Slingbox Pro-HD: A Sharp Way to Stream Video

It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that analog TV is about to be turned off for good. Beginning Feb. 17, we will all be enjoying higher resolution TV pictures on our new TV gear.

We know that the government is currently subsidizing HD converter boxes for people who prefer to watch their TV with old-fashioned TV receivers. But, what about those people who rely on new-fangled, modern-day devices that many savvy viewers use to watch local TV when they're not at home?

Slingbox Goes HD

In particular, I'm talking about Slingbox -- a clever device that connects your video source (cable/satellite, VCR, DVD, etc) and your home computer network. With Slingbox, viewer can watch videos on any computer device -- desktop, laptop, PDA or even your cell phone -- with a high-speed Internet connection. That means you can watch streaming video in your home, or across the street, or across the country, or in some other country.

Slingbox, which started life as a standard-definition device, is now also available in a high-definition device: the Pro-HD.

The Pro-HD can do two key things: stream true high-definition video and, thanks to a built-in ATSC/QAM tuner, stream over-the-air HD programming. If you haven't seen it, over-the-air HD is uncompressed and very high quality. It can look better than cable or satellite HD feeds.

To get the most out of the Pro-HD, you need a high-speed broadband Internet connection capable of 1.5Mbps or better upstream bandwidth. Ask your provider. Anything less, and the Pro-HD will reward you with standard-definition video.