Sling Media Gives Consumers Their TV
“Anywhere-Anytime” with the Slingbox
Breakthrough Consumer Electronics Appliance
“Placeshifts” Your Living Room TV via Internet-Connected PCs or
Laptops Anywhere in the World
San Mateo , CA – June 30, 2005 – Sling Media, Inc.,
a digital lifestyle consumer electronics products company, today
announced the nationwide availability of the much-anticipated
Slingbox™. Transforming Windows XP based PCs and laptops into
personal on-the-go digital TVs, the Slingbox allows individuals
anywhere-anytime access to their own living room television
experience with no additional monthly service fees.
Enabling consumers to watch their cable, satellite,
or personal video recorder (PVR) programming from wherever they are,
the Slingbox turns any Internet-connected laptop or desktop PC into
a personal TV. The Slingbox redirects, or “placeshifts”, a single
live TV stream from a cable box, satellite receiver, or PVR to the
viewer's PC located anywhere in the home. If the Slingbox is coupled
with a broadband Internet connection, the viewer’s live TV stream
can be “placeshifted” via the Internet to a PC located anywhere in
the world.
“The Slingbox clearly defines a new era for
television viewing,” said Blake Krikorian, Sling Media co-founder
and CEO. “Our goal is to enhance the TV-viewing experience by
allowing people easy access to their living room television content,
no matter their location: around the house or around the world.”
Krikorian’s view is shared by others in the consumer electronics
market as well. “The advent of technologies like the Slingbox that
enable consumers to view TV programs where and when they want, will
change the landscape of television viewing and the consumer
electronics marketplace,” said Consumer Electronics Association
President and CEO Gary Shapiro.
Start Slinging Your TV and Cable
to where ever you are at!
Sling Media Slingbox Tuner Internet TV
Broadcaster
The Slingbox Tuner Internet TV Broadcaster from
Sling Media allows
you to watch live television streamed from your home analog cable
connection via the Internet on a laptop or cellular telephone.
Connecting to your television and broadband Internet connection,
the Slingbox Tuner streams live television over the web and
allows
you to view it anywhere with Internet access.
How the Slingbox Works
The Slingbox fits neatly into a consumer’s existing
TV and network infrastructure. All that is required is a video
source providing TV-based entertainment – either cable, satellite
TV, or a PVR – and a home router. A broadband network connection is
required only if you want to use the Slingbox to view your video
source from outside your home.
In just four simple steps, the Slingbox is ready for
use.
1. Connect the TV source to the Slingbox.
2. Connect the Slingbox to your home network router.
3. Plug in the Slingbox power adapter.
4. Install Sling Media’s software application, the SlingPlayer™.
The Slingbox is now ready to view and control your
TV programming via your Internet connected Windows XP PC or laptop
as if you were sitting in your living room, watching your TV source,
and using its own remote control.
Under the Hood
The Slingbox is powered by a high-performance digital signal
processor from Texas Instruments and leverages Microsoft's latest
Windows Media technologies for live TV streaming. The Sling Media
software used to view the streaming video from a Slingbox and to
remotely control a user’s cable TV, satellite box, or PVR is called
SlingPlayer. SlingPlayer uses proprietary technology designed by
Sling Media to significantly enhance the consumer viewing
experience.
The SlingPlayer proprietary software encompasses
several innovative technologies and features including:
- SlingStream™ - a proprietary streaming technology
specifically designed to address varying network conditions
while optimizing your video playback experience. SlingStream
provides the best possible video experience by continuously
monitoring the connection speed and dynamically adjusting the
video compression ratios to match your available network
bandwidth.
- SlingRemote™ - a virtual remote control, which displays on your
PC screen the buttons found on the remote control of the TV source
connected to your Slingbox. If a PVR is connected, you can play your
recorded programs and control the action. Recordings can even be
scheduled within the SlingPlayer software. Use the SlingRemote to
control whatever TV source is connected to the Slingbox.
- SlingBar™ - a convenient way to watch TV while
using your computer for other functions. You can watch TV while
surfing the Web, writing an email, or working on a spreadsheet.
Using the SlingPlayer application, the video window and the
SlingRemote can be “docked” to one side of the PC screen, in what’s
called the SlingBar mode. Your PC desktop will dynamically resize to
fit the remaining screen space.
In the coming months, SlingPlayer software will be available for
select PDAs, smart phones, and Macintosh computers and will be fully
compatible with the Slingbox. Please visit
www.slingmedia.com for the
latest information on additional Slingbox and SlingPlayer platform
compatibility.
The Slingbox comes to market as the recipient of numerous
prestigious industry awards. These awards span innovation,
engineering, and design, including G4TechTV’s “Best of CES: whole
house entertainment”, LAPTOP Magazine “Best of CES 2005”, CES 2005
Innovations Design and Engineering Finalist, and RetailVision 2004
and 2005 “Best New Technology” and “Best Product”. Additionally,
Sling Media was chosen by FORTUNE Magazine as one of the 25 Breakout
Companies of 2005.
About Sling Media
Sling Media, Inc. is a digital lifestyle products company creating a
family of consumer electronics products that are a natural extension
of today’s digital way of life. The first member of the Sling Media
family is the award-winning Slingbox™, a device that allows
consumers to access their living room television experience at any
time, from any location. For more information on Sling Media or the
Slingbox, visit
www.slingmedia.com.
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