Looks like it's not as wide as the original.

My thought is that maybe they will keep the original version and this model might be a cheaper alternative for people that only need 1 (or 2 shared) input.  A version with coax only might be nice too...

The native composite jacks is nice, fewer failure points and if you need long cables you don't have to use couplers..

Pretty sad that the guy that broke the story doesn't know anything about the SlingBox...

Slinging Tivo HD, Tivo S2, and OTA from a Pro HD, Tivo HD from a Pro, Tivo HD from a Solo, and Humax DRT800 from a Classic to iPhone, Dell Inspiron 1520 with Sprint EVDO, and a SlingCatcher over Mi-Connection cable with 2Mbps upload.

Finally some speculation to get our teeth into...

 Perhaps it needs the extra room for cooling the hard drive in it? Seems to be plenty of holes for ventilation.. reckon its got "Tivo Basic" software in as well.. :-)

Please don't PM me technical questions.

So is this the hardware slingbox client or what?

I'm seriously considering replacing one of the my slingbox with the new version of LocationFree TV.  Sony now offers a hardware client, and that's what the non-techies in my family need.  They don't want to watch TV through a PC and building and maintaining a HTPC just for slingbox is too much for them.  I'd just love to send them a client and have them hook it up to their TV and be done with.

Anyone from SlingMedia care to comment on this?  if this is a hardware client I would pay $200 for it right now.

One that can forward real IR control signals (ie. from the OEM remote)

If it was a client it would say "OUT", not "IN" on the AV connectors.

I disagree, I think it's going to be a less expensive alternative.  Call it an "entry level" model..  I also don't like the idea of built in wifi.  You pay for something that many don't want or need and when standards change you've still got the old one...

Slinging Tivo HD, Tivo S2, and OTA from a Pro HD, Tivo HD from a Pro, Tivo HD from a Solo, and Humax DRT800 from a Classic to iPhone, Dell Inspiron 1520 with Sprint EVDO, and a SlingCatcher over Mi-Connection cable with 2Mbps upload.

You are seeing photos of the new "Slingbox A/V." It was created because the original slingbox does not have inputs for normal A/V cables. The question is if the current slingbox models will still be available. This is because the current version has an "Analog Only" tuner built in, hence the coax. Its rumored that the FCC will soon require that televisions be equipped with Analog/Digital tuners which are slightly more expensive. Perhaps Slingmedia is just going to eliminate the tuner in order to keep the price down. Of course, since I don't work for Slingmedia, I am not sure if they are actually going to pull the current Slingbox from the market. After all, I think the Analog/Digital tuner requirements only effect television sets. The Slingbox is not a television set. I liked the coax connecter for two reasons. One is so that the slingbox could be hooked to an OTA antenna for reception of OTA broadcasts instead of cable. However, I also liked the convience of being able to tune analog cable channels without the need of having to worry about using the remote control feature for a set-top box.

TBeckner said: SlingMedia will have to stop selling the current analog tuner Slingbox or change the tuner so it is cable only, just like the TiVo DT box (the FCC requires this by March 2007).

Why is this happening?

Please don't PM me technical questions.

The FCC mandate only effects over the air signals, not cable. Nothing prevents cable from continuing to send analog.

One of my main uses of slingbox is feeding it analog UHF signals from my security cameras.  That will never change to digital, so having an analog tuner will continue to be important with regard to my specific use.

Carl

Based on my quick review of the FCC docs, here is the current lay of the [Sling]land...

There are three new systems that underwent FCC Type B approval back in August:

Model: SB220-100 - Called the "SlingBox Tuner" - It seems to just have Coax Inputs and Outputs (although the test configuration indicates that a remote PC was used to display what was being seen on the DVD, it would be great if it "could" also provide "RF out" when working as a client!)

Model SB200-100 - Called the "SlingBox Pro" - It seems to have HDMI, Tuner (Coax) and 3 Composite/S-Video inputs/outputs (this is the answer to the situation "I have digital or HD and want to use my SlingBox"!)   This is a huge box that looks like it is twice as long as the current SlingBox! Likewise, I would be great if this box also has "client" capability!

Model SB240-100 - Called the "SlingBox A/V" - It seems to have just the composite/s-video inputs.  As indicated else where this is a cost reduced tuner-less box.  This is the one seen in the articles.   By the way, when I first saw pictures of this "shorter fatter box" I initially thought that it must have a disk drive installed - PVR like!!!!  The "A/V" portion in the name could signify something like this...

Also from the various letters, is seems that Sling Media will be announcing these boxes on or around September 28 (this is when the confidentiality embargo expires).

What I have not seen and would have liked to have seen is a hardware based SlingPlayer that could talk to any one of these SlingBoxens and display its content on a TV (analog and/or digital)!

Also, another thing that is not explicitly shown in any of the docs are the PAL and DVB-T (European) versions of the SlingBox.  I have wondered what those versions look like since they were never FCC type approved (just Europen EMC, I guess).

Based on my research of the original SB100-100, the NTSC tuner module it uses also has a "foot print" compatible one for the DVB-T/PAL standards, perhaps the "compatible" part allowed them to avoid getting FCC type approval for it...

Anybody have any additional information they would like to share?