Sling intros SOLO tuner, app for N95 US
updated 08:35 am EDT, Thu September 27, 2007
Slingbox SOLO
Sling Media kicked off the DigitalLife Expo in New York with the Slingbox SOLO, a new take on the company's TV streaming hub that drops the price for users who only have a handful of devices but still want features similar to the high-end PRO. The SOLO is one of the first mainstream Slingbox models to offer HD video input, replacing the HDMI of the PRO with component video: the feature lets users stream and control unprotected HD content online, including the Apple TV media hub and upscaling DVD players. Video is broadcast uncompressed at up to VGA (640x480) resolution on the local network and in compressed form across the Internet to computers or cellphones through Sling's longstanding SlingPlayer software.
As suggested by its name, the SOLO accepts only one input at a time but is also the first Slingbox to mirror all its connections with outputs, letting users loop component, RCA, or S-video signals back to a TV or a receiver to watch at home without changing the physical layout. The new device supports streaming from Macs and Windows PCs and should be available shortly for $180.
Sling today also revealed SlingPlayer for S60, a new adaptation of the company's mobile software for phones running the Symbian Series 60 OS. The port lets the N95 US and other Nokia Nseries or Eseries phone with 3G Internet access stream and navigate TV over the cellular network. The software is normally $30 and works in Canada, the UK, or the US, but will be available for free with the Americanized N95.
