Official New Slingbox Announcement

Scott Greczkowski

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SLING MEDIA UNVEILS TWO NEW REDESIGNED SLINGBOX® MODELS

Slingbox 500 and Slingbox 350 Deliver Unprecedented Full 1080p HD-Quality Streaming of TV Content Anywhere; Slingbox 500 Sets New Standard with Integrated Wi-Fi, HDMI and Provides Platform for Delivery of Personal Content to the TV

Foster City, CA – October 10, 2012 – Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), today introduces the Slingbox 500 [LINK] and Slingbox 350 [LINK], two completely redesigned retail Slingbox products that deliver best-in-class, up to Full 1080p HD-quality, live streaming of your favorite TV shows, sporting events, recorded programming and premium content to smartphones, tablets, laptops and connected devices. In addition, the Slingbox 500 introduces new features, including Wi-Fi and HDMI, as well as a platform for delivering personal content to the TV, a first for any Slingbox product.

The latest portable devices and high-speed wireless networks give consumers access to video content wherever they go. Now the Slingbox 500 and Slingbox 350 raise the bar by delivering a superior HD quality video experience, making it easy for them to watch and control their home TV -- virtually anywhere.

“Slingbox is still the best way to extend the entire living room TV experience anywhere,” said Sling Media’s Senior Vice President and General Manager, Raghu Tarra. “We’ve redesigned our Slingbox products from the ground up, adding features and enhancements that make them easier to set-up and use while creating the highest performing products on the market. With these new product introductions Sling Media continues to evolve and disrupt the category we created.”

With the proliferation of TV streaming services, consumers are finding new ways to watch TV but are confused by the many options in this highly-fragmented market. Only Slingbox delivers your entire living room TV experience regardless of where you are without requiring additional subscription fees. Sports fans can watch their hometown teams’ live games from another room in the house on a tablet, or in another country as the action happens. Frequent travelers can keep up with their favorite shows or local news. Busy parents can catch up on recorded shows while waiting for their kids to finish practice or while enjoying what little downtime they have throughout the day. Slingbox makes it easy for consumers to watch their favorite shows on the go, using the portable devices they already own and love.


How They Work

The Slingbox 500 features built-in Wi-Fi and integrated IR emitters for controlling a set- top box. It has HDMI and component, as well as composite, inputs/outputs. This makes set-up anywhere in the home clean, simple and straightforward.

The Slingbox 500 is the foundation of a growing set of features for Slingbox customers. The hardware platform not only has the ability to placeshift content, making a live content stream available anywhere, but can also receive content and display it on the TV. The first example of this is SlingProjector®. SlingProjector makes it easy for anyone to wirelessly display their personal media, such as photos, from their smartphone onto the big screen. Look to Sling Media to provide Slingbox 500 customers with other exciting ways to display content on their television screens in the coming months.

The Slingbox 350 offers Sling Media’s highest quality, proven ‘TV Anywhere’ technology at a cost-effective price. The Slingbox 350 features 1080p, HD-quality streaming on compatible devices, making it a value leader. The sleek, industrial design combined with integrated IR emitters makes it a compact, unique and easy-to-use addition to any home entertainment center.

In conjunction with the introduction of these two new Slingbox products, Sling Media is also rolling out new SlingPlayer® software clients across its desktop and mobile platforms. In addition, SlingPlayer software for iOS, Android and Windows Phone is now on sale for $14.99, a savings of fifty percent, as part of a special launch offer.
To learn more about these two new products and other Slingbox hardware and software, visit www.slingbox.com.

Pricing and Availability

Slingbox 500 and Slingbox 350 will go on sale in the U.S. on Sunday October 14, and will be available in Canada in November. Both models can be purchased at www.slingbox.com, Best Buy (online and in stores), Amazon.com and other independent retailers. In the U.S., Slingbox 500 is $299.99 MSRP and Slingbox 350 is
$179.99 MSRP. Canadian prices are adjusted to current exchange rates.

About Sling Media

Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation, is the leading provider of video placeshifting products and services for consumers and television service providers. Sling Media’s product family includes Slingbox, which provides consumers with the ability to watch and control their living room TV shows at any time,
from any location, using Internet-connected PCs, Macs, tablets and smartphones. For more information, visit www.slingbox.com.
 

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What the heck is a SlingProjector?

Edited to add - I was looking here http://support.slingbox.com/get/KB-2000130.html and I'm still confused. It's software that goes on a PC, but a SlingCatcher is also required. Why?

Maybe it's a software-based Slingbox. But if so, I am surprised to see the SlingCatcher resurrected. I thought it had long ago been discontinued.
 
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I could get over how hideous those new boxes are if they had a tuner. I don't get it at all. More people are dropping their cable service for online and presumably OTA. That would be a great demographic as they are using the internet already. But with these new boxes, how do you watch free TV? Now I just plug in the antenna lead, can watch any local channel from anywhere, and it doesn't affect what anyone at home is doing. I predict this is going to keep sales down. 1080P is over rated for how many use a slingbox, very nice, but the output from the previous version (pro hd) is excellent. I can't see a reason for anyone with the previous version, to get one of these.
 
HDMI isn't likely to help the DIRECTV subscribers as their boxes are more and more requiring HDCP satisfaction over HDMI. I read where the C31 RVU client won't display an HDMI picture without it (on any channel). HDMI inclusion REQUIRES HDCP but if the content doesn't warrant it, the receiver shouldn't artificially force the issue.
 
Having a SlingSolo and having used it for the past several years with no problems I think is it a useful product and it works well with my Dish 211 receiver.

Prior to installing a newer Sling Solo in the USVI I had a SlingBox with an analog tuner installed in Chicago in my son's condo. All the channels in his building were unscrambled so I could watch watch everything he got in the USVI.

The new 350 and 500 appear to be evolutionary products. While the 500 can be used as a media server it does not appear that you can still connect multiple video sources to the box and then remotely switch sources. Secondly the WiFi connectivity built into the 500 seems to be of limited usefulness. Streaming video reliably requires a steady connection so unless the wireless router is in the same room as the SlingBox good luck at maintaining a steady connection particularly if the SlingBox is inside a media cabinet and its WiFi radio subject to interference from all the other nearby electronics.

As for the newer SlingBoxes not including tuners I think this is for most people a non issue. Most CATV channels on larger MSO's systems are encrypted. You can't Sling Satellite without using a receiver as the source. If you want to Sling off airs hook a VCR with a tuner or analog/digital converter to to your antenna and then use that as the video source for your SlingBox.

The ability to stream 1080p is a plus if you want to place shift video locally over your LAN and watch on a TV using a Boxee, other set top box or on a PC you probably have the bandwidth. To stream 1080p over the internet you need according to Sling Media a steady upload speed of 2 Mbps at the sending end and 2Mbps at the receiving end. While many people have good download speeds they don't haves as good of upload speeds. Even if you have a good upload speed, the greater the distance you try to stream the slower the connection. When I'm in Europe and try and stream NFL games they are barely SD quality after traveling 4,000 miles with 23 - 28 hops. Fine for watching on a small laptop, but not enough for a decent picture on a medium size TV.

Just my impression and glad to see that Sling is still hanging in. For those of you with Dish's Sling adapter the actual SlingBoxes work quite well so don't judge of all Sling's hardware based on how Dish has implemented the Sling Adapter.
 
Scott, doesn't that table show it will work with slingplayer software, just not the older one? If you are correct, that's another strike against these. The slingbox software allows you to go directly to your slingbox if you need to without a third party. (The newer software does use Sling to connect, but you can bypass if you know your IP address)
That means anytime they are down, you are down. Any restrictions they want to place, is then easier. Such as charging for services?
 
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As for the newer SlingBoxes not including tuners I think this is for most people a non issue. Most CATV channels on larger MSO's systems are encrypted. You can't Sling Satellite without using a receiver as the source. If you want to Sling off airs hook a VCR with a tuner or analog/digital converter to to your antenna and then use that as the video source for your SlingBox.

There are no VCR's I am aware of that have a digital tuner. There are still some converters left, but good luck getting a code to work with a slingbox so you can change channels.
In Ct. (Charter) and Florida (Brighthouse $25 package at least as of six months ago for sure) you can indeed get several channels including the locals without a box. Though my point is for those with OTA.

And it misses my point about those not wanting cable anymore. This could have been a very worthy item for those who can not or do not want to pay for cable/satellite. You get all your locals with subchannels anywhere you are with the ProHD. No cost. No converters. Perfect for a vacation or second home. It's what our neighbor from Canada does when in Florida. These new units would be useless for them. When a good deal comes along I will buy another HD pro even if it's just to have as a back-up. Though I should wait to see if they come out with one that has a tuner.....
 
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I don't see much reason to get the 500. If you can't stream protected content over HDMI and considering the limitations of wi-fi reliability, the 500 seems a little unnecessary. Personally, I don't see myself using the other features of the 500 so I think I'll be looking at the 350 and saving a few bucks.
 
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Dang it looks like if you want to watch your Slingbox on a MAC or PC you need to watch it from their website... It appears there will be no stand alone Slingplayer sofware.

Rats. Just like the Sling Adapter.

On OTA modules, I had a thought. The 500 has a USB port. Perhaps the one Dish is about to release for the Hopper could be made to work on the 500. Tuner problem solved. ;)
 
Rats. Just like the Sling Adapter.

On OTA modules, I had a thought. The 500 has a USB port. Perhaps the one Dish is about to release for the Hopper could be made to work on the 500. Tuner problem solved. ;)

Damn!! I like your thinking. Not out of the question!!

We can debate the "about to release" part.... :D
 
Rats. Just like the Sling Adapter.

On OTA modules, I had a thought. The 500 has a USB port. Perhaps the one Dish is about to release for the Hopper could be made to work on the 500. Tuner problem solved. ;)

The USB Port is to display local media off a external hard drive.
 
I don't see much reason to get the 500. If you can't stream protected content over HDMI and considering the limitations of wi-fi reliability, the 500 seems a little unnecessary. Personally, I don't see myself using the other features of the 500 so I think I'll be looking at the 350 and saving a few bucks.

Same here. the HDMI is useless and dont care about showing videos on the TV as I already have an Apple TV.
 
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