CES 2007: Sling Media announces new SlingCatcher

9 January 2007 11:33 GMT / By Amber Maitland

Sling Media is a one trick pony no more. They have launched the SlingCatcher that acts as a “reverse Slingbox” to deliver video to TVs located around the home as well as in remote locations.

The new device runs with two new applications: SlingProjector and SlingPlayer for TV. SlingProjector lets you wirelessly stream any website or music and video on to your TV from your PC. Anything that can be viewed on the PC can thus be viewed on a TV.

SlingPlayer, meanwhile, gives you the freedom to “sling” whatever you're watching on one TV to other TVs in the home, or even in a remote location. This means you can watch programs recorded on the living room DVR, for example, in the bedroom.

In addition, SlingCatcher can download or stream content from the Internet to the TV without the need for a PC; in the future, Sling Media plans to implement the add-on storage capability of the device to facilitate the direct delivery of that content.

It also features an HDMI port, as well as Component, S-Video, and Composite video. SlingCatcher will be on sale by the middle of this year for under $200.

Also announced at CES was an updated version of SlingPlayer software optimised by Windows Vista Premium. This will be available in the Spring, but until then, users are urged to download the latest version of the software, which was released in September.

The company has also announced SlingPlayer Mobile for Palm OS, so that Palm owners are not left out of the TV-on-your-mobile loop. Available for the 3G-enabled Palm Treo 700p smartphone, Sling Player for Palm is available for beta download.

Thanks to a deal with HP, Sling Media is now featured on the company's consumer laptop range via QuickPlay.