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Sling Media is offering upgraded versions of three of its mobile software clients: SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Mobile PocketPC (now version 1.6), Windows Mobile Smartphone (also 1.6), and Symbian S60 (1.1). According to Sling's press release, the updated software adds support for additional hardware--including the Nokia N95 8GB, the Treo 500v, and the Samsung i760--and improves the streaming experience on "select handsets," including the the Sprint Mogul. The upgrades are free for registered users of the previous versions. Download prices for new users remain at $30 per handset, and with the free 30-day trial period, you can try before you buy.

Still available (but not updated today) is Sling's Palm OS mobile client. The company is pledging Symbian UIQ (for Sony Ericsson phones, as opposed to the Nokia/S60 version mentioned above), and BlackBerry support by the end of 2008. Of course, in order to stream live TV (or any other home AV source) with the SlingPlayer Mobile software, you'll need a Slingbox up and running in your home.

What do you think: do the new Slingbox Mobile software clients make a good product even better? Or do you prefer rival offerings from the likes of Sony, Hava/Monsoon Multimedia, and--soon--Archos? Or is the whole "TV on your phone" movement overrated?

SlingPlayer Mobile downloads (US): Slingmedia.com

The GPS accessory for the 605 WiFi was just the first of several product upgrades announced by Archos today. Also on deck are streaming Web video and audio and upgraded media support for the 605 WiFi and 705 WiFi; Slingbox-style placeshifting functionality for the Archos TV+ DVR; and a content deal with Paramount Digital Entertainment. Details are as follows:

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This is just getting silly.

The makers of the popular Slingbox have been promising the SlingCatcher for almost a year and half now. And once again, the projected release date will come and go quietly.

Gregg Wilkes, vice president of sales for Sling Media--which is now owned by EchoStar Communications--told a frustrated customer in an e-mail that the goal to release the device during the second quarter of this year will not be met.

Wilkes writes: "Will the catcher ship in Q2? No. We are upgrading the user experience and making enhancements to the feature set. These may or may not all ship at the same time. Will the Catcher ship in '08? All indications point to this happening in 2008."

The SlingCatcher is a set-top box, separate from the Slingbox, that brings video content from a Slingbox to another TV in a house, or from an external hard drive. The SlingCatcher also lets users project Web content to a TV screen, either wired or wirelessly, through an application called SlingProjector.

The device was originally introduced at CES 2007, and shown again at CES 2008, which was when Sling was floating the Q2 time frame.

It's been hinted at for months, but Sling Media has finally officially confirmed that a BlackBerry version of the company's SlingPlayer software is on deck. The software--which allows live TV to be streamed from any Slingbox model--is designed for broadband-enabled (3G wireless or Wi-Fi) BlackBerry smartphones. The software will cost the same one-time $30 fee as the similar versions already available for Windows Mobile, Palm, and Symbian phones. Sling will be demoing an early version of the software on the Pearl 8120 at CES next week, and the company hopes to have it ready for public release by the end of 2008.

Sling Media has unveiled the Slingbox PRO-HD, the first version of its video place-shifting boxes designed to stream true high-definition video. The catch? Due to the massive bandwidth requirements, HD video can't be streamed over the Internet--just to other locations on a home network. Still, that means that PCs running the SlingPlayer software--or TVs attached to Sling's soon-to-be-reannounced SlingCatcher--should be able to view a high-def stream at up to 1080i resolution with 5.1 surround audio. (To date, some Slingbox models have been able to accept HD video, but the output stream was limited to DVD-level standard-definition resolution.)

Watch the Slingbox PRO-HD video on CNET TV.

The Slingbox PRO-HD will be loaded with a full range of inputs and passthrough outputs. Although it will lack HDMI (thanks to copy-protection restrictions), the PRO-HD will include NTSC, ATSC, and clear QAM tuners. The newest Slingbox is scheduled to be available in the third quarter of 2008 for $400.

One of the largest satellite TV providers is slicing itself into smaller pieces.

Formerly called EchoStar, it will be split into two businesses: the satellite broadcast service will be called Dish Network, and its fixed satellite services and set-top box business will be called EchoStar Holding Co., according to SEC filings dug up by GigaOm.

Current chairman and CEO Charlie Ergen will retain both titles as head of both companies.

EchoStar Holding Co. (EHC) will include Sling Media, which was bought by EchoStar in October for $380 million. The Slingbox is now one of several set-top boxes that EHC could possibly sell to other cable operators or other satellite companies.

There had been rumors earlier this year of AT&T being interested in buying EchoStar, and Dish Network as its own business could be easily snapped up by the cable operator.

Add the new Palm Centro to the list of smartphones that can stream live TV from the Slingbox family of placeshifting devices. Sling today confirmed what was widely assumed: the Palm OS version of the SlingPlayer Mobile software is fully compatible with Sprint's new bargain smartphone. (The current version of the software may warn Centro users that they're about to install it on a noncompatible device, but that minor glitch should be corrected in the next build, says Sling spokesman Dave Zatz.)

Confirmation of Centro compatibility is hardly a big surprise, given that the SlingPlayer runs on Palm's previous two 3G smartphones, the Treo 700p and 755p. (Some users have reported success--albeit decidedly jerky video--on the non-3G Treo 650 and 680 models.) But the bigger news is that the price of entry for streaming live TV to your phone is getting lower than ever: the Slingbox AV is widely available for $130 (often discounted to $100), and the Centro retails for just $100 with contract. Toss in the $30 for the Palm SlingPlayer software, and you've got complete access to your TV programming wherever you are for under $260. To me, that's a far better deal in the long run than paying the $10-25 monthly fees for Sprint's Sprint TV service--which, unlike Sling, offers fewer channels and no access to your home DVR.

The SlingPlayer for Symbian S60 phones is out of beta and now available for sale. The software allows a selection of Nokia phones (the E65, N75, and N95 in the U.S., and the E65, N73, and 6120 elsewhere) to stream TV from the full range of Slingbox models. Previously, the Symbian software was only available pre-installed on models sold by British wireless provider 3. Furthermore, the new standalone software delivers full-screen playback and Wi-Fi streaming not available on that previous edition.

The Symbian software will be available on Sling Media's Web site soon. It will cost $30 in the U.S., C$35 in Canada, and £20 in the U.K.--although the fee is waved for those who purchase the Nokia N95 in the U.S. As with other mobile versions, a free 30-day trial version will be available, so you can try before you buy. The Symbian SlingPlayer joins versions already available for Windows Mobile and Palm OS products, as well as Windows and Mac computers.

The announcement of the Symbian player software caps a busy week for Sling. In recent days, the company unveiled a buyout by Dish Network parent EchoStar, as well as the announcement of a new hardware product, the Slingbox Solo.

After hitting a veritable grand slam with its sale for $380 million Monday, Sling Media is back at the plate already, hoping to connect for another hit with its next Slingbox.

Still buzzing from the news of its acquisition by EchoStar, the Foster City, Calif., company is expected to release a new model of its place-shifting gadget on Thursday. This version will be called the Slingbox Solo, and its features and price fall right between the high-end Slingbox Pro and low-end Slingbox A/V, both released exactly one year ago. (Sling also confirmed that it will not be refreshing the Slingbox Tuner, the previous lowest-end model, which connects only to a TV, not a set top.) Like its siblings, the Solo allows TV subscriptions to be transmitted wirelessly to remote devices like mobile phones and notebook PCs via its SlingPlayer software.

The Solo is a slightly tweaked version of the original Slingbox, but with a new combination of features. First, what will stand out to anyone familiar with the traditionally red Slingbox is that the Solo comes in shiny black. It keeps its recognizable trapezoid form, but will likely blend a little better with the average home theater enthusiast's setup.

It's also going to be HD-compatible. It has composite and S-video inputs and outputs for standard-definition connections to set-top boxes, as well as a component video input and output for users with high-definition boxes. There is only one audio input, however.

Sling says it aims to position the Solo as its mainstream product. Place-shifting is still a concept that the less-than-technical consumer may not understand, but now that the company is part of a high-profile satellite and DVR company, it's likely to get a lot more visibility coming into the holiday season. As broadband adoption and the availability of HD channels and services grow, and more consumers become accustomed to watching video on mobile devices and computer screens, the concept will likely begin to make more sense to a wider group of retail shoppers.

Sling is also taking a more global focus: The new Solo will be available tomorrow for $179.99 in the U.S., but also Canada, United Kingdom and The Netherlands simultaneously. It usually delays its international releases until well after a product's American debut.

While the actual product isn't groundbreaking compared with the company's previous releases, it is the first Slingbox in a year. Now that the company is part of EchoStar, it's likely that the infusion of capital and access to more technology--which Sling CEO Blake Krikorian is now gleefully eyeing--will ratchet up the speed with which it can release both updated hardware and new software and services.

For example, the Clip + Sling software is still supposed to be released by year's end, Sling says, but it won't be more specific. First announced at CES in January, Clip + Sling shows how Sling sees itself as a media company, not just a hardware hawker. The device will enable users to take clips of live TV and send to anyone, not just fellow Slingbox owners. The likely hang-up with the software's rollout is content partnerships--as of January only CBS had signed on to allow some of its shows to be used.

Again, latching onto a company like EchoStar, which has long-established relationships with content owners, could make those partnerships that Sling is looking for fall into place that much faster.

An in-depth hands-on evaluation of the Slingbox Solo--including a video of the product in action--is available at CNET Reviews.