Slingbox Pro-HD: The Slingbox goes high-def

(Credit: Sling Media)

When Sling Media released a trio of second-generation models in the fall of 2006, the Slingbox Pro was at the top of the line. Unlike the entry-level Slingbox AV, the Pro had pass-through outputs, an analog tuner, multisource capability, and the ability to accept high-def video sources. Unfortunately, it also came with a handful of caveats: While it could accept HD video, it downcoverted that to 640x480 for streaming--and you needed to invest in a $50 dongle if you wanted to use a component video (HD) source. It was also an ugly maroon color, ensuring that it contrasted with everything else in your home-theater equipment rack. The third-generation Slingbox Solo appeared the following year, co-opted nearly all of the Pro's key features, making the need for an upgrade to the Pro even more apparent.

The Slingbox Pro-HD streams HD programming to your computer--if you've got the bandwidth.

(Credit: CNET)

Almost two years to the day since the Pro was released, its replacement is here: the Slingbox Pro-HD. The new model fixes nearly all the annoyances of the older version, and brings it up-to-date for the upcoming DTV transition. But how does this $300 Slingbox compare to the stepdown Slingbox Solo, which is available for almost half as much?

Read the full hands-on review of the Slingbox Pro-HD.