Among Sling Media and Netgear’s various CES announcements is news that Slingbox streaming is coming to the NeoTV line of streamers. Of course, we’d probably expect a repurposing of the original Flash-based Logitech Revue SlingPlayer for the new (and slightly bulkier) NeoTV Prime running Google TV. But the more Roku-esque models, including the NeoTV MAX we reviewed, will also receive dedicated apps – perhaps as soon as next week. So, for the first time, you can get your hands on a “SlingCatcher” for as little as 50 bucks and stream your Slingbox content to another television in your home… or perhaps to a set in the ski lodge, given sufficient bandwidth. Of course the follow-on question is, “Where’s the Roku client?” And while Sling reps weren’t prepared to elaborate, I get the sense there are both technical and business considerations at play.
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How does Neo stack up to Roku in your opinion? Pretty similar?
There's a few skus of both. The mid and higher-end Netgear boxes come with nice QWERTY remotes... if you can stand the sponsored app buttons. The selection of content isn't as broad. But on the other hand, several hundred of Roku's channel are crap or religious - including the recently launched Jesus for Sinners. Also, the mid and higher-end boxes integrate Intel's wireless display (WiDi), should you happen to have a compatible laptop and that could be quite compelling for some. And of course this new SlingPlayer changes the equation for many. There is no one perfect or best box. Depends on one's goals.
The NeoTV SlingPlayer(s) can handle up to 1080p and streams from SOLO, PRO-HD, 300, and 500 Slingbox models.
I'm confused Dave - if I can already watch Netflix, Hulu, etc. on my laptop and tablet via the native apps, why do I need this box? For when I'm out of the country or for devices that don't have apps?