Although, Dustin has become Joost fan, I just haven't been able to get excited about it. You see, about 6 months ago I purchased a Slingbox and my TV watching universe has been altered forever.

In case you don't know, a Slingbox TV is streaming device that enables consumers to remotely view their cable, satellite, or personal video recorder (PVR) programming from an Internet-enabled computer or phone with a broadband connectivity. It requires a minimum of 512 Kbps upload download speed to be watchable at YouTube quality. If you are blessed to have a very high speed internet connection, the quality approaches that of cable TV.

With Joost, because they are attempting to start a new content distribution model, the amount of interesting content available is limited to content providers who are willing to let Joost redistribute their content. Joost has landed Warner Brothers, CBS & Viacom as content partners, but I don't know what the Joost business model is, so this might just be an experiment on their part instead of wholesale content distribution model change.

However, until I can watch a Seahawks game on Monday Night Football on Joost, I'm not taking it seriously. Of course, with Slingbox you're limited to what your cable or satellite company broadcasts, so if you want to see International programming (say Mexican soccer) and you don't have a Slingbox in Mexico, Joost might be the best opportunity you have to break down international programming barriers. Regardless, the Slingbox is actually useful, and Joost is merely interesting at this point.

One of the many great things about Slingbox is that it enhances your investment in your home media programming and hardware instead of attempting to replace it. For example, I have a TiVo at home, so while I'm on the road, I can watch & control live & pre-recording programming from the airport lounge or hotel room, instead of being force to watch something I don't care about. I also subscribe to DirectTV's NFL Sunday Ticket. So, when I'm at home I have the ability to watch any game being broadcast in the country. Since I've already paid for the privilege of watching NFL games (via my satellite bill), I can watch the game at home or away on any internet connected device that runs the SlingPlayer software.

The SlingPlayer software is currently available for Windows (Vista, XP, 2000), Mac OS X (10.3 & above), Windows Mobile (PocketPC & SmartPhone), and Palm OS. The SlingBox hardware comes with IR blasters, which are placed in front of your cable receiver, DVD player, etc and they allow you to control your device over the internet via an on screen remote control (that is often times a pixel perfect replica of the actual device's remote). This is great touch because you can leverage your remote control visual / muscle memory instead of looking for the play / pause button on your on screen remote. The software also includes the ability to set up channel favorites along the bottom of the video window, so you can channel surf with authority.

Of course not everybody agrees that Slingbox is a good thing. Unfortunately, many content owners appear to want me to pay twice for content (once to DirecTV and again to them for the privilege of watching it over the internet). For example, Major League Baseball has had numerous issues problems with Slingmedia. I think MLB is deploying FUD tactics, and being greedy because it wants me pay twice so I can watch my home team when I'm not watching them from home. Instead, the Slingbox lets fans leverage their existing investment in their cable or satellite TV provider at no additional cost.

MLB has also argued that because the MLB sells transmission rights to specific geographical locations, a cable subscriber in Seattle who watches a Mariners baseball game from his or her laptop during a visit to San Francisco is stealing from the San Francisco cable operator who paid to transmit MLB games in that city. I think that MLB has it backwards; the Slingbox is good for cable operators because it instills loyalty. A fan's home programmer or operator can advertise to subscribers regardless of their geographical location. Besides, the San Francisco cable operator wouldn't be transmitting the Mariners game anyway (they're all Giants & Athletics fans down there) so how can they lose revenue for a game they aren't broadcasting anyway?

To quote Sling Media CEO Blake Krikorian

"All the other leagues understand what business they're in," said Krikorian. "All the other leagues understand that their paying fan is their key asset and crown jewel. (The Slingbox) further tightens the relationship between the league and that consumer, and that is a good thing."

Fortunately, the other sports leagues seem to approve of the device. The commissioner of the National Basketball Association, David Stern, invited Sling to present the product a year ago at its NBA Tech Summit, indicating his approval of the device. Going one step further, the National Hockey League, has announced a new agreement allowing Slingbox owners to use Sling Media's upcoming Clip+Sling technology to share NHL programming online.

The NFL has pretty strict internet video policies, but to date it seems to be silent on their opinion of the Slingbox. Perhaps, this is due to the fact they broke DMCA laws earlier this year, when attempted to remove a video clip of a the standard NFL broadcast disclaimer from YouTube, which was posted by Brooklyn Law School professor and staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Wendy Seltzer trying to make a point?

Regardless of what content owners, sports leagues and media companies argue, one thing is certain; the Slingbox is not like YouTube or Napster. The Slingbox only unicasts content, not broadcasts it. The Slingbox only allows one person to watch content remotely at time. Not only that, the Slingbox encrypts the video content it streams, so even if someone could tap into your SlingStream they couldn't watch it! Although, the Slingbox hasn't been tested by a legal challenge yet, the smart money is on Slingbox winning due to the precedent set in the Sony vs Universal Studios case (aka the Betamax case).

Anyway, if you're away from home much (or even if you aren't), I can't recommend this product highly enough. And you just might want to get one anyway, in case some judge makes it illegal in a fit of stupidity. Otherwise, you'll be forced to pony up for DIRECTV® SAT-GO which isn't nearly as cheap or flexible as a Slingbox is.