Slingbox PRO-HD
Sling Media invented a product category with the original Slingbox a nifty device that place-shifts any cable box, DVR, or other television-based media source to any PC in the house, or even anywhere in the world (either to a remote PC, or to a compatible smartphone using the $29.95 SlingPlayer Mobile)—all without monthly fees. The company’s latest model, the PRO-HD, is an update of its multiple-input Slingbox PRO from 2006. The PRO-HD, along with the company’s SlingPlayer 2.0 software, is notable for some impressive new features, such as the ability to stream high-definition video over the Internet, a Program Guide that probably beats the one built into your cable or satellite box, and a TiVo-like ability to pause and time-shift live television within a 60-minute buffer.