We've seen what DISH Network has been doing with its acquisition of Slingbox. The satellite provider just announced the Hopper with Sling DVR, which has the placeshifting technology built right into the box. That said, the company still has a lot of love for its stand-alone customers.
Sling Media just announced a few enhancements for those using the recently released Slingbox 500 and Slingbox 350.
First up is My Media with SlingSync. Designed specifically for Slingbox 500 users, this is sort of an extension to the current SlingProjector features. Users can just hook a USB hard drive up to the 500 and sync photos and videos for viewing right on the TV, via the box's remote. According to Sling, the SlingSync feature acts as a personal cloud -- sort of. The company's announcement says that Slingbox 500 customers can "archive and store their captured moments onto a secure, compact USB drive while creating more space on their smartphone to collect new ones."
The My Media features will be available on boxes in the coming weeks, via firmware and software updates.
To start, Slingbox 500 users will also get the exclusive on Slingbox Companion. This is a second-screen social TV app for the iPad. Slingbox 350 support is expected to follow at some point later this year. Compatible with the iPad 2 and up, Slingbox Companion helps users find new shows based on their interests. Of course, you can also get to that content by using the tablet as a remote.
"These new features bring instant, additional value to Slingbox 500 and Slingbox 350 customers at no extra cost and position Slingbox firmly as a device of choice in the living room," said Raghu Tarra, Sling Media's senior VP and general manager. "The My Media feature delivers on the platform promise of the Slingbox 500. Slingbox Companion further leverages the Slingbox to deliver a powerful second screen application for the iPad that combines content discovery and navigation with rich media and social media features."
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