[DirectMan]

From Lightreading:

LAS VEGAS -- Sling Media Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS) and Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM) today announced the integration of the Sling Media SDK into Broadcom’s latest set-top box (STB) system-on-a-chip (SoC) platforms. The collaboration paves the way for manufacturers of STBs and CE devices to offer consumers a solution for watching their favorite television content wherever they want on whatever device they want, with an Internet connection.

Sling Media’s licensed software ecosystem supported on the Broadcom® BCM7425 Dual HD Transcoding MoCA 2.0 Gateway SoC gives users a full-featured multi-screen, multi platform viewing solution.

Broadcom-powered boxes with SlingMedia are expected to be available by the third quarter of 2012. Subscribers will have the ability to watch any content available on the STB on the widest range of portable devices with full authentication.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Sounds like the Slingbox functionality could be added to the Directv box; knowing DTV however it probably would be another $3 /month charge.

 

[luckydob]

Being that this is a technology esentially owned by Dish Network, I highly doubt you will see this in any of DirecTVs hardware for a long, long, long time; if ever. This would have to catch on in a HUGE way for D* to even consider it IMHO.

 

[Iceman5000]

Not sure why you think this has to do with Directv Boxes.

 

[DirectMan]

Not sure why you think this has to do with Directv Boxes.

My understanding is that the newer DTV boxes incorporate the Broadcom chips.

 

[Iceman5000]

The Latest (HR24 and HR34) are based on NPX chips. Not to mention I don't see Echostar licensing this to their competition.

 

[DirectMan]

H25 receivers incorporate the Broadcom chipsets.

http://www.cedmagazine.com/news/2011/05/directv-chooses-broadcom's-chip-with-integrated-moca

 

[hdtvfan0001]

Being that this is a technology esentially owned by Dish Network, I highly doubt you will see this in any of DirecTVs hardware for a long, long, long time; if ever. This would have to catch on in a HUGE way for D* to even consider it IMHO.

That is the key limitation on this...not the technology itself.

There are other alternatives to deliver this experience as well...something we may see in the future...

 

[Richierich]

DIRECTV can accomplish Streaming Video with NOMAD if they choose to go that route as it is very possible with the NOMAD Hardware/Software but it is whatever DIRECTV chooses to do in the Future and perhaps they will want to compete with DISH in this area and then they would direct Morega to incorporate Video Streaming into their NOMAD Technology.

 

[JosephB]

Just because DirecTV boxes use Broadcom chips means that they'll necessarily implement this functionality. Hardware support does not mean software support. DirecTV would still have to develop this into their firmware.

Series 4 TiVo hardware has h.264 support, but they don't play it back because the software doesn't support it.

The Latest (HR24 and HR34) are based on NPX chips. Not to mention I don't see Echostar licensing this to their competition.

DirecTV is not Echostar's competition. Echostar and DISH Network are separate companies. As a matter of fact, Echostar has a version of its 922 receiver that is compatible with digital cable, I just don't think any cable companies have bought it yet.

 

[Stuart Sweet]

I suspect it would have to do with the licensing. If Dish licensed the technology to Broadcom with no strings attached, then there's no reason it couldn't find its way into DIRECTV boxes. However, it's completely possible that there is a clause in the agreement that limits licensees.

 

[DirectMan]

It would be against Echostar's interest to limit the licensing to exclude D*. As a separate company spun off from DISH it shares the same Chairman with DISH. It would be against his fiduciary responsibility to ECHOSTAR's shareholders to favor DISH in its licensing.

 

[JosephB]

Again, they actively market Slingloaded receivers to cable companies, so they are obviously OK with selling the technology to competitors. There's no reason they'd put this in Broadcom chips and not expect it to be used in other products.

 

[P Smith]

For my technical taste it was black eye for TI, because TI's DAVINCI chip was the engine of Sling functions in dish 922 (perhaps 813 too?) box.

EDIT. I was wrong about XiP813 - it's not Sling type, using BCM7420(Nexus) chip. Perhaps external Sling gadget will come with it ?

 

[RACJ2]

While its possible they could do it, I prefer my stand alone Slingbox. I use it with DIRECTV, cable and my OTA DVR. So its a lot more flexible then having it built in to a DIRECTV DVR or receiver.

 

[JosephB]

For my technical taste it was black eye for TI, because TI's DAVINCI chip was the engine of Sling functions in dish 922 (perhaps 813 too?) box.

I would blame that on Echostar. They have notoriously poor QA when it comes to software