Sling should look at producing its own IPTV set top boxes (or hybrid ones for satellite, cable). Viasat in Scandinavia has recognised the appeal of 'placeshifting', which is why it's marketing Slingbox as 'Viasat Everywhere', but if it could have a set top box with Sling built in, then that would be an advantage. Satellite set top boxes with Sling built in could be retailed, unlike existing IPTV set top boxes

Placeshifting devices and IPTV set top boxes should be two sides of the same coin - instead, they're like square pegs and round holes. The manufacturers of IPTV set top boxes I've spoken to have never heard of placeshifting, and start going on about rights issues. However, as with the existing Slingbox and similar devices, only the subscriber would be able to access the stream, and as with existing IPTV set top boxes, it would be proprietary (you wouldn't be able to use it with a broadband connection anywhere) so rights holders would be reassured.

It's frustrating that IPTV providers haven't woken up to the potential of this, given that they're already using broadband internet to deliver their services. They should offer it as a standard feature, or at least combined with a PVR, giving them a lead over satellite, cable and terrestrial rivals. (Let's face it, IPTV lags way behind them, so it needs all the unique selling points it can get.) 

As for a set top box to receive the placeshifted signal, it's all very well for Sling to gloat at Sony's delay of the LocationFree TV Box, but at least it exists, unlike the SlingCatcher. SageTV and Hauppauge have set top boxes that allow you to watch videos from your home computer on a TV, but not for watching the stream from their placeshifting software remotely. Why bother? - waste of time and money.