Sling Media vs Sony

One of the widely talked about companies at this year’s CES was Sling Media(http://www.slingmedia.com/), provider of a STB which allows streaming of your TV, DVR etc content to your PC. They closed a $46.6M round comprising of Goldman, Sachs & Co., Liberty Media Corporation and EchoStar Communications led the financing round. Allen & Co. LLC, DCM – Doll Capital Management, Mobius Venture Capital, The Hearst Corporation and other undisclosed investors.

They are up against Sony. Sony announced Location Free TV at CES2004, originally a dedicated wireless LCD screen which you can carry around the home. However, sales were poor.

But recently Sony announced a new version of Location Free TV, which is a slim Wi-Fi box but also a media server, which can be accessed from the internet.

(http://www.sony.jp/products/Consumer/locationfree/LF-PK1/pointl.html in Japanese but with pictures)

This service allows users using PCs and (perhaps crucially) PSP to access their own TV/DVR/etc content from outside the home.

Sony have announced that they are launching this system in other countries this year.

It will be interesting to see how David takes on Goliath. And when will Goliath release a mobile phone with the required software to connect to the LF-PK1? (They have a JV with Ericsson which produces mobile phones)