Sling Media, the creators of the Slingbox, rolled out two new HomePlug powerline solutions for the Slingbox. The SlingLink TURBO offers a higher speed connection between the Slingbox and the router, thus creating a better Slingbox experience for customers. The SlingLink TURBO 4 Port is available in many retail locations as well as online, with the SlingLink TURBO 1 Port hitting retail shelves in the coming weeks.
"We want to provide our customers with easy-to-use networking solutions to connect their Slingbox to their broadband connection regardless of where their AV source and network reside in the house," said Rich Buchanan, vice president of marketing for Sling Media. "The SlingLink TURBO 4 Port solves many of the challenges a consumer has when trying to connect multiple AV devices like a Slingbox, an Xbox or a TiVo to a single Internet connection in another room in the house. Both SlingLink TURBO products deliver the performance and quality Slingbox customers have come to expect from us."
Compatible with any home router, SlingLink TURBO takes advantage of existing electrical wiring in the home. Packaged as a pair, one SlingLink TURBO plugs directly into an AC outlet near your router while the other SlingLink TURBO is connected near the device you want to network. The result is an instant high-speed Ethernet network without running any new cabling or trying to configure a wireless connection between the two devices. The SlingLink TURBO 1 Port connects one device, like a Slingbox, while the SlingLink TURBO 4 Port connects up to four devices such as a DVR, gaming console or any Ethernet-based consumer electronic product.
Both new SlingLink TURBO products feature Intellon Corporation's INT5500 HomePlug 1.0 with TURBO chipset, an 85Mbps PHY-rate device which assures that the broadband link is stable and robust, providing the bandwidth needed for a single device as well as multiple AV devices should a customer need the SlingLink TURBO 4 Port solution. Since it is not outlet-mounted, the new SlingLink TURBO provides greater flexibility for consumers who now have multiple entertainment devices which need to be networked to a broadband backbone. The majority of these new devices require increased bandwidth and intelligence in their support of new applications.