Belkin aims to take on Slingbox with @TV Plus streaming set top Box

Quite some time ago we had the chance to try out the Sling adapter for Dish Network. It essentially let you connect it directly to your Dish Network receiver via a USB cable and stream TV to your Android device or and PC with internet. You could set shows to record for later viewing and even change the channel on your TV. There are other units out there such as a the Slingbox and the Slingbox Pro-HD. All offer is a similar ability but with a more broad ability that isn’t restricted to just Dish Network. Up until now, the Slingbox was probably one of the best devices to utilize if you wanted to watch things you would normally view on your TV while out and about on your phone, tablet or another PC.

Now we have a new device hitting the market on July 15 from Belkin. Many of you should be fairly familiar with Belkin primarily for their wireless routers. Their new set-top box is called @TV Plus and is set to land at just $149.99. Similar to Slingbox, it will let you stream video from your TV to you tablet,  smartphone, or Laptop through a Wi-Fi connection or even your 3G/4G data connection. It works with both regular and HD programming and can control multiple sources such as digital cable boxes, satellite receivers or DVD Players. Belkin states its features are comparable to the Slingbox Pro-HD, which will set you back $299.99. Hence why we mentioned the price tag of the Belkin unit only being $149.99.

If you have researched or own a Slingbox, you know there is one minor downfall that can and usual does drive you a little crazy. The fact that you have to connect them directly to an Ethernet cable plugged into your router or modem. For me this was always a major annoyance since my internet connection is located in a different part of my house. The @TV Plus box can be direct connected if you want it to be, but it can also operate on a Wi-Fi connection. They also mention that it can record live TV directly to your mobile device for later viewing. Check out this quick little run down of the featured highlights.

• Watch live and recorded TV anywhere your tablet, smartphone, or laptop can access Wi-Fi, 3G, or 4G
• Streams standard and HD programming
• Record directly on mobile devices
• Easy-to-use Channel Guide with swipe surf for easy scrolling
• Wi-Fi enabled: Compatible with all Wi-Fi enabled tablets, smartphones, and laptops
• Works with the @TV app
• Compatible with both Mac and Windows PCs, Android, and iOS devices
• No additional monthly service fees
• Price: $149.99
• Availability: July 15

As you can see, the service will have an Android application available. There will be one for tablets which is supposedly FREE and one for handsets that will set you back $12.99. This is a one time charge and no monthly charges will be required. Looking at the rear of the box you can see all the usual connections except a HDMI input or output. Which is just fine actually, since many of our cable box’s and other units support various outputs.

What seems to nag at me though, is if this is supposed to be set up between your TV service and your TV, then you will lose HDMI. Since the @TV Plus box and app aren’t available just yet we will have to wait and see how it all looks and works. Hopefully the app is built well, functions and isn’t overly complex.

Source: Cnet