Comments on: Sling Media & EchoStar: The Dude Abides!

By: Chris Bidmead

Chris Bidmead — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 14:19:09 +0000

Very astute analysis of Slingmedia’s success.
But there’s some less than clueful stuff about the implementation of the classic SB here in the UK that is, for me, something of a showstopper. The concept with respect to Freeview is wonky on three major points:
1) All Freeview STBs over here include a cornucopia of digital radio stations. Incremental component cost: zero. The SB only delivers TV.
2) UK TV licencing allows an unlimited number of TV receiving devices within a single family domicile. All are covered by a single licence. The SB, however, won’t multi-point broadcast Freeview content over the home network. Only a single client at a time can watch any given programme.
3) The base Freeview channels are broadcast unencrypted. However the SB insists on encrypting all the content it relays. It’s been explained to me (by Brian Jaquet and others) that this is “to protect the rights of copyright holders”. In the context of Freeview this makes absolutely no engineering or legal sense.
So as far as UK Freeview is concerned, the SB actually strips out a large amount of user freedoms and rights. From an investment point of view I guess that’s OK, until the users find out what’s going on. And that’s happening. I’d mark this one as SELL.
–
Chris

By: Michael Parekh

Michael Parekh — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 14:12:24 +0000

Very well done condensed history Ryan. Congratulations to you and the Slingbox team.
As a Sling user and fan from the very beginning, it was clear that this team was executing very differently than most CE hardware + software innovators.
Look forward to more big things.

By: blake krikorian

blake krikorian — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 22:58:50 +0000

Hey Ryan, thanks much for having confidence in us and for your never-ending suppport. You are an entrepreneur’s VC. So happy to have contributed to your winning streak.
and thanks to Fronesis and Michael for your kind words and business! stay tuned…we hope to have some pretty cool stuff coming down the pipe.
blake

By: Ben Casnocha

Ben Casnocha — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:18:37 +0000

Congrats big man!
Impressive!
Hope all is well.

By: Todd Vernon

Todd Vernon — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:34:28 +0000

Ryan… Nice job. I could see the handwriting on the wall at the 2006 CES show when sling got my most-buzz-for-the-size-of-the-booth award. Then last year at the Liberty Netleaders meeting when John Malone kept talking about Sling in his Keynote. I watch the news everyday on mine from work. Awesome product.. Good win.

By: fronesis

fronesis — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 07:40:14 +0000

Most importantly, Sling makes it possible for me to watch gopher hockey ‘live’ with my dad (i.e. timeshifted, but watching together), in Wales! For that I am eternally grateful to you and to Sling….

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 04:15:32 +0000

Ryan…congratulations. Three exits in a single calendar year has to be a record.

By: Andrew Deal

Andrew Deal — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 04:08:46 +0000

Congratulations on this milestone.
We hope to generate a similar story with CelleCast as it brings radio content to mobile via a universal method. With us, content partners are key.
We are hoping to launch on Nov 1st with our first soon-to-be-announced major partner.