Over the last couple of weeks, I have had my eye on a new gizmo (apart from the iPhone 4 which I will unbox, preview and review). It’s called “Slingbox” and allows you to rebroadcast input video to another device at home or over the Internet. Various inputs may include (but not necessarily limited to):
- Free to air television (analogue and digital),
- Security cameras,
- VCR/DVD/Blu-ray players,
- DVRs (such as TiVo and Windows Media Centre),
- Subscription television (i.e. Foxtel, Austar, SelecTV, etc).
There are a couple of models in the USA:
- Slingbox Solo:
- Up to 1080i input downscaled to standard definition streaming.
- Slingbox Pro-HD:
- Up to 1080i input with high definition streaming.
There are mobile applications for iPhone, Windows Phone 6, Android, Palm OS and Symbian OS which will work over both Wi-Fi and 3G. Through the use of an on-screen remote, you can control devices like a Foxtel IQ2 to change channels, pause or rewind live television, navigate the TV guide or record a show to watch later.
Australia has a localised version of the Slingbox Solo and another version called “Slingbox Pro” which is a step below the Slingbox Pro-HD. It is currently unknown as to when Australia will get the Pro-HD model.
I can see Foxtel getting upset about such a device and using a Slingbox could potentially break the terms and conditions of use of the service. That aside, it’s a great way to get the most of your pay television subscription if you are away from home for sizeable lengths of time.
I’ll post back if I happen to get a Slingbox and let you know how it works out.
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[…] while back I wrote about how I was looking at options to stream live television and my focus upon the Slingbox products but I never got around to purchasing one. Don’t get me wrong, I think the technology is […]