Europe to get Internet TV

The European company Sling Media has launched today their Slingbox Internet TV device. Slingbox TV plugs into your cable or satellite TV set-top box and then transmits video over the Internet. This product is being dubbed "placeshifting", as opposed to the "time-shifting" features in devices like Sky+ and Tivo.

Slingbox is officially launching in Britain this week and will be available to a broader European audience later this year.

Slingbox has had some testing in the U.S. which includes many different features such as broadcasting to an enabled cellular phone, although this feature will not be available in the initial European launch. A spokeswoman for Sling Media had no further comments other than, "Conversations are clearly beginning," with European mobile phone companies.

The unit, which sells for �180 is causing a stir with broadcasters in that it may interfere with their plans to offer downloadable content over the Internet on a fee based system.

Source:
Reuters UK

Written by: Dave Horvath @ 30 May 2006 7:47

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7 comments

gogochar

I wonder how long it'll be until Internet TV is standard?

30.5.2006 08:45 #1

Cinnjerm

You know, this is wierd becuase i remeber predicting about 5 or 6 years ago that internet television would eventually become the norm. It wasnt much of an inference concidering that cable and the internet already come through the same wire. Im only surprised this hadnt happened sooner. I always thought itd be cool, youd go to cnn's website and a window for the site would load with todays stories and a second window with the live broadcast would pop up as well. Youd be able to watch any headline on demand naturally and wouldnt have to watch for an entire hour just to hear one story. As far as technology is concerned, the future is brgiht.

30.5.2006 11:40 #2

jemaric

greed is going to kill this

30.5.2006 12:29 #3

jAmEsTn

Quote:I wonder how long it'll be until Internet TV is standard? This is not Internet TV or anything close to it. This is a device that connects to your cable, records your shows, and plays them where you wanna' watch them using the internet to send it. Your typical client/server setup. I've been doing this with my ATI Tv Tuner Card and and ftp server for about a couple years now.
Quote: You know, this is wierd becuase i remeber predicting about 5 or 6 years ago that internet television would eventually become the norm. You are by all means %100 correct here, although this device will not be part of it. This is merely a way of sending recorded streams, or perhaps a live stream of video from your cable, over the net, to your computer or television. Movie companies will not allow this product to suceed! We need to keep movie companies away from any type of digital distribution models using the internet. Let them rot on their overcharged cable tv and satellite systems!!!
Quote:greed is going to kill this Could not agree with anyone more; The greed embedded within these music and movie monopolies kill not only innovative ideas people have come up with, but also innovative ideas they come up with also! (iTunes, crap)

30.5.2006 13:20 #4

GrayArea

jAmEsTn

As far as I can tell the Slingbox does not record content. No storage. It can only transmit video from point A to point B via the internet in realtime.

31.5.2006 10:56 #5

lottt11

Just wait till does greedy SOB MPAA get win of this, they band this too, I guess this is there right to tell what we can watch too, Hooo Hooo they do that now, right or is that my imagination, I guess soon they will tell me when i can fart or drop a load, I guess I better patten that before they charge me for my own defecation.

3.6.2006 07:51 #6

jokerw7

Hi guys....
Came across this tonight and was wondering if i were to set it up here in the uk, would i be able to receive the channels on my laptop in the canary islands???

10.12.2007 20:04 #7

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