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Slingbox Pro-HD: The Slingbox goes high-def

The Slingbox Pro-HD is the first model that can stream video at real HD resolutions.

John Falcone Senior Editorial Director, Shopping
John P. Falcone is the senior director of commerce content at CNET, where he coordinates coverage of the site's buying recommendations alongside the CNET Advice team (where he previously headed the consumer electronics reviews section). He's been a CNET editor since 2003.
Expertise Over 20 years experience in electronics and gadget reviews and analysis, and consumer shopping advice Credentials
  • Self-taught tinkerer, informal IT and gadget consultant to friends and family (with several self-built gaming PCs under his belt)
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John Falcone
Sling Media Slingbox Pro-HD
Sling Media

When Sling Media released a trio of second-generation models in the fall of 2006, the Slingbox Pro was at the top of the line. Unlike the entry-level Slingbox AV, the Pro had pass-through outputs, an analog tuner, multisource capability, and the ability to accept high-def video sources. Unfortunately, it also came with a handful of caveats: While it could accept HD video, it downcoverted that to 640x480 for streaming--and you needed to invest in a $50 dongle if you wanted to use a component video (HD) source. It was also an ugly maroon color, ensuring that it contrasted with everything else in your home-theater equipment rack. The third-generation Slingbox Solo appeared the following year, co-opted nearly all of the Pro's key features, making the need for an upgrade to the Pro even more apparent.

Slingbox Pro-HD screenshot
The Slingbox Pro-HD streams HD programming to your computer--if you've got the bandwidth. CNET

Almost two years to the day since the Pro was released, its replacement is here: the Slingbox Pro-HD. The new model fixes nearly all the annoyances of the older version, and brings it up-to-date for the upcoming DTV transition. But how does this $300 Slingbox compare to the stepdown Slingbox Solo, which is available for almost half as much?

Read the full hands-on review of the Slingbox Pro-HD.