As far as boasts go, Sling Media's is a whopper. The US company claims that its Slingbox will 'transform the way you watch television'. Instead of 'timeshifting', Sling Media's technology is pushing a different idea: 'placeshifting'.
While timeshifting enables you to watch 'what you want, when you want', placeshifting is all about watching 'what you want, when you want and where you want'.
Admittedly, it's been done before. Orb Networks already runs an excellent media streaming service via www.orb.com , while Sony has similar LocationFree technology that'll ultimately link its PCs, PSPs and PlayStation 3s together.
That said, Sling Media's approach is far more flexible. By plugging a Slingbox into any compatible video source, such as a Sky digibox or a common UHF TV aerial, you can stream (or 'sling') audio/video across the Internet.
Box of tricks
The Slingbox itself looks like it's been snapped off a giant chocolate bar, its silver wrapping left intact. It acts like a middleman, linking your preferred video source (via S-Video, composite/SCART or UHF coaxial cable) to a broadband router (via Ethernet cable).
Your choice of video source is varied. In the UK, the Slingplayer software (which needs to be installed on a networked PC) supports PAL broadcast sources including Freeview, NTL/Telewest cable and Sky Digital. You can also hook it up a DVD recorder or video camera to play back and stream content.
So far, so simple. However, some elements of the Slingbox setup are bound to be complicated. After all, this lightweight device has been built to encode video on the fly (into the Windows Media format) and then to stream it over your broadband connection.
Once the Slingbox has been configured to work over a home LAN, the Slingplayer software attempts to use UPnP protocols to configure port forwarding for your router so that the video stream can be accessed over the Internet.
Should this automatic configuration fail, port forwarding needs to be configured manually. Full marks to Sling Media, though, because the Slingplayer software features step-by-step instructions for a wide range of routers.
The software then runs a final check to ensure that remote access is working, before generating a unique Finder ID. When you install the Slingplayer software on a remote machine, this 32-digit alphanumeric ID is used to locate and communicate with your Slingbox over the Internet.
TV anywhere
The Slingbox enables you to watch television over the Internet and control your television. Plug one into a Sky box, for example, connect the supplied IR emitters, and you can switch channels from an Oxford Street Starbucks using an onscreen remote. Typing 106, for example, changes the channel to Sky One, while drop-down menus handle those functions that aren't immediately accessible.
It's here that the full enormity of the Slingbox's talents hits you squarely in the face. Admittedly, the video quality depends on your connection speed and drops considerably when viewed over the Internet. However, think of it this way: your TV is now accessible from anywhere on the planet.
