The Kworld LiveQ TV IPTV is a placeshifting device. This simply means that it allows you to broadcast your home TV (cable, DVR recordings etc.) securely over the internet so you can watch it from anywhere with an internet connection.

The Kworld LiveQ conveniently shapes like a small, compact cube, and allows the user to broadcast live TV, recorded programs and music from their home to watch from the internet.  The LiveQ basically functions similar to the way a SlingBox does.

Controls and Recording Options with the KWorld LiveQ

The system also provides additional AV/S-Video input for connecting other video sources, such as DVD Player, VHS or camcorder. A Scheduled-Recording function allows programs to be recorded and played later. The LiveQ also supports a picture-in-picture (PIP) function.

Technical Details

The setup and installation of the KWorld Live Q with CyberLink Live is very direct. It uses the USB 2.0 interface of the PC. CyberLink provides the software that allows the user access from an external connection, using PowerDirector and CyberLink Live.

Video Review of the Kworld LiveQ

What Others Are Saying about the KWorld Live Q

Techradar offered a mostly satisfactory review, although they did identify some limitations with the signal based on location, as well as some lack in flexibility, as the home machine needs to remain switched on since the LiveQ lacks a wake-upon-demand feature.

User reviews appear mixed on Buy.com. Some praise the convenience of the system when traveling, while some noted issues with setup and configuration.

Kworld LiveQ – Prices, Deals and Discounts

On Amazon:
Available to buy at Amazon

On eBay:

You may also be interested in:

• My-IPTV Anywhere Mobile 2.0 for Watching TV on any Cellphone or PDA Device
• Other Posts Discussing Slingmedia – The Innovators of Placeshifting Devices.
• Other Kworld LiveQ Systems Offered on Ebay

SlingPlayer

For those unaware of Sling Media, the Slingbox, or SlingPlayer Mobile, a quick explanation. The Slingbox is a device which once hooked up to your other equipment and your Broadband router allows you to watch TV anywhere in the world on your computer.

Not only this, but you can also control your TV, cable box, DVR, or whatever from afar. It’s an essential piece of equipment for those people who spend long stretches of time away from home but don’t want to get back to their house with a plethora of television content to catch up on.

Smartphone Mobile App

The Slingbox seems made for interaction with the new breed of smartphones. Combining the two pieces of technology would be a dream for people who want to be able to watch television on the move. Sling Media agrees, and has spent the last few months developing and releasing SlingPlayer Mobile for as many platforms as possible.

The SlingPlayer Mobile App is now available for BlackBerry, Windows Smartphone and Pocket PC, and Palm amongst others, The mobile app means Slingbox owners can now do everything they previously needed a laptop to do using just their compatible smartphone.

Blackberry and iPhone

The Blackberry version has now come out of beta after finally being released in December after a long wait. Sling Media is offering a free 30-day trial of SlingPlayer Mobile for Blackberry which you can get your hands on by visiting http://mobile.slingmedia.com on your Blackberry. The full version costs $29.99, which may seem hefty but is quite a bargain when you consider the amount you get for your money.

Even more exciting is the news that SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone looks like finally being on its way. The app has been rumored and anticipated ever since Apple released the iPhone. It was first seen in public at Macworld 2009, and CNET takes a first look at how it works in the video below.

Finally On Way

Sling Media has now announced that it has submitted SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone to the iTunes App Store. The last stage before it finally appears is for Apple to approve it. This is highly likely but Apple has a history of wanting to over-control its business and could still put a spanner in the works.

Update: Slingplayer iPhone App is Here

Apple did approve the app and it is available to download here.

BlackBerry Smartphone on eBay

Slingbox

Sling Media has long been a player in the world of Internet TV, but until now, that has been only via the Slingbox, a placeshifting device that allows you to stream cable TV to a PC or mobile device.

The Slingbox, originally introduced in 2005, was a simple yet brilliant product allowing you to broadcast your traditional television signal around your house via the Internet. Any Internet-enabled device could receive the signal, allowing you to watch TV on a number of devices.

SlingCatcher

With TVs not generally being Internet-enabled, the big-screen television in your bedroom or whatever wasn’t part of the deal. Until now.

Now, Sling Media has entered the already crowded set-top box market, with its SlingCatcher product competing with Apple TV, the Roku box, and Vudu, amongst others.

Features

The new SlingCatcher fills this void, doing three things:

• Watch video from your Slingbox.
• Watch video from the Internet.
• Watch video from your PC.

The capability to watch video from the Internet is what Apple TV and Roku already enable you to do, but SlingCatcher isn’t limited to content partners. Instead, anything you can watch on your PC can now be watched on your TV. This includes Hulu, YouTube, and Joost.

Conclusions

Apple TV does have one advantage: a hard drive making it possible to store content, which SlingCatcher doesn’t have. Roku may be much more limited, but it’s a lot cheaper (at $100), with the SlingCatcher retailing for $300.

As Web video grows, the range and need for these types of devices will grow with it. SlingCatcher may not be a must buy right now, but it could become as essential as an Apple iPod or PC in the years to come.

SlingCatcher Marketplace – Prices, Deals & Discounts

On eBay

On Amazon
Buy a ‘Sling Media SlingCatcher’ box from Amazon

Dave Zatz is reporting that Echostar Communications Company, the people known for its Dish Network Satellite TV will be shelling out that amount for the company.

Sling Media is the maker of the Slingbox and Slingplayer which allow you to placeshift your TV programming from your home across the internet to allow you to view that content anywhere there is an internet connection.

Any time an innovative company like Sling Media is purchased by a larger media/distribution company there are concerns about the future path of that innovative company and this will be no exception.  

Blake Krikorian Quotes

Still Blake Krikorian, the CEO of Sling Media said this in an interview with the Paid Content weblog:

“We expect very little change to our business except that we have even deeper pockets, and access to other core technologies.”

Here’s what he said regarding why they are selling to Echostar:

“With EchoStar, we’d gotten to know them, to know Charlie. Charlie is one of the real pioneers. He’s a guy who helped build an entire industry, he’s a founder, he’s an entrepreneur. Clearly, there’s a lot I can learn from him.

He understands us … He knows what it’s like to be this passionate about what you do. I’m very confident that the position we’re being put in here, the opportunity being provided us is one that will only accelerate what we’re building.”

Conclusions

This should be interesting to watch.  Its interesting that Echostar is interested in Sling Media and will be even more interesting to see what they plan to do with Sling Media.

Echostar also announced that they were considering a spin-off of their technology and infrastructure assets from the Dish Network U.S. consumer business.  

This would leave the pay-TV Dish Network in the existing company and the remainder of the assets, presumably including Sling Media’s in a separate spin-off.

This article was written by Brent Evans, a tech & gadget enthusiast. It is licensed under the Creative Commons.

The service, which just debuted at IBC 2007 in Amsterdam is another addition to the growing list of IPTV services that allow broadband users to watch television programming through the Internet.

LiveStation has some key differences that make it unlike any of the other internet television services available, which actually make it more like traditional television. 

Delivering Live Radio & TV

LiveStation is all about delivering live radio and television channels to your computer through the internet, hence the chosen name.

Matteo Berlucchi, CEO of Skinkers explains:

“LiveStation is based on real-time peer-to-peer distribution technology exclusively acquired from Microsoft,”

“This allows broadcasters to take advantage of a managed peer network to reach large online audiences with live radio and television and reduce their distribution costs dramatically.” 

Essentially, the LiveStation P2P networks collectively uses the bandwidth of active users, which results in reduced traffic between networks.

Vector Graphics & Text Overlays

Skinkers, the company behind the service, has even announced that the use of Silverlight has allowed LiveStation developers to mix high-quality video with animated vector graphics and text overlays.

Gabriele di Piazza, director of the Media & Entertainment Group at Microsoft said:

“LiveStation is a great example of the power of Silverlight, created using familiar tools and technologies, and enabling even lower delivery costs,” 

“Silverlight enables rich interactive applications such as LiveStation to enhance the end-user experience by seamlessly combining video with interactive graphics.”

Look for LiveStation to initially be available as an invite-only beta trial within the next month with limited programming choices, although as the service matures, it is sure to acquire many more broadcasters. 

The full public launch of LiveStation will take place sometime next year. Don’t expect a Mac-compatible version until later down the road.

Conclusions

If LiveStation is successful, it could show how much of a potential threat Silverlight can be for Adobe’s Flash format. 

Depending on how well it is able to build a variety of programming, I believe that LiveStation could also be a competitor to Sling Media’s hardware-based options, which allow anyone to connect their television to the SlingBox and view any of their programming over the internet, from anywhere.

Sure the SlingBox is the more logical option for someone who has hundreds of channels through digital cable or satellite, but would you lay down $130-$250 for a set-top box (plus $30 for Sling’s mobile access applications and even more for any additional accessories).

Or would you rather get a free service that requires nothing more than a simple software download. Future plans even call for mobile availability of LiveStation from phones and PDAs.

It’s too early to tell if LiveStation will the best of the new TV 2.0 services cropping up, but it is definitely aimed to provide some fierce competition, and for more companies than just Joost.

Michael Garrett is a contributing author discussing the social networking world, his work can be found on Profy.com

EnjoyMyMedia is essentially a combination of Flickr and YouTube, though you share your files directly from your computer. By placing your content in a folder specified on your computer, you can instantly create your own broadcast channel. The free version of EnjoyMyMedia has a limit of 1 GB.

While marketing the sharing aspect of the software, EnojyMyMedia also would suffice as a means of placeshifting your video, audio, and picture files.

One cool feature of EnjoyMyMedia is the ability to sequence how your media is viewed. You can create the order of videos, pictures, or music shown online. Upcoming versions of the software is expected to allow friends to ‘produce’ movies from your content as well.

The SlingBox is a device that can rebroadcast anything on your TV, DVR etc., across your own private internet channel.

This basically means you can take your living room TV on the move whenever you have access to a PC, Mac, or Windows Mobile-based device where you can get a standard internet connection (3G Cellular, WiFi, USB, ethernet).

Microsoft Windows Mobile 6 Compatibility

The SlingPlayer software is the “remote control” program that you use on your PC, Mac or cell phone to connect to your home television. The SlingPlayer Mobile software client is now compatible with Microsoft’s new Windows Mobile 6 operating system

In addition the new software release brings:

• New remote control skin with refreshed look and feel.
• Remote control functions for additional A/V devices incorporated.
• Inclusion of a localized UK client utilizing Queen’s English and appropriate channel logos.
• Automatic installer support broadened to include Windows Vista.

Useful Links

• Download SlingPlayer Software
• Buy a SlingBox from Amazon
• SlingBox Deals on eBay:

  No eBay items currently available.

Press Release

Sling Media Releases SlingPlayer Mobile Software Compatible with Microsoft Windows Mobile 6

New version of SlingPlayer Mobile supports all versions of Windows Mobile 6 allowing customers to watch and control their home TV via a Windows Mobile handheld computer or mobile phone

Foster City, CA — June 21, 2007 — Sling Media, a digital lifestyle products company, today announced that its award-winning SlingPlayer™ Mobile software client is now compatible with Microsoft’s new Windows Mobile 6 operating system. SlingPlayer Mobile gives Slingbox owners the ability to watch and control their home TV from a network-enabled Windows Mobile powered device. With today’s announcement SlingPlayer Mobile is now compatible with devices that run Windows Mobile 6 Standard and Professional editions, Windows Mobile 5.0 and Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition. SlingPlayer Mobile is available for download from Sling Media’s U.S., Canadian, and UK web sites, which can all be accessed from www.slingmedia.com.

“Windows Mobile 6 is powering a whole slew of new, feature-rich multimedia smartphones, and Sling Media is happy to announce SlingPlayer Mobile support for this next generation mobile platform,” We look forward to continuing our support for Windows Mobile-based products, providing customers with the best possible mobile TV experience available.”

SlingPlayer Mobile is available for U.S. customers from Sling Media’s web siteat http://us.slingmedia.com/page/downloads.html. The retail price of the application is $29.99. SlingPlayer Mobile is available for Canadian customers at http://ca.slingmedia.com/page/downloads.html. The retail price is $34.99 CAD. SlingPlayer Mobile is available for UK customers at http://uk.slingmedia.com/page/downloads.html and can be purchased for £19.99 GBP, including VAT. A localized Japanese version will be available in the weeks to come from Sling Media’s web site. All versions of SlingPlayer Mobile include a 30 day free trial.

Customers who have already purchased SlingPlayer Mobile and are upgrading to Windows Mobile 6 need to request a new registration key from Sling Media after upgrading from Windows Mobile 5 to Windows Mobile 6. They can do so by contacting Sling Media customer care at http://support.slingmedia.com or by calling (877) 467-5464.

“Windows Mobile helps people stay connected to the information they care about whether they are traveling or staying close to home,” said John O’Rourke, general manager at Microsoft Corp. “New features in Windows Mobile 6 like support for wide screen viewing will offer SlingPlayer Mobile customers an enhanced mobile TV experience for viewing their favorite TV programs.”

Complete TV Experience
SlingPlayer Mobile gives consumers their entire home TV experience, including local channels, local sports teams, video on demand, pay per view, etc. Any program that you can watch on your sofa back home, you can now watch via a PC, Mac, or Windows Mobile-based device anywhere you can get a standard network connection (3G Cellular, WiFi, USB). In addition, SlingPlayer Mobile users can also control their home digital video recorder (DVR) to watch recorded shows, pause, rewind, and fast forward live TV, or even queue new recordings while on the road.

About Sling Media
Sling Media, Inc. is the world’s leading digital lifestyle company offering consumer services and products that are a natural extension of today’s digital way of life. Sling Media’s product family includes the internationally acclaimed, Emmy award-winning Slingbox™ that allows consumers to watch and control their living room television shows at any time, from any location, using PCs, Macs, PDAs, and smartphones. For more information on Sling Media or the Slingbox, visit www.slingmedia.com.

Media contact:
Brian Jaquet
Sling Media, Inc.
jaquet@slingmedia.com
(650) 293-8022 office
(415) 235-4844 mobile

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

We are always excited about new products from Sling Media, especially ones which help us avoid having to rip holes in our walls. SlingLink also keeps you from having to buy a wireless network adapter for each of your devices. Just plug them all into the SlingLink.

Each new SlingLink is packaged as a pair. Plug in one SlingLink TURBO into the wall near your router, and plug in the other SlingLink TURBO wherever you have your Slingbox installed.

The difference between the two products is the SlingLink TURBO 1 Port connects to one device, like a Slingbox, while the SlingLink TURBO 4 Port connects up to four devices such as a DVR, gaming console or any Ethernet-based consumer electronic product.

These new products are available today from Sling Media’s web site, www.slingmedia.com, for an MSRP of $99.99 and $149.99 respectively.

This week the National Hockey League (NHL) has decided to take the opposite approach and embraced the Slingbox by developing a new service that allows hockey fans to share video clips of hockey game online.

However, there is still a long way to go with TV technology, and internet technology, still somewhat incompatible with each other. There are two major issues: