NEW YORK (Reuters) - EchoStar Communications Corp (DISH.O: Quote, Profile,Research) said on Monday that it will buy Sling Media Inc, a privately held company known for its Slingbox device that relays home television programs to laptops and cell phones.EchoStar, parent of the Dish Network Satellite Television service, said the deal values Sling Media at approximately $380 million, payable in cash and EchoStar options.The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2007,
EchoStar said.The Slingbox connects cable and satellite TV set-top boxes to the Internet. As a result, cell phones and other Web-connected devices can show what's on a customer's living room TV.
The Slingbox is one of those things that when you first hear about them, you think "Yeah, whatever." But once you have one, you can't imagine how you ever lived without one.
Well, maybe not me, since television really isn't my thing. But I know quite a few people with Slingboxes who think that it's the greatest thing since sliced bread, so it looks like money well spent on Echostar's part.
The only real downside is that Slingbox is targeted at a demographic that still favors television as a primary entertainment medium, and by all accounts, that group seems to be shrinking.
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1 comment:
where do you get the impressions that the demographic that still favours TV is shrinking? I would argue that point. Although it is true that things like the Internet, and video on the 'net, is becoming more popular, I still think TV is pretty far up on the entertainment scale. Some people, in fact, view their TV shows from the TV network's Websites! (in the U.S., of course)
As for the Slingbox, I wouldn't call it the greatest thing since sliced bread, but it can come in handy in specific situations. For example, i'm off on vacation for two weeks as of tomorrow. Last night, I sat down to set all my PVR recordings for the next two weeks: it is, after all, season premiere time! I was upset to find out that my PVR will only access a guide one week in advance, which means i can record next week's shows up to Tuesday; but nothing afterwards. The first thing I asked my partner was to make sure he connects the Slingbox so I can tap in from Florida and set them come Sunday!
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