Sling Monitor 150: The place-shifting all-in-one beckons

CES 2010 felt rather samey with its '3D this, big-screen telly that' nonsense. But we were offered some respite from oversize pixels flying at us by the Sling Monitor 150 -- a display that spits in the face of accepted trends by being both two-dimensional and quite small.

Don't let either of those things fool you. The Sling Monitor 150, formerly known as the Sling Monitor, is highly advanced. A combination of SlingBox, Sling Catcher and computer monitor, it lets you watch recordings or a live HD copy of whatever's being played on your set-top box in another room, house, or country of your choice -- all over a wireless network.

The bad news is that it's unlikely the Sling Monitor will appear in your local shops. Sling Media is hoping cable, satellite and TV-doling ISPs offer it in tandem with a 'SlingLoaded' set-top box (an STB with Sling-capable hardware and software inside) to add value to their existing services. Seems like something of a no-brainer if you ask us -- we're still in love with the Sling concept, even after all these years.

Oi, BSkyB and Virgin Media -- are you listening?