Sling Media (which was purchased by EchoStar (Dish) last year) has announced not 1, but 4 new products [press release].
First is the Sling Touch Control 100 which is a touch-screen remote control with a 4.3″ touchscreen and a rechargeable battery that gets changed in an accompanying cradle. The Sling Touch can control most IR-based devices, as well as communicate with other devices via IP over a 802.11 WiFi home network.
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Excellent – this is what we want to see – more convergence of media devices. Following the purchase of Sling Media by EchoStar, the 2 have worked together to come up with a Dish Networks receiver that essentially embeds a Slingbox. They’re calling it a SlingLoaded player, but the bottom line is that you now get place-shifting built into your DVR and Satellite TV receiver. Nice.
The 922 is a sleek looking box with a 1 TB drive for up to 1000 hours of storage (in SD), can support 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480i, and 480p formats, and has a new touchpad remote control that has half as many buttons as a standard remote control, and that can function as a universal remote. Of course, it includes all of the SlingBox features and be controlled via the Web using SlingGuide.
More TV and DVR ideas here. Both DirecTV and Dish Network have deals this holiday season. Take a look-see, as they both have some nice receivers with DVRs built in, HD as an option, and are offering some great deals for signing up and getting new service.
