Sling Media’s Slingbox is one of those products that you might not grasp the necessity of until you use it–like a tablet PC, TiVo or condoms. For the uninitiated, the short of it is the Slingbox lets you watch and control your home TV on a laptop, desktop or select mobile devices. The first version had some very minor drawbacks but all-in-all it was a great product.
Tomorrow Sling Media will launch three new models, including a Pro version with an optional HD input adapter that the original lacked. Other features include widescreen (16:9) support, high-quality programmable video compression and full control of up to four A/V sources. The Pro model will run you about $250 with the HD adapter going for $50.
Out of your price range? Sling Media adds two, lower-end models to the lineup: Slingbox AV and Slingbox Tuner. The AV gives you control over your digital cable, satellite or DVR set-top box. The Tuner is for people with standard basic analog cable that don’t require access to a set-top box, DVR or other AV devices. Both are two-thirds the size of the original and will sell for $180.