of web sites
• Also works as a SlingCatcher, letting you watch internet video on your TV

No word on pricing or availability yet. If you don't feel like signing up for DISH Network, you can get all of these features by buying handful of boxes from Sling Media. But the idea of getting a single multi-function box is pretty compelling. If DISH can keep the price down on the 722s or even offer it for free with a subscription, the new box could be a major selling point for the company in its battle against DirecTV and the cable networks.

[via Gizmo Lovers]

Sling Media first announced the SlingModem in January, and we haven't heard much about the product since. Now it looks like Sling will be showing off the device at The Cable Show next week.

The box will basically have most of the features you'd expect from a Slingbox (ie: you connect it to your TiVo, cable box, or other device to stream live or recorded TV over the internet) plus a built in cable modem. The SlingModem is targeted at cable service providers who might want to offer the box to customers. Odds are you won't be able to pick up a SlingModem at your local Best Buy anytime soon.

The continued development of the cable-only SlingModem shows that Sling's parent company EchoStar was serious when it spun off the DISH Network satellite network as a separate division.

[via Gizmo Lovers]

Sling Media has launched an update to its SlingPlayer Mobile software for Windows Mobile and Symbain S60 phones and PDAs. The software lets Slingbox owners use their mobile devices to tune into live or recorded television streaming from a slingbox connected to their TV, TiVo, cable box, or other video device at home.

Today's update featured improved video streaming quality and support for additional telephone handsets including the Nokia N95 8GB, the Samsung i760, and the Palm Treo 500v. There's also support for additional set top boxes, which means that the software is more likely to bring up a virtual remote control that will work properly with your cable box or PVR.

The update is free for existing users, while new customers will have to pay $30 for the software. There is a 30 day free trial available.

Current SlingPlayer Mobile customers are entitled to a free upgrade. New customers are offered a free 30 day trial, then SlingPlayer Mobile is a one-time $30 (USD) fee. In addition to these mobile OSes, we also offer SlingPlayer Mobile for Palm OS - plus Symbian UIQ and Blackberry support will be available later this year.

If you've been waiting patiently to get your hands on a SlingCatcher, the new set top box from the makers of the Slingbox, you might have to wait a little longer. Sling Media had planned to launch the box this quarter. Now Engadget reports that the release date has been pushed back until... well, it's not really clear when it'll be out now. But it should be available sometime in 2008.

The SlingCatcher works as sort of a reverse Slingbox. While the Slingbox lets you stream live and recorded video over the internet from any video source in your home, the SlingCatcher is a set top box that collects web video (including streams from your Slingbox) and shows it on your TV. In other words, it competes with the Apple TV and completes the circle of Slingdom. Plus it looks pretty cool and has a catchy name.

Sling Media first launched a Symbian version of its SlingPlayer software which lets you stream live TV from your home to your cellphone last fall. But now the company is improving its Symbian software, with support for UIQ on Symbian devices. Support is also coming soon for the Nokia N95 phone, which has 8GB of internal memory and a nice big screen, making it an ideal device for multimedia.

Support for UIQ handsets should roll out this summer, with support for the following models initially:

• Sony Ericsson P1i, P990i, W960i, W950i, M600i
• Motorola MOTORIZR Z8

In order to watch live or recorded TV on your mobile device using the SlingPlayer software you'll need to purchase a Slingbox, which is a set top box that you plug into your home TV or other video source and connect to your home network. SlingPlayer Mobile clients are also available for Windows Mobile and PalmOS devices, and Sling Media plans to roll out a BlackBerry client later this year.

If you thought all Sling Media had up its sleeve for CES was a new HD Slingbox and SlingPlayer software for BlackBerry, boy were you wrong. Today we've got word that Sling is updating its PC software, adding a cable modem to its lineup, and preparing to launch the much anticipated SlingCatcher during the second quarter of 2008.

SlingModem

Last August, we found some photos of a new Sling product on the FCC's site. At first it looked like a standard low-end Slingbox without support for HD video. But astute observers noticed that the new device had a built-in cable modem. As it turns out, Sling Media is calling the new device the SlingModem, and the goal is to partner with cable operators to provide SlingModems. There are no plans at the moment to sell SlingModems directly to consumers. Nobody's ready to announce any deals yet, but considering Sling was recently acquired by Echostar, it's interesting to see the company releasing a cable modem.

There's two major announcements out of the Sling Media camp today (can't you just imagine them sitting around the campfire shouting out news about new products?) Sling Media offers two types of products: A slingbox which you can plug into your TV, TiVo, cable box, or other video source to stream video across the internet. And the SlingPlayer client for watching that streaming video.

The first announcement was kind of predictable: SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry. Sling already has mobile clients for Windows Mobile, Palm, and Symbian phones, so I would have been surprised if we didn't see a BlackBerry client soon. SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry will be available later this year and will set you back the usual $29.99.

The bigger news is that Sling Media is launching a hi-def version of the Slingbox. The Slingbox PRO-HD sports a digital ATSC/QAM tuner, and multiple HD inputs and outputs. It can also stream 1080i video and 5.1 audio over the internet. You're going to need a high speed internet connection in order to get the most out of the PRO-HD. And if you plan to do most of your TV viewing on the go using SlingPlayer Mobile on a device with a low resolution screen, the PRO-HD is probably useless. But if you want the clearest picture on your computer, or if you plan on picking up a SlingCatcher which will let you stream video from one TV to another, the Slingbox PRO-HD's $400 price tag might seem reasonable.

It looks like the folks at Sling Media have a few interesting things up their sleeves.

The folks over at the Sling Community have spotted a patent application that seems to indicate Sling Media has plans to enable advertising over your Sling connection. There are a couple of different ways the company could insert ads. For example, your Slingbox or SlingPlayer software could determine which batter is at plate during a baseball game and then choose a fitting ad to display on your playback window. Sling Media could also insert preroll advertisements or insert an ad at the end of a video.

Sling Media is set to release the SlingCatcher by the end of the year. And now that we've seen some spy photos of the retail packaging, we're inclined to think that the release will be sooner rather than later.

We already knew that the SlingCatcher would be Sling's first dedicated device that receives video rather than sends it. In other words, you put a SlingCatcher next to your TV and connect it to your home network. Then you can stream video from your PC, the internet, or any other audio/video device that has a Slingbox connected to it.

And here's what we found out by reading the box:

• Support for resolutions up to 1080i
• Support for WMV, MPEG2, MPEG4, H.264 and XviD in a variety of file formats, including .VOB
• Attach a USB 2.0 hard drive or flash drive with at least 1GB of free space and you can download video

The SlingCatcher will probably run about $199 when it hits the streets.

[via EngadgetHD]

Sling Media is working on a SlingPlayer client for BlackBerry devices. No, we're not particularly surprised either. The company already as a Palm Client, a Windows Mobile client, and this morning officially launched the US version of their Symbian client. So it was really just a matter of time, right?

SlingPlayer Mobile lets anyone with a Slingbox hooked up to their cable/satellite/TiVo/other set-top box stream TV from their home over the internet to a mobile device. We're going to go out on a limb and say that SlingPlayer for BlackBerry is going to run you $30, which is the going rate for Sling Media's other mobile clients.

A Sling spokesperson confirmed that a BlackBerry version is in the works. But he says it can take a long time to port the software to a new platform. It took nearly a year to develop Palm and Symbian versions. In other words, don't expect to Sling anything to your BlackBerry before 2008.

[via Engadget]

Sling Media officially launched SlingPlayer for Symbian phones today. That means Slingbox users who have Palm, Windows Mobile, or Symbian phones can stream live TV over the internet from their home to their phones.

The Symbian version of the SlingPlayer software has been available to beta testers for the past few months. The application is designed to work with Nokia N75, N95, and E65 phones, but may also run on other phones using the Symbian operating system. You'll need a Wi-Fi or 3G internet connection in order to stream video at a decent rate.

SlingPlayer Mobile software usually costs $30, but Sling Media is also announcing a partnership with Nokia to offer the application free to all N95 users. Of course, the software is useless if you don't shell out the $130+ to get a Slingbox, so the move makes good marketing sense from Sling Media's perspective. In fact, we wouldn't be too surprised to see the company negotiate similar deals with other companies to build a market for Slingboxes.

On the other hand, once EchoStar completes its acquisition of Sling Media, the company might not have to work so hard to build brand recognition.

Sling Media has announced the latest addition to its lineup of place-shifting devices. The $180 Slingbox Solo fits between the top of the line Slingbox Pro ($230) and the entry level Slingbox AV ($130). Not only does the solo fit squarely between its siblings when it comes to price, but it also has some of the same features as its big brother, on a smaller scale.

While the Slingbox Pro can control 4 separate devices, the Solo handles just one. The Solo also lacks the built-in NTSC tuner found int he Pro. But unlike the Pro, the Solo can handle HDTV out of the box. It includes component inputs and outputs, so there's no need to spend $50 on a separate HD Connect.

This is the first Slingbox to include a USB port. It doesn't do anything at the moment, but it's reserved for future use. No word on what that use is, but perhaps a firmware update will let you store programs on an external hard drive. Or something.

This is also the first Sling Media device that will be launched in the US, Canada, and the UK simultaneously. It should be available in stores next week. Sling Media is also launching the Slingbox Pro in the UK this week for £199.99. That unit will include a DVB-T tuner and comes bundled with an HD Connect.

EchoStar Communications, the company behind the Dish Network satellite service has agreed to buy Sling Media for $380 million. Sling Media is the maker of the popular Slingbox place-shifting device.

Over the past few years, the Slingbox has become synonymous with place-shifting, much the way some people refer to generic PVRs as TiVos. The difference is that Sling Media doesn't face much serious competition yet. While Monsoon Multimedia, Sony, and Orb do make products that compete with the Slingbox in one way or another, place-shifting isn't built into generic set-top-boxes from Motorola or Scientific Atlanta yet.

By acquiring Slingbox, EchoStar is in an excellent position to be an early player in the place-shifting game. The company can continue to sell standalone Slingboxes to non-satellite customers. And EchoStar can integrate Sling technology into its existing products, putting the company far ahead of the competition when it comes to place-shifting.

EchoStar was among the earliest investors in Sling Media, which was founded 3 years ago. What does this mean for future Sling products? It's hard to say, but we're pretty sure EchoStar can pump an awful lot of money into research and development. And it's not like Sling Media was resting on its laurels. The company has put out a number of updates to its original place-shifting Slingbox line, and has a new SlingCatcher device that will bring internet video to your TV set scheduled for release soon.