SlingCatcher and Slingbox PRO-HD finally on their way?

If you've been waiting been patiently waiting for the SlingCatcher, we feel your pain. We first saw the device back at CES 2007 and were impressed, but then it never came out. Then we saw it again at CES 2008 and we were told it would be out in the second quarter of 2008--and Sling missed that deadline. Now it's September and still no SlingCatcher.

With all these delays, we're about as skeptical as you can be, but Dave Zatz (of Zatz Not Funny and former SlingMedia employee) recently noticed that both the SlingCatcher and Slingbox PRO-HD are available for preorder on Amazon. And quick zip over to SlingMedia's site shows that the company is also offering up the units for preorder, and we have to imagine Sling is close to delivering the products if they're starting to take money for them.

Maybe the bigger question is whether the SlingCatcher still appeals to us as much as it did back in 2007. The device is capable of streaming media, transmitting your PC's display to a TV and "catching" a stream from your Slingbox, but a lot of those functions are pretty limited in real-world use or already done by other devices. We've already reviewed one device--the ZvBox--that aims to bring your PC and internet video to your TV, and we were less than impressed. Sling has a good reputation for a solid user experience, but at $300, it's yet to be seen if the SlingCatcher can appeal to larger than a niche audience.

Are you still excited about the SlingCatcher or Slingbox PRO-HD, or is the thrill gone after all these delays?