Sling Media has just unleashed their new products for 2014, those being the Slingbox M1 and the SlingTV. These two new devices will be replacing the quite popular Slingbox 350 and Slingbox 500 models. Not only are their two new models, but they are making them much more affordable, the new Slingbox M1 comes in at just $149.99! The M1 and the Sling TV all feature the same great technology of being able to watch your live and recorded TV, from anywhere with no restrictions. Along with the new hardware, Sling Media has also updated the user interface of their platform.
Let’s start off with the new and quite affordable Slingbox M1 and it is also the smallest device they have ever built. It will allow the user to have remote access to live television and recorder content stored on the DVR. For the first time, the base model Slingbox will feature WiFi for network connectivity. While you now have the dual-band 2.4/5Ghz WiFi connectivity, an ethernet port is still included if you prefer a hardwired connection. As usual for Slingbox, no HDMI ports, but instead you get a component and composite input/output. And there are no new ways to stream, you get the Slingplayer application for mobile, like you always did, but know there is a desktop application. No longer do you have to use a browser to access your Slingplayer, but now a native application is available. You can even setup your device from the desktop application and Sling Media is saying it should take only around 10 minutes to do so. And of course there is no monthly fees for using your Slingbox or Sling TV. The Slingbox M1 will retail for $149.99 and will be landing on July 20th 2014.
Next up we have the new Slingbox 500, the SlingTV, which believe it or not looks exactly the same. The TV uses the same hardware as the Slingbox 500, but it does bring some new features. The TV also provides access to pay TV channel, but this is not the big feature. Instead, it moves the interface and takes it too another level. Like the Xbox One, the aim here is that the SlingTV can be your new TV interface. It can make you TV a Smarter TV, so rather than you buying a whole new TV, you can get the TV. Of course this software update will be coming to the Slingbox 500 as well, sometime in August. You will be able to use the new program gallery and see your choices of content in a new way. You will get recommendations from SlingCloud, their proprietary analytics mechanism. Overall, the SlingTV seems like more of a software update then a new hardware update, it will cost $299.99 and is coming in late August. While the Slingbox 500 customers will be getting the SlingTV software update in August as well for free. Stay tuned for our full reviews of the Slingbox M1 and the SlingTV.
Press Release
SLING MEDIA LAUNCHES POWERFUL “TV ANYWHERE” SOLUTIONS THAT DELIVER AN INDUSTRY LEADING MOBILE DEVICE AND SMART LIVING ROOM TV EXPERIENCE
New Slingbox M1 and SlingTV Will Delight Mobile and Home Entertainment Users with
New Features Including Discovery and Navigation Enhancements, Cloud-Based Social Media Personalization, and Ease of Setup and Use
FOSTER CITY, CALIF.—July 16, 2014—Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), today announced the Slingbox® M1 and SlingTV™, replacing the popular and award-winning Slingbox 350 and 500 models. Both of these retail products are the only solutions capable of delivering a customer’s pay TV channels and programs (live or recorded) from the living room to the most popular mobile devices in up to HD quality with no restrictions. In addition SlingTV delivers the power of a Slingbox combined with new “Smarter TV” features designed to enhance the TV viewing experience in the living room.
Slingbox M1
With a suggested retail price (MSRP) of $149.99, the new Slingbox M1 is the most affordable Slingbox that Sling Media has ever produced. Designed for the mainstream user who wants to have remote access to all of their home TV channels and shows as well as access to DVR content on personal computers, tablets and phones, the Slingbox M1 is offered in a compact, unassuming form factor that fits easily into an entertainment system. In addition, the Slingbox M1 integrates WiFi for simple network connectivity and utilizes the new Slingplayer for Desktop app for PCs and Macs. The new Slingplayer for Desktop app dramatically improves setup and configuration, allowing users to be up and running in less than 10 minutes. Furthermore, Sling customers will now be able to configure their new Slingbox M1 with a mobile device via the Slingplayer app for iPhone and iPad as well as Android-based phones.
Slingbox M1 features include:
- Dual-band 2.4/5Ghz WiFi connectivity and Ethernet port
- Absolutely no monthly fees for the Slingbox M1 or SlingTV
- Watch and control live TV on a tablet, phone, PC or Mac
- Easy and quick setup and playback via PC/Mac desktop apps, as well as iPhone, iPad and Android phone apps
- Watch on a second TV anywhere via Apple TV® and Roku®
- Play and schedule DVR recordings
- Component and composite input/output
SlingTV
Powered by Slingbox 500 hardware, the new SlingTV gives customers a world class, exhilarating Slingbox experience in their living rooms that utilizes new tools to easily discover and navigate to TV shows, movies and sports in an elegant, seamless manner. SlingTV is a powerful Slingbox that gives customers access to their pay TV channels (live or recorded) on a laptop or desktop personal computer, tablet or phone at home or anywhere in the world a network connection is available. In addition, SlingTV is designed to make the living room TV experience more enjoyable and powerful by turning the television to which SlingTV is connected into a “Smarter TV” without having to purchase a new TV or pay for a set-top box upgrade. SlingTV has a suggested retail price (MSRP) of $299.99.
SlingTV features a vibrant electronic programming guide (EPG) that utilizes cover-art tiles similar to Slingplayer for iPad’s Media Gallery. Customers can now discover more of their existing pay TV programming in an easy-to-navigate interface with SlingTV’s state-of-the-art programming gallery. This new interface provides recommendations powered by SlingCloudTM, the company’s cloud-based analytics platform that analyzes popularity, reviews and social activity.
SlingTV features include:
- New on-screen TV main menu powered by the included SlingTV remote
- Soft remote built into Slingplayer for iPhone or Android phone apps
- Gallery View
- A visual interface to easily find and select a show to watch
- Filter by popular, favorite channels, sports, movies, kids programming, etc. currently airing, upcoming and in primetime
- Rotten Tomatoes® ratings for all movies in Movies filter
- Big screen TV scoreboard and channel guide. See all the scores and stats without changing the channel
- Find out who’s playing, the score and the channel it’s airing on in a visual, easily navigated interface
- Details View
- Get detailed game stats in real-time for fantasy fanatics
- Integrated Thuuz™ excitement ratings tell you when to tune into a game based on the score, the match-up, dynamic game momentum changes, etc.
- Movie and TV episode details
“Once again, Sling Media is totally redefining the ‘TV Anywhere’ experience with the introduction of the Slingbox M1 and SlingTV,” says Michael Hawkey, senior vice president and general manager of Sling Media. “Customers interested in a no-compromise entertainment experience using the most popular devices will be delighted by the affordability and new features of the Slingbox M1. SlingTV completely enhances the living room TV experience with a visually stunning on TV user interface that takes ultimate advantage of social media data activity.”
Slingbox M1 will be available in retail stores, through Sling.com and online partners on July 20th. SlingTV will be available in late August. Existing Slingbox 500 customers will automatically receive the SlingTV software upgrade for FREE at that time as well. Sling Media’s retail partners include Best Buy, TigerDirect and Amazon.com.
Gallery
