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We've been waiting to get our hands on the SlingCatcher ever since it was announced at CES in 2007 (and re-announced at this past CES) but it looks like we'll have to wait a little longer -- Gregg Wilkes, Sling's VP of sales, has said the product won't be released this quarter as scheduled, but rather sometime later this year. Sling hasn't made this announcement publicly, though: Gregg simply emailed a would-be customer his apologies, saying Sling was committed to providing a "compelling and enjoyable user experience and value proposition," and that the SlingCatcher is still being refined. He also mentioned that Sling's recent acquisition by EchoStar has gummed up the works a bit, but that "all indications point" to a SlingCatcher release in 2008. So reassuring considering the product is already a year late. We talked to our friends at Sling and while they wouldn't comment directly on the contents of the email, they did say the SlingCatcher will only be released when the company "is confident it's designed to our high standards." Yep, that's a delay. Full email exchange after the break.

Slingbox SOLO Ever since the original Slingbox appeared on the scene in 2005, TV junkies have been using it and its various descendants to place-shift television. All Slingboxes to date have offered a compelling combination of a clear picture, easy setup, and no monthly fees, with the later versions delivering improved video quality. The latest model, the SlingPlayer SOLO, gives you the Slingbox Pro's HD compatibility, but with a single input, like the classic Slingbox. That's actually plenty if you have a digital video recorder (DVR), since you can watch live television channels and recorded content through the same unit, although it works with regular and HD cable boxes, too. In early 2007, Sling Media also released a new Mac version of its SlingPlayer software. The Slingbox SOLO is another winner—just don't expect to watch high-definition-quality video remotely. The SOLO is an attractive piece of gear. Like the original Slingbox, it has a trapezoid shape. But this one is smaller, measuring 4.0 by 8.5 by 1.9 inches (HWD), and it's clad in black metal and glossy plastic with bright red accents. The front panel is blank save for Power and Ethernet LEDs, and a logo that lights up when video is actively streaming. The rear of the unit contains everything else. From left to right, there's an AC power jack, an Ethernet port, a USB connector, and two identical rows of RCA, S-Video, and component inputs and outputs. There's also a jack to connect the included IR receiver. Alas, there's no HDMI port. In addition to cable and DVR boxes, you can connect the SOLO to a DVD player, but that's of dubious value unless you have a 200-disc changer. ("Honey, I'm in a hotel in Memphis. Can you pop in the Knocked Up DVD so I can watch it from my laptop?") The Slingbox SOLO requires a broadband Internet connection, a home network router, and a Windows or Macintosh PC. Sling Media lets you install the SlingPlayer client on an unlimited number of computers simultaneously; the catch is that you can watch it on only one at a time. To hook up the SOLO to my HD cable box, I connected the included component video cables to the Slingbox component inputs, then connected the stereo (red and white) audio cables to the audio inputs on the Slingbox. I repeated the process on the other end for the cable box. The result looked like this: Cable box > Slingbox > TV. Next I plugged in the IR receiver cable and stuck the IR receiver on the cable box such that it pointed at the remote IR sensor. The Slingbox plugs into your home network router via an included—but at 6 feet, very short—Ethernet cable. My wireless router is nowhere near my cable box, but I happened to have a longer cable handy and used that. Unfortunately, the Slingbox SOLO isn't Wi-Fi capable out of the box. You can, however, connect it to your home wireless network using optional SlingLink Turbo Ethernet bridges ($150 for the SlingLink Turbo 4-Port, $80 for the one-port model). When I finished connecting everything, I downloaded and installed SlingPlayer for Mac OS X on a Core 2 Duo iMac. My HD cable box wasn't listed in SlingPlayer's catalog of devices, but I tried its first manual option (called Code 1) and was off and running: I could shut off and turn on the cable box from the computer. When finishing the install, I copied down the Slingbox ID—which I needed to watch the box remotely, but not on the home network—and set up a remote log-in. On my tests at home, SlingPlayer delivered excellent picture quality to the iMac with both standard and high-definition TV channels. Stereo audio was also crisp and clear. The iMac displayed the actual cable feed on about a 5- or 6-second delay. When the Slingbox SOLO was paired with an Apple AirPort Extreme with Gigabit Ethernet router, the SlingPlayer software achieved average speeds of 6,300 to 6,400 kilobits per second (Kbps) while streaming video. For HD sources in particular, this delivered a sharp, full-screen picture with some visible noise. It wasn't quite high-definition quality, but it still looked impressive. SlingPlayer was a cinch to use, even in its latest OS X incarnation. For example, to add favorite channels, I clicked the Plus icon at the bottom of the screen, chose each channel from the available icons (most common network logos are represented), and entered the appropriate channel number. Then whenever I clicked on the network logo for the desired channel, the Slingbox changed the cable box's channel a few seconds later. The software also lets you set the aspect ratio to 4:3, 16:9, Letterbox, Pillarbox, or Windowbox. I used Pillarbox when watching standard-definition channels over HD because it strips the unnecessary vertical pillars while maintaining the correct aspect ratio. The Slingbox SOLO worked well on my home network, but what about over the Internet? To find out, I installed SlingPlayer on a MacBook Pro laptop headed over to the local Starbucks, and signed on to its T-Mobile Wi-Fi hot spot. Using my Sling Media log-in, password, and Slingbox SOLO ID, I brought up the TV signal on the first try. Here, my Wi-Fi connection hovered at around 380 Kbps. As a result, I was able to view only a 4-inch window before a CNN news crawl became unreadable (video quality in a larger window is poor because of the slow connection). The optional $29 SlingPlayer Mobile software lets you watch your Slingbox from your cell phone. Since I last reviewed SlingPlayer Mobile, the company has added Symbian compatibility in addition to Windows Mobile and Palm OS. SlingPlayer Mobile requires a 3G cellular data connection or Wi-Fi capability. On my Verizon Motorola Q I saw test speeds averaging 240 Kbps during the review period, which was enough for about 15 to 25 frames per second. I'd like to see Sling Media add Wi-Fi capability, if only to simplify logistics when setting the device up the first time. Even so, of the available Slingboxes, the SOLO is the box to get if you want to watch live cable HDTV or your DVR's recorded programs. Unless you need to switch among multiple sources, the Slingbox SOLO makes a lot of sense, given its low price and lack of monthly fees.

First spotted in FCC pics back in August, the Slingbox SOLO has finally hit the review circuit. Lacking the hardware-assisted HD streaming output of the just announced Slingbox PRO HD, the SOLO brings the original Slingbox Pro's HD inputs and VGA-res output to a dongle-less existence. The people at PC Magazine hooked up up the 'box and found plenty to admire in Sling's software and easy setup, pausing only to lament the short included ethernet cable and lack of WiFi. With its $180 MSRP, this Slingbox is a good option when your HDTV is far away, at least until the PRO HD hits the streets.

So we got a chance to check out Sling's new SlingCatcher and SlingModem, and while weren't actually able to flip the switch on the modem and have a pro cable installer got at it, the SlingCatcher was definitely running. Unfortunately for us, the unit was extremely pre-release, meaning the menus felt sluggish, the device crashed a couple of times, and it generally felt like there was a lack of polish. But the folks at Sling aren't really ones to disappoint with what they put out there, and since the Catcher isn't out until Q2 we're going to give it a pass for now.

Remember the SlingCatcher from last year? Through with the delays, it's finally back! But while we've been eagerly awaiting for its launch, Sling Media's obviously been hard at work on all kinds of crazy new products. Ready? Here we go. So the SlingCatcher. First up, we've finally got a price and date: $250, Q2. And yes, as we've long expected, it'll play just about every possible video format they can feasibly support out of box, including XviD, DivX, WMA, H.264, avi, mov, vob, etc. Also, unlike last year's launch, there won't be any external drive attachment -- users are expected to bring their own. Also launched with the Catcher: the SlingLink 802.11b/g adapter for $50, which is great and all, but the Catcher can't stream video files over your network (you're expected to manage your media with new SlingSync software or stream using the Projector software or another Slingbox), so it's not as practical or useful as it could be. Next up, Sling's new software suite: SlingPlayer 2.0 with Clip+Sling and Projector. The new player software has a few new noteworthy bits like an EPG, but the good stuff happens with the other bits: Clip+Sling adds a 60 minute timeshifting buffer á la a DVR recording a live stream, so what you're watching can be paused, rewound / fast-forwarded, and most importantly, grabbed and exported to Sling's to-be-released TV clip sharing service (hence the name Clip+Sling). Users can grab up to five minutes of video, which Sling hosts on co-branded pages that network owners can sell their own ads and merch on -- has TV clip sharing online finally found a way? Another hot new software feature is Projector, which acts like a software-emulated Slingbox, sending the contents of a box, window, or your entire screen to a Slingbox, SlingCatcher and TV, or another SlingPlayer. And, finally, Sling is announcing our old pal the SlingModem, originally outed in the FCC. While there aren't any cable providers yet announced, the SlingModem experience would completely simplify the process of adding a Slingbox to your life by putting it just outside your LAN.

Thank goodness you're here -- you're just in time to witness the Slingcatcher doing it's thing in glorious, low-res video. We promise you this: when all the slinging and catching is over, you won't know what hit you.

Shortly after hearing that SlingPlayer Mobile would finally be headed to the BlackBerry, we're now getting word that Sling Media is updating its SlingPlayer software to version 2.0. Unfortunately, no details have been doled out regarding specific platforms, and there's not even a changelog to speak of just yet, but it looks as the firm wanted to make absolutely sure you realized its Clip+Sling feature would definitely be showcased. Stick around, we'll be sure to keep you up to date with any developments.

We honestly can't wait for Sling's SlingCatcher media streamer to be released, so we'll take any little scrap of info we can -- and these shots of the box are pretty tasty scraps indeed, because it looks like Sling's latest will have some sweet codec support: WMV, MPEG2, MPEG4, H.264 and XviD in a variety of file formats, including .VOB. Sadly, it looks like output maxes out at 1080i, but that's a small tradeoff for what looks to be one of the most flexible streamers on the market. Hit the read link for two more shots, including the codec list.

So now that the EchoStar acquisition is public, Sling Media's CEO, Blake Krikorian sat down with SlingCommunity's Matt Whitlock and talked about how the deal is going to affect the place-shifting upstart. In his usual candid way, Krikorian said Sling is going to stay independent, and while the company is obviously going to try and leverage Dish Network's huge install base and software library, it's not going to rule out deals with other content and delivery providers -- in fact, Sling will continue to work with EchoStar's arch-rival DirecTV on things like NFL Supercast. Sadly, there are no juicy product details, but Krikorian did say that "there's some interesting things we're going to be able to cook up." Overall, Krikorian seems incredibly stoked about the acquisition -- which probably means good things for all you place-shifting hooligans out there.

Blake Krikorian Talks: The EchoStar Purchase and the Future of Sling Media “We’re just really excited on where we get to take the company now,” said Blake Krikorian, Sling Media’s founder and CEO, as we kicked off a phone interview late in the evening to discuss the recent announcement that EchoStar would be purchasing Sling Media to the tune of some $380 million in cash and stock. No doubt Blake has been running in circles since the announcement, but devoted time to talk with me and the SlingCommunity about the buyout, what it means to the company, and what it could mean for devoted Slingbox fans everywhere. I’ve read reports that Blake and Co. is pretty excited and enthusiastic about being swallowed up by EchoStar. As soon as we started talking I could immediately tell these reports were true. Blake wasted no time diving right into the details, and telling me about everything this acquisition means to Sling Media: Blake Krikorian: I think we’re just going to be able to accelerate like crazy. Not that we’ve been moving slow to begin with, but this is going to give us a lot of juice that we were looking for and will let us really start to focus more on what we do. You know the Sling brand is obviously something that’s really important to us and to our customers. All the products we have out there now and all the people who’ve bought a Slingbox… we’ll continue to support them with new software. And, we’re going to be rolling out new Slingboxes, SlingCatchers, Clip+Sling, new SlingPlayers, and hopefully be getting a chance to work with Dish Network, which would be terrific. We’re in a position where Charlie’s [Charlie Ergen - CEO, EchoStar] going to be giving us the full freedom to continue to sell products at retail, work with other operators like with what we’re doing with DirecTV right now and UPC in Holland… it’s really great. You might have seen that other press release that they came out with today talking about a possible spin-out. Obviously I can’t comment too much on that, but the one thing that’s obvious, at least after you learn more about it because it wasn’t obvious to me right away, they’ve got an amazing set of technologies and resources. They’ve pretty much built everything themselves. Dish has deployed more DVRs than anybody in the world, and all that software and everything that’s in those boxes and on the backend, it’s all stuff that they’ve developed. Getting access to all that really gives us the ability to accelerate some of the things that we were already working on. And maybe we can cut a deal or two here with the Dish Network guys, that’s thirteen, thirteen and a half million customers, to try and target… and the ability to combine Sling functionality with all the decryption and DVR... all that is pretty interesting. Matt Whitlock: So you see a Dish Network / Slingbox hybrid device sometime down the road? Blake: Sure... that’s absolutely possible. But it’s equally possible we would launch something like that with a different operator... could be in the US, could be elsewhere. Our whole business mantra has been that convergence should really mean that all my stuff works together, and it shouldn't matter who your operator is or what kind of mobile phone operating system you have. Our job is to make all that stuff just become invisible. We’re all about seamlessly connecting consumers to the content they love, regardless of their operator, the display that they’re on, or the source of that content. Matt: So EchoStar invested in Sling Media a while back. Obviously they must have felt pretty good about that investment to take it to this level. Can you walk us through how all that came to be? Blake: “I know Charlie has gone and visited the SlingCommunity a few times. He’s a Slinger himself. I think now he’s been using a Samsung Blackjack, so he’s out doing his demos, too. (laughs) You know, watching his Dish wherever. They were really able to see us execute, and see how passionate of a customer we have. I mean all the guys on SlingCommunity, and not just you and those moderating, but all of the Slingers out there who participate. It’s just awesome. I read it quite a bit, but don’t post as much as I used to since I’ve had zero time. Hopefully I can step back and find some time to be more active in the community, too. They saw that, and what we have in that community is something special, you know, and we gotta grow it and keep growing it but keep it the way it is where it’s a community of people who are into it and voices are heard. I think you’ll see as some of the new products that are rolling out, hopefully it will become pretty apparent that we’ve been listening a lot. Guys telling us we want this and that, fix this, or this things a piece of crap… we’re trying to tackle them as fast as fast and as hard as we can. And we’ll continue to do that, but at the same time hopefully come in with stuff that just blows you guys away that you’d never thought of before. Then you can say you’d like it to do this and this and this to make it better, and the cycle continues. The importance of that is just huge. Matt: You were saying that Dish Network is going to do a lot of great things for you. So you don’t see a lot of change in the way Sling Media is doing things? Blake: No. Definitely not, no way. We’re just going to accelerate, and be able to be more aggressive. We’ll be able to cut even better, broader, deeper deals with content owners. And so, we’re on our mission; we know what our product pipeline is and we know what our roadmaps are. As we get out into the future, we can certainly look to tweak things here and there, but it’s business as usual. The Dude is still living in his apartment... Blake: Charlie really had a couple options on how to handle it. He could treat Sling as an opportunity to hold it captive and be exclusive, so if you wanted this functionality you can only get it through Dish Network, and on Clip+Sling you could only socialize with your friends that are also part of the Dish Network. Forutnuately, his view is similar to I think all of our views, which is that this is a much broader opportunity. People should have choice. That’s our brand and that’s what we stand for, and Charlie, I think, fully understands that, and is very much on board from that perspective. Oh and by the way, as we’re cutting media deals with working with content partners, it sure is nice to be a part of a company that for the past 27 years has been paying those television providers and content networks hundreds of millions of dollars. So you’re in a much better position from the standpoint of working closely with the content owners and making them feel comfortable. Clearly, Dish is a company that respects the copyright holders and the content holders because they make money together. Being in a position where our parent company spends lots and lots of money and has been working with these guys for a long period of time to mutual benefit; that could only help us. Matt: Tell us about some of your current partnerships, most notably the current announcements with DirecTV. Will Sling Media continue to be open on working with companies like DirecTV on various projects? Absolutely. There’s no doubt you’ll see those things continuing. You know Chase Carry and Eric Shanks over at DirecTV; we’re really greatful to them for giving us an opportunity to work with them on the SuperCast stuff. We really are the ones that effed it up that first weekend… it didn’t go that well and it wasn’t DirecTV’s fault. It was actually our end. Our servers just got overwhelmed due to the popularity. We kind of screwed it up, but they stuck with us. We quickly regrouped and now for the last few weekends, things have been pretty darn smooth. We hope to keep working with them, and hopefully we’ll have some other announcements with other partners in the future. Matt: So there’s been something I’ve been wanting to ask you. Three, three and a half years ago you started Sling Media… Blake: About that. We officially started the company in June of 04, but we were working on it long before that, too. Matt: So basically, you and Jason built this company from nothing, doing things that no one had ever seen before and not sure if there was a market. But, you came in with an idea and with today’s announcement that you’re getting acquired by such a large company and for such a large amount... how do you feel? Blake: You know, I wish I could enjoy it. I feel like… I don’t know. You know, I’ll tell you how I feel. I was just looking at the new packaging for one of our products, and I thought the quality wasn’t as good as the one before and I got all pissed off that we got to fix that. To be honest, that’s exactly what I was feeling right when you asked that question. (laughs) But you know, there’s a couple things going through my head. The last two days have been really good because you start to realize what’s happening. First off, going through this process of selling… trying to raise money is no small feat and is not incredibly fun. Even when we’re in a position where we were where we could, in many ways, pick and choose... it’s still a difficult thing. Going through an acquisition, and there were a few companies we were talking to, but going through the process and the negotiation, the whole thing... it’s so stressful. I can’t even begin to tell you. It’s the most stressful thing I’ve ever gone through. Yesterday when we got to meet with the team and tell people, they were pretty fired up and excited. Immediately they were saying, “Oh I got an idea,” or We could market this!” Even, “Could we get access to their blah blah blah software?” We’ve got this pretty creative group of people here, and before I was even done they were already thinking about some of the things we could be doing to accelerate our efforts. And that’s pretty cool; being able to see the folks that came here and left good paying jobs to come here and not make much at all in the beginning, take a lot of chance to see if this thing was going to fly or if anyone was going to buy one of these things. To be able to put some money in their pocket so their spouses forgive them for all the long hours and everything. (laughs) Matt: So you’re saying that Mrs. Krikorian has forgiven you? Blake: Well… I don’t know about that. (laughs) I don’t know if she will ever forgive me. No, she understands immensely, but knows that I would be miserable if I wasn’t doing this though wishes sometimes I could slow down. Other people made a lot of sacrifices, and for them to get a little liquidity is a nice thing. But I really look at this as just getting us to the starting line. We are now in a position where… I mean we’ve had people in the press just as recently as a couple months ago say, “These guys are a start up company. Who knows if they’re going to be around.” You and I know who they are, and I’m not going to say who they are, but eff those guys, right? I knew we were going to be around, not going anywhere, but now it’s a whole different discussion. I don’t think anyone’s going to be saying that to us anytime soon. It’s not that we’re all of a sudden going to become incredibly arrogant. We’re really modest guys, but I think now we can play offense even more. And that’s what’s fun, it’s why we do this. That to me is what’s really exciting... The other thing that’s just been great are the phone calls and e-mails from people, whether they’re a customer off the street or they’re the head of some big media company. Getting phone calls from them congratulating us is a real good feeling. We really believed you can build a company for the people. I mean we’re just a bunch of consumers just like you are and the community. But to do that in a way where we can compete real fiercely, but not as a bunch of a-holes, you can be successful. I still don’t know when we’re really successful to be honest. There’s always a different bar. I was having a conversation with my wife a few months ago, and I was telling her how I want so much to make this successful, and she’s looking at me saying, “What are you talking about? It’s already successful.” I’m like, “We’re not, you know. We’re not really where we want to be. We’ve got so much more to build and so many more things we want to do.” And she continued to tell me it was already a success, but I couldn’t understand that. Even after this acquisition… that’s another milestone, and obviously a non-trivial one, but we’re still not successful. Until you can no longer improve and no longer innovate, it’s like you haven’t achieved what you can really achieve. So, I don’t know how I’m really feeling… I just got a whole bunch of [stuff] going through my head. I guess relieved is the best thing, because I just want to get back to products. I’ve been less involved over the last couple of months, especially because of all the other stuff you’ve got to do with financing and everything else. To be able to spend some more time rolling up your sleeves and start working with the team and tweaking this and that and coming up with new ideas… that’s the fun stuff. That’s the stuff you guys see and will appreciate. Matt: So you said the team there was all fired up. What was the reaction after you broke the news? What did you do to celebrate? Blake: People here were screaming a little bit; we announced it around 11 AM in San Mateo. At the same time, Bhupen [shah] was in Bangalore telling the BTC (Banglaore Technology Center) guys, Jason Hirschhorn was telling the Sling Entertainment Group, and Stuart [Collingwood] out in the UK was telling that team. So we told everybody, and whipped out some bubbly… and Baja Fresh (laughs). We’ve got a Baha Fresh right down in our building, so people were making burritos and drinking champagne at lunchtime. What was really cool was Charlie and Mark Jackson, who’s the president of EchoStar Technologies, and Dan Minnick, who’s the lead software guy at Echo, all flew out from Denver to meet the team and talk to folks here. That was around five o’clock here or so, and we had some chicken wings and veggies and beer from the Safeway down the street. Then we got them back on an airplane and flew back. It was really nice for them to come out and meet folks here. I mean Charlie… the guy founded the company. He’s a real entrepreneur. He founded that thing 27 years ago. The stories of how they’ve built that company is just crazy. I mean you think we’re crazy… they were shooting rockets in the sky hoping that the things don’t blow up… literally. They threw all their money and bet on a Chinese rocket [referring to the launch of EchoStar I, the first Dish Network Satellite (right)] where the one right before it blew up, and there was a fifty percent chance of theirs blowing up. And if it did, the company was done. Instead it went up and flew like a bird, and the rest is history. Crazy stuff. Matt: So no rockets in Sling’s future? Blake: Well… there’s some pretty interesting things, I’ve got to say. I can’t go into too much detail, but there’s some pretty interesting things that I think we’re going to be able to cook up. Can’t tell you yet. Matt: One of the things everyone is curious about is you and Jason [Krikorian]. Are you guys going to stay on board and continue steering the ship? What are you guys going to do? Blake: We are totally going to be here… we’re not going anywhere. We’re totally fired up and are going to rock. We’ve got so much more to do… until all you guys on the community have zero complaints (laughs) and zero suggestions, we got work to do. And I hope you never get there. So we’re not going anywhere, and I think a very significant number of people, thought it’s always hard to know if you can get all of them, I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone in the company is still here a year from now. We just gotta keep going man, and I’m just going to be able to not worry as much, but I think that’s probably impossible since I’ll always find something to worry about. We were playing at the little five dollar tables. Now we’re just going up playing at a different table. It’s the same game, just bigger stakes so it’s going to be fun. It’s going to be really fun. Matt: I’d really like to thank you for taking a half-hour of your time to speak with me. Blake: Absolutely, I really wish I can do it more often. I really want to thank the community for all their support and their encouragement. Just keep coming with the ideas, and the all the requests, and keep challenging us to improve. Everybody here just appreciates that so much. You know it’s so hard to improve when everyone’s drinking their own kool-aid too much. You want to be grounded, and you guys help us stay really grounded on what’s important. So please, please, please keep that up.

Considering that the cat's out of the bag, we couldn't help but take the opportunity to get a closer look at the newest Slingbox. The unit boasted a small frame and plenty of ports, but it still rocked that tried and true Slingbox look throughout. Go on, check the gallery below to get up close and personal with the SOLO.

Earlier this month, Sling Media's Slingbox SOLO surfaced courtesy of the FCC, and now the firm's first box to be released with built-in component jacks is finally official. Granted, we already know that this FCC-exposed Slingbox is set to include these coveted ports as well, but this bad boy should be the first of the two to hit store shelves. Furthermore, it'll boast passthrough outputs to save you from scrounging around for a splitter, the ability to control a single set-top-box and support for incoming HD signals. Oh, and while the actual purpose of the built-in USB port has yet to be confirmed, we've all got external storage (and WiFi) on the brain. As for pricing and availability, look for this sucka to ship very soon for $179.99 in the US, $199.99 in Canada and £129.99 in the UK.

We let you know about the SlingLink Turbo 1 Port from Sling earlier this month, a device which uses your home power cabling to route a Sling signal around your house, and now the device should be officially shipping. The four port variant is already out at retail, and today you'll be able to spend $99 on the single port variant -- instead of $149 for four -- to get a single device (Sling would probably suggest a SlingBox) in another part of your house all networked up.

Windows Mobile and Palm devices won't be having all the placeshifting fun for much longer. Though carrier Hutchison 3 has had its own version for some time through its X-Series line, a generic, widely available SlingPlayer Mobile for Symbian has eluded the populace for ages; thankfully, it looks like that's all about to change with Sling announcing a private beta for its upcoming S60-based player. At this point, the beta's focus is pretty limited -- you've gotta be in the US and you need to be rocking a Nokia E65, N75, or N95. High speed data is obviously crucial here, and those three models happen to sport the prerequisite S60 plus WiFi -- in the case of the E65 and N95 -- or 3G, if you've gone the N75 route. Any Slingbox model will get the job done, and other than that, you basically just have to be able to keep your mouth shut, fill out some forms, and enjoy plenty of placeshifted teevee. The beta's tentatively scheduled to last about four weeks, so here's hoping we'll see a public release soon thereafter.

If you're anything like us, you're probably wondering where the hell Sling's SlingCatcher home media streamer is. Well, we put it out there and heard back from Sling: apparently that summer launch was a little "aggressive", and the release has been silently moved back to fall. Bummer, because we were really stoked to fool around with this sucker. Ah well, as long as Sling isn't too worried about the Apple TV eating the SlingCatcher's lunch, we'll sit quietly like well behaved gadget nerds.

While some broadcasters are actually utilizing the Slingbox and appreciating its benefits, leave it to Major League Baseball to further alienate its dwindling fanbase. After cable customers were just barely able to get back in on the Extra Innings love, it appears that Sling Media is still being blacklisted in the eyes of MLB, as a recent interview with Michael Mellis, Senior VP and general counsel of MLB Advanced Media's offices reinforced the friction between the two. Most recently, Mellis and friends seem to be mulling a lawsuit against Sling, as he claims that the Slingbox "allows viewers to circumvent geographical boundaries written into broadcast rights deals," and moreover, had no shame in admitting that profiteering was at the forefront of their minds by suggesting that "if the league can't protect the rights it sells, that doesn't bode well for future contracts when it wants to resell the rights at higher margins." Reportedly, the CEA has indeed come to Sling's side by proclaiming that this case is a "classic instance of copyright owners trying to suppress innovation purely because it empowers consumers." Of course, we hope you don't let Mellis' words get you too riled up -- after all, he also stated that "there's no guarantee that Slingbox would be around next year as it's just a startup." Let the snickering commence.

MLB backs off of Sling -- a little Major League Baseball may not be happy about Sling Media enabling fans to stream out of market baseball games over the internet, but it is apparently backing off of plans to sue the company into oblivion, RIAA-style. Bob Bowman, president of Major League Baseball Advanced Media said in an interview that winning could be done with "good technology and good content, not lawyers". Following up on its decision not to freeze cable customers out of its Extra Innings package, baseball's new strategy seems to lean towards not irritating its best customers. While we're intrigued by their ideas, we're not subscribing to the newsletter -- yet.

Although we'd caught glimpses of it in the press photos for the SlingLink Turbo 4 Port, the existence of a 1-port version of Sling's 85Mbps powerline networking adapter was strictly rumor until today, when the eagle-eyed placeshifters over at SlingCommunity noticed that the $99 box was up for sale on Sling's website. You're looking at basically the same HomePlug 1.0-compatible box as the SlingLink Turbo 4 Port, but with only one Ethernet jack -- and no need to blow an extra $50 on three extra jacks at the head-end of a powerline setup. No word on whether these things actually pump bits at 85Mbps, but it's not like we can replace our rat's nest of CAT-5 at this point anyway.

While some news channels are busy busting out HD feeds of the six 'o clock rundown, San Francisco's CBS 5 is cutting costs in a huge way. By placing some 20 low-end cameras in various locales throughout the city, the station is utilizing Slingbox Pros and wireless EV-DO cards to beam live footage back to the station. According to a video interview with the news operations director, the traditional method of wheeling a fully-stocked van to the scene, begging for the FCC's blessing, and clogging up even more California roadways runs them "around $8 per minute." Their Sling-enabled system rings up at a measly $59 per month for each data card, and it also relieves them from having to purchase the $25,000 van-loaded rigs that many channels currently use. Of course, they admit that their money saving tactics aren't likely to remain exclusive for long, but be sure to hit the read link to see the interview and catch a few shots from the Slingbox on duty.

The day has finally come, Apple users -- your Mac SlingPlayer client is officially at v1.0 (and out of beta), and supports all of Apple's Human Interface Guidelines. Did we mention the Apple TV support? Yep, does that too. Get it while the gettin's good -- it's free, but as you well know, the box'll cost ya.

Hey you, rabid Palm OS fan, 700p owner, and Sling advocate -- remember that SlingPlayer Mobile for Palm OS Beta you signed up for last month? Well, it's time to lose a little more sleep over it, but this time you'll be enjoying the niceties of streaming media on your handset instead of sweating the release date. According to SlingCommunity, the beta will be going live today, and will officially support the 3G-enabled Treo 700p, but "early reports" are suggesting that 680 owners may be able to enjoy limited success even without Sling's stamp of approval. Of course, the beta will remain free of charge until a public release is ready to rock, and then you'll have the option of cutting ties or ponying up the $29.99 purchase price to keep on slinging. Additionally, the kind folks over at UneasySilence have done the hard work for you already, so be sure to hit them up for a nicely appointed pictorial walkthrough while your waiting to get your own install on.

Sling Media Introduces Next Generation Slingbox Family in Canada Foster City, CA – March 21, 2007 – Sling Media, Inc., a digital lifestyle consumer electronics company, today announced Canadian availability of its new Emmy award-winning Slingbox™ family of products through key retailers. The Slingbox PRO, Slingbox AV and Slingbox TUNER, first introduced in September 2006, transform PCs, Macs, Windows Mobile and soon Palm OS smartphones into personal portable TVs. Slingbox owners can now watch and control their home analog or digital cable, satellite TV or even fully control a digital video recorder (DVR) from anywhere they can access the Internet. The new Slingbox products are available today from local Canadian retail partners including Best Buy, Future Shop and London Drugs starting at $179.99 CAD. The latest Slingbox family is designed to meet the varied requirements of today’s TV households whether that’s basic analog cable support with the Slingbox TUNER, standard definition digital cable or satellite TV including DVR support through the Slingbox AV or support for analog cable, standard definition and high definition set top boxes and DVRs with the Slingbox PRO. With the three new Slingbox models, Sling Media has created a product that fits the needs of every consumer, no matter how basic or sophisticated their home TV setup. “Just under a year ago the Slingbox arrived in Canada,” said Gregg Wilkes, vice president of sales for Sling Media. “We have been pleased by the reception it has received and are anxious for the Canadian consumer to experience the enhanced video quality and streamlined setup offered by this next generation of product. In addition, we are delighted to be announcing expanded platform support, including the very popular Mac OS, Windows Mobile and shortly the Palm OS, giving customers a wide variety of displays to utilize for watching their home TV.” With today’s announcement Sling Media is also formally making its highly acclaimed SlingPlayer Mobile software available for purchase from the company’s Canadian web site, http://ca.slingmedia.com. SlingPlayer Mobile delivers the same great customer experience that Slingbox customers have come to know and love, now on a wide variety of Windows Mobile smartphones and handheld computers using standard network connections including 3G cellular and WiFi. SlingPlayer Mobile is available as a free 30 day trial or can be purchased for $34.99 CAD. SlingPlayer Mobile is compatible with a wide variety of mobile devices including the Motorola Q and Treo 700 smartphones that utilize Microsoft’s Windows Mobile software and within the next several weeks, the company will also provide support for Treo smartphones running the Palm OS including the Treo 700p. Customers looking for the best possible way to connect their Slingbox to their home Internet connection should their TV and router reside in separate rooms will find the new SlingLink™ Turbo 4-Port the ideal solution. Not only can customers easily connect their Slingbox to their home network, but if there are additional home entertainment devices like a video game console or a networked DVR that also need a network connection the SlingLink Turbo 4-Port can connect up to four separate devices giving customers a seamless networking solution. The SlingLink 4-Port is available for U.S. customers today and will be available from Sling Media’s Canadian web site in April. Pricing & Availability Sling Media has enhanced the performance, increased the feature set and segmented the new Slingbox models for specific customer needs, adding new hardware and software features specific to each market segment. The new crop of Slingbox products is giving customers more power, functionality and choice for their money. The Slingbox TUNER carries an MSRP of $179.99 CAD. The Slingbox AV carries an MSRP of $199.99. The Slingbox PRO retails for $299.99 CAD and the HD Connect cable designed exclusively for the Slingbox PRO and required for connecting the Slingbox PRO to an HD component set-top box, is available for $59.99 CAD. The SlingLink Turbo 4-Port will be available for $179.99 CAD. About Sling Media Sling Media, Inc. is the world's leading digital lifestyle company offering consumer services and products that are a natural extension of today’s digital way of life. Sling Media's product family includes the internationally acclaimed Slingbox™ that allows consumers to watch and control their living room television shows at any time, from any location, using PCs, Macs, PDAs and smartphones. For more information on Sling Media or the Slingbox, visit www.slingmedia.com.

It took them a while, but Sling Media has finally seen fit to officially release its current batch of Slingboxen in Canada, carting its Slingbox Pro, Slingbox AV, and Slingbox Tuner across the border. Canadians hoping for a little something extra given the delay, however, will likely be a bit disappointed, with the only changes coming in the currency. In Canadian dollars, the Slingbox Tuner will set you back $180, while the Slingbox AV carries a slightly higher $200 price tag, and the Slingbox Pro tops things off at $300 -- the HD Connect cable and SlingLink Turbo 4-Port will also both be available in Canada, running $60 and $180, respectively. In addition to the hardware, Sling also took the opportunity for officially announce its SlingPlayer Mobile software for Windows Mobile and Palm OS devices in Canada, with the former version now available for $35 Canadian and the latter still open for beta testers.

When you're slinging media across the home, there's no such thing as "too much bandwidth," and it looks like Sling Media is beefing up its SlingLink line of home wiring network products with the SlingLink Turbo. The new device ups the bandwidth from 14Mbps to 85Mbps, and while the original SlingLinks were primarily designed for a single Slingbox connection, the Turbo vision should be able to handle more general purpose home media networking tasks. The SlingLink Turbo was spotted by a SlingCommunity member on Amazon.com, with an expected ship date of February 27th 2007 for $149. The device is interoperable with existing PowerLine adapters, and has four Ethernet ports beyond the PowerLine link. As far as rumors go, this one looks pretty legit, but with a February 27th date on the books, we should know exactly how legit before too terribly long.

As if we needed any more verification of the existence of such a device, Sling's SlingLink Turbo just go peeped from all sorts of angles for some fancy press shots, and seems to be accompanied by another new SlingLink model that keeps the sexy design but loses the Ethernet hub. What a charming couple.