Apple and Sony aren’t the only ones with media extenders launching in the $200 – $300 range later this year. My employer (Sling Media) will release the SlingCatcher in the second half of 2007. Our initial features will be the ability receive a Slingbox video feed on a television (without any sort of computer in the mix) and the ability to push any sort of multimedia from PC to TV.
While there’s nothing new to (publicly) report at this time, I’ve had numerous interesting discussions with folks at work, with press, with analysts, and with my peers in the blogosphere. For Dave-the-consumer, being able to control and watch my primary DVR from another set (within or outside of my apartment) is quite compelling, whereas watching YouTube or home video (I don’t have kids) on the TV doesn’t really interest me. However amongst those I’ve chatted with, people are pretty much evenly split on which feature is more appealing/important. Guess it’s a good thing we’ll be offering both. :)
Gotta say Dave, I originally thought the SlingCatcher was for capturing internet video for my tv (ho hum with all the DMCA takedowns YouTube is receiving).
Now that I know it can serve my at-home Slingbox to tv’s on the road – that makes me interested in buying one.
A possible marketing opportunity would be packaging a ‘Catcher along with a ‘Box Pro perhaps with a small discount.
I just want to make sure the tizzy I’ve been in since this thing was announced is warranted:
I have a collection of videos on my computer. Some are in XviD, some DivX, some iTunes protected. Will the Sling Catcher software be able to send these to the SlingCatcher?
Derek, the goal is to send anything and everything. As we get closer to release, I’ll have more to say publicly on the functionality and specifications.
You say it’s only $200 – $300, but technology this dangerous will end up costing much more. It just too cool to be able to watch YouTube on a big screen to resist the temptation of buying a laptop. By the time all is said and done I’d end up a Mac fanboy with $5,000 worth of computer equipment I never needed to begin with.
I will have a SlingCatcher in my home on DAY ONE!! Maybe I will have a second one on Day two?
as much as I dont mind hooking my laptop to my parents or sisters tv the fact that I can just give them both a slingcatcher and be done with it is a guarentee that you can sign me up for two and maybe a third so my wife can watch her bedroom tivo shows in the living room. in fact I would say the announcement of the slingcatcher was what finally pushed me to get a slingbox because I knew the laptop requirement would only be temporary. for me the fact I can sling to the tv is awesome, the ability to send divx files from my laptop is a bonus.
I was thinking along the lines as Big John. I don’t have a SlingBox yet, but I would be likely to buy one along with a SlingCatcher if there were a decent package deal.
I agree a sling box/catcher combo would be a good idea. if the deal is good then I can get a second sling box for the living room and the catcher to sling the bedroom tivo to the living room and still get the two catchers for my parents and sisters houses. I assume the catcher will be able to catch from more than once slingbox once they are setup. this way I can choose which of my slingboxes to watch. the catcher will probably allow people to cut down on the number of cable/satellite boxes they need if they can centrally locate them and use catchers on the extra tv’s. so see how many people are ready to buy so hurry up slingmedia and give us the catcher (any chance it will work with the tivo peanut)
Well, if the Series 3 doesn’t support MRV soon by the time this comes out, then I’ll have to get a couple of these, one to watch the PC video in the LR, and one to watch the Series 3 in the BR…
I do wish there were a way to basically layer this functionality on top of an existing video interface, instead of having to use a separate video input to the TV. i.e. make it appear like MRV on my existing Tivo. Plug the Tivo’s composite/S-Video/L-R audio outputs into a box. Normally have the box just display what is coming into it via Tivo, but allow other IR commands from its own remote to override that, i.e. to display the SlingCatcher’s own stuff.
Probably too complex/rare an application I guess.
You do understand you’re (Sling) going to get sued at some point soon right?
sued for what, the slingbox merely allows users access to content they already pay for just in a location away from the home. now the services that offer US satellite service to expatriots that is probably a more likely target of a lawsuit since they are facilitating rebroadcasting of signal. in the old days, VCRs allowed both time and placeshifting, tivos and sling boxes are just the 21st century version.
Just got slingbox AV yesterday. 20 minutes to hook up. Now SlingCatcher!? I have to have one of these for the poolhouse and the garage! SlingMedia rocks!