Sling Media may seem to be spending more time on their web-based version of the SlingPlayer software, but it looks like they've also been giving the desktop player a little love as well. New builds are available for both SlingPlayer for PC and SlingPlayer for Mac, taking each iteration up a minor tick.

Based on what we've gathered, Sling's not adding the world here. SlingPlayer for PC 2.0.4 and SlingPlayer for Mac 1.0.10 appear mostly to be a maintenance upgrade intended to squash a few bugs in the player and firmware, update the remote control base for Macs, and fix some connectivity problems. The PC player, however, has gotten a few extra goodies that are worth mentioning.

For starters, users of specific netbooks (namely certain hardware revs of Dell's Mini 10 for now, like the Dell Mini 1010) may be able to take advantage of a new hardware acceleration feature in the menu. If the option's grayed out, your netbook isn't currently supported, but those who can use it should enjoy improved performance when running SlingPlayer. From the looks of things, this is only the beginning, and may be extended to more netbooks and computers over time.

Next is something everyone with a current model Slingbox can enjoy, which has to deal with "improved remote connectivity in certain cases." Essentially, using the new firmware for the Slingbox PRO, PRO-HD and SOLO along with the new player, users behind a restrictive firewall trying to establish a remote connection should have greater success.

The latter is something we'll have to take Sling's word on for now, but if you've typically had a hard time connecting to your box behind firewalls, hit us up in the comments section and let us know if it's working any better for you.

For you technical folks, here's the skinny of all the software and firmware versions hitting today:

• SP PC - 2.0.4 (.521)
• SP Mac - 1.0.10 (.271)
• SOLO FW - 1.3.0.70
• PRO FW - 1.3.0.80
• PRO-HD FW - 1.3.0.170

Hit the upgrade button when prompted by the player, or download the latest build directly from Slingbox.com.

According to a report at THR.com, Sling Media's VP EMEA, Stuart Collingwood, had serveral interesting facts to share.

For starters, Sling Media's speard across the European continent continues. Right now, users 15 different countries accross Europe have access to the Slingbox and serveral forms of SlingPlayer, including the iPhone SlingPlayer that went global a few weeks ago.

Sling's aspriations don't stop there, however. They're currently planning on spreading into Eastern Europe and the Middle East sometime in the next year, though as of now there's no indication on exactly when in the next year that may happen. 

Also interesting is some use statistics Collingwood shared. According to him, even though the Slingbox enables remote TV viewing, some 70% of consumers claim they primarily use the Slingbox within the confines of their own home. That, he says, is a number that's increased 40% from the year prior.

What we don't know is if that statistic is specific to the European audience or is a general reflection from users in all nations, but either way, it's hardly a shocking statistic. If anything, it shows that people are finding more and new uses for Slingbox than just for travel (most are usually at home a lot more than they're out anyway), and with devices like SlingCatcher in the mix, the usefulness of Slingbox around the home continues to increase. 

What about you? Where do you use Slingbox the most?

Read the full story on THR.com

If you're in the US, things are looking a bit different over at Sling Media's website this week.  Not only has the domain name changed from slingmedia.com to Slingbox.com, but they've given the site a  look-and-feel refresh and added several new convenient customer features. 

Click for Full Screen

First, gone is the dark and mysterious "black on dark-gray on black" motif in favor of a lighter, cheerier "red and gray" look similar to the style of their website a few years back (which coincidentally was the inspiration for SlingCommunity's current look). The new look extends from the homepage to the product and support pages, which are now easier to navigate and more informative than ever.

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On the new features front, Sling's taken the wraps off their online setup utility and placed a gigantic button to it off the homepage. This feature has actually been around a while in beta form, but wasn't prominently displayed. In effect, this utility allows customers (new and existing) to fully set up a Slingbox without having to download and install the SlingPlayer software. Our impression of this utilities final form is positive, though we're reserving judgement until we giving a thorough run through. 

Finally, Sling's added the Watch Live feature from Sling.com, so you can watch your Slingbox from any compatible computer. For new customers, finding that feature here instead of Sling.com would make much more sense.

Interestingly, with the addition of the online setup utility and the Watch Live feature, one can actually setup and use a Slingbox without having to install SlingPlayer on their computer... ever. We're trying not to look into it too deeply, but it's hard not to wonder if this online strategy marks the beginning of the end for SlingPlayer for Macs or PCs. Surely they're not going away until the web player meets or exceeds the features and performance of the existing standalone players, but it's possible someday our full Slingbox experience will be driven through a web browser instead of a desktop app. 

Or not. Who knows?

The new Slingbox.com website is currently for the US (the UK sites and Canada remain unchanged thus far), but it's probably just a matter of time. 

Check out the new Slingbox.com website, and post your comments below.

(We had a few troubles switching back to the US from the other sites in the country selector. If you're currently looking at the Sling site for an alternate country, you may need to drop your existing cookies to see the new Slingbox.com site. )