SlingCatcher Brings Web to TV

Sling Media, Inc. announced a new product called SlingCatcher, designed to deliver rich video experiences to a television located in the home as well as in remote locations. Sling Media also announced the first key applications that will be a built-in part of the SlingCatcher platform at launch: SlingProjector and SlingPlayer for TV.

The SlingProjector application - bundled with every SlingCatcher - takes a radically new approach to bringing web and PC-based content to the television by enabling the consumer to wirelessly project any web site or digital audio/video format onto their TV.

The core use cases for the SlingProjector feature revolve around consumers wirelessly projecting web or PC-based content from their laptop to the TV. Net-based, long form content such as movies and shows mesh wonderfully with the "lean back" nature of the home TV experience. Additionally, short form content such as funny videos, music services and home movies/pictures (think YouTube) lend themselves very nicely to social gatherings around the big-screen TV.

While the current Slingbox enables consumers to placeshift their favorite TV programming to a PC, Mac or mobile phone, one of the most requested features from the Sling Community has been to provide the ability to sling that same programming to another TV located in the home or to a TV in a remote location.

The SlingPlayer for TV application built into the SlingCatcher delivers an easy, familiar way for customers to move TV content around the home or access content from the home remotely via a TV, without the need for a PC or Mac in the process.

The SlingCatcher also has the ability to download or stream content directly from the Internet and display it on a TV without the need for a PC to serve that content. Sling is currently discussing partnership opportunities with both large and small content owners to create and deliver their offerings directly to the TV via the SlingCatcher. The add-on storage capability (via hard disk drive attachment) could be utilized for direct delivery of such content.

The SlingCatcher includes both standard definition and high definition AV outputs to connect to a TV including HDMI, Component, S-Video and Composite video, as well as analog and digital audio. In regards to network connectivity, the SlingCatcher features both integrated wireless and a standard Ethernet jack to connect to the home. SlingCatcher will be available for purchase by the middle of 2007 and the company is targeting a price point under $200.

For more information please visit www.slingmedia.com.