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GOT SLINGBOX?: DISH USERS DO by Marauder

GOT SLINGBOX?: DISH USERS DO

Announced this week, DISH is the first cable/satellite provider to offer subscribers the holy grail of placeshifting: Slingbox.  For those of you unaware of the benefits of Slingbox, this little gem gives you the power of watching your television on a laptop or mobile screen.  Watch video, change channels, or program your TiVo anywhere you have an internet connection.  Slingbox originally was a nifty little commodity but a nice-to-have at the end of the day.  I’ve had a Slingbox for 2 years and can count on one hand the number of times I’ve used it, which predominantly included airport moments when I had some time to kill or wanted to show a stranger something nifty.  At the end of the day, it’s an extra box and an additional charge.

This week, with the announcement of the iPhone and BlackBerry app and this latest inclusion of Slingbox technology in the newest HD DVR box from DISH, placeshifting has taken one momentous step forward.  As of Q3 2008, DISH was rockin’ 13.78 subscribers down from previous quarters but still strong.  Now, I know all subscribers wouldn’t have this new HD DVR upon release in the spring, but this is to say that Slingbox will undoubtedly have access to a new audience.  The other missing link is pricing, which wasn’t included in this announcement.

In addition to the hardware, DISH and Slingbox are announcing the Sling Guide.  Click on the image above for a demo video of how the guide would work.  In essence, SlingGuide enables users to program their DVR from anywhere accessible via internet.  In addition, the guide allows for easier searching of content.  Want to see how many times Jon Stewart brings the awesome town on The Daily Show?  Sling Guide.  Want to see how many times MTV will re-run The City this week?  Sling Guide.  The Sling Guide is available on this new box (ViP 922) as well as these additional boxes at launch:

• ViP 722K
• ViP 722
• ViP 622

They just need to be hooked up to a broadband connection to work.  I think the announcement of the Sling Guide along with the Slingloaded HD DVR box is a little confusing only because the Sling Guide without the Slingloaded box won’t allow video playback.  Confused yet?  Yah, I thought so.

Here’s all you need to know.

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