Orb, looks for new orbit
I just got a Slingbox, it's fucking awesome to the nth power. I haven't tried it outside of my house, but to be able to watch tv on my pc or laptop (over a wireless connection while sitting outside in the garden) without having a tv tuner is pretty damn cool. I'm just figuring it all out (they could do a better job with the documentation) but expect that this device will become an essential part of the home network.
On another note, the Sling guys did something very very smart in pricing this thing at $250, which is pretty much an impulse buy level for a good part of the market. No monthly subscription either... I hate monthly charges.
Link: Om Malik’s Broadband Blog � Orb, looks for new orbit.
Orb Networks, one of the early pioneers is seeking a new orbit. Orb was one of the original three place shifting companies I wrote about in my Business 2.0 story. Sling Media and Avvenu are two other start-ups in this space. After having crafted a “swiss army knife” of place shifting services - watch TV anywhere via a browser, or listen to Skype voice mails away from your desk - the company is now trying to focus its offerings more sharply - starting with remote Skype VMail and another service that lets you watch your TiVo content anywhere.
I saw an article about this somewhere this weekend. The reviewer had issues with using this over the Internet (as opposed to the LAN). Its not a new concept though, I have been using a software solution for years. I have MSFT's media encoder sitting on my folks PC in Holland (with a tv tuner card) to stream the broadcast to my PC here in California. Works pretty well, I even used it once in a hotel when I didn't want to miss an F1 race :)
Posted by: Rolf | Sep 06, 2005 at 01:44 PM
Do you have to poke a hole in your firewall to access your TV away from home? If so, then it means you also need a static IP address (assuming you want remote access).
Posted by: John | Sep 06, 2005 at 02:55 PM
Yes, you would need to open a port. You don't need a static IP. Dynamic DNS can map your dynamic IP so can always find your PC.
Posted by: Rolf | Sep 06, 2005 at 04:45 PM