By Kirstin Mahoney and Laura Norton

What Is Slingbox? Slingbox allows you to watch a

household’s TV programs, on laptops and compliable phones

Anywhere in the world = wherever there is a decent internet connection

Basics of Slingbox Streams both live TV, content and the interface

from a connected DVR, DVD player, VCR and other set-top boxes

Costs $250 for Basic Slingbox Targets goldbricking office workers and frequent

travelers who can’t wait to watch local programming The quality of video is surprisingly clear, particularly

when viewed in the default window size. TV News looks the best Quick-moving sports is less clear

SlingBox Home InstallationRequires some familiarity with the output and input

ports on the set-top boxes to be controlled by Slingbox

Fortunately the fold-out startup guide is clear and there is a Slingbox technical help website

Controlling a TiVo or a digital TV box requires a bit more work

Slingbox has to be connected between the TV and the device

SlingPlayer Software

The viewer software is straightforward and responsive. Sling Media says its planning to release software for

handheld computers and smart phones.

Slingplayer software lacks pause and record buttons, so now short breaks from viewing a program and you can’t copy it to your hard drive (offline viewing)

Sling Media says they didn’t include these features because of “legal issues”

Sling Media’s Newest Products Have just introduced three new models

(initially only to the US) one of which includesA high-def-ready modelCompatibility with Macs (originaly didn’t have)

Competition

Beyond TV and OrbSlingbox doesn’t require a PC to be running at

home while the user is watching TV Sony’s LocationFree Player is the same

conceptSlingbox users are not required to obtain or

pay for a new license, in order to stream to another computer

Limitations Controlling your TiVo on your lap top means home

will be seeing the same thing on the connected TV Copyright concerns and bandwidth limitations

If your home isn’t wired for Ethernet Need some sort of network adapter such as WiFi-to-

Ethernet bridge to get the Slingbox online

Some office firewalls will block remote viewing

Selling Places

Circuit City Amazon.com Office Depot Dell Home Depot J & R / JR.com Comp – u – Plus Target

Legality

Sling Media license agreement prohibits you from logging in to somebody else’s Slingbox or putting your Slingbox in somebody else’s house (software doesn’t enforce either rule)

Originally thought that it was caused lots, and Hollywood would “sue the company’s pants of”. So far nothing has happened…

MLB has publicly grumbled about Slingbox

Are they hitting the big time?

Now part of EchoStar CommunicationsThe company behind the Dish Network

satellite servceEchoStar paid $380 million for the companyWhat does this mean for those who use their

Slingbox with Dish’s archrival, DirecTV?

Sources

Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2

005/07/16/AR2005071600110.html

Sling Media Homepage http://www.slingmedia.com/go/slingbox-in-action

PC World http://blogs.pcworld.com/techlog/archives/005517.html

Fox News http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,175216,00.html

Youtube