The new Slingbox 350 and 500 are home entertainment units that enable you to remotely view content from your HD cable TV box, DVR or satellite receiver on Internet-connected Mac and Windows computers, smart phones and tablets. If you pay for cable or satellite TV service every month, but you don’t get to spend enough time at home, a Slingbox lets you take your entertainment with you. Both of the new Slingbox models feature full 1080p HD live streaming, and the new Slingbox 500 has built-in Wi-Fi and the ability to send personal content back to your TV. In addition to being HD compatible, both units can stream standard-definition material as well.

With a Slingbox integrated into your home entertainment system, you can watch TV from other locations just as you would watch at home. Tune in a live feed of a sporting event, control and play back content from your DVR, check out the program guide to see what’s on TV, etc. The practice of watching premium living-room content from remote computers and devices is known as “Place-Shifting” because you can enjoy your home entertainment system from another room in the house or from the other side of the planet without any additional monthly bills.
Slingbox 350
The compact Slingbox 350 connects to your cable box, satellite receiver or DVR through component or composite A/V cables. This non-Wi-Fi version features an Ethernet port for connecting to your home network, so it’s a good choice if your modem and router happen to be located in the same spot as your home entertainment system. Once you’re connected, you can watch your favorite entertainment from anywhere using SlingPlayer software. An integrated IR emitter lets you change channels and control your TV from the remote computer or device. The next time you lose your remote control in the cushions of the couch, take comfort in the fact that your Slingbox enables you to channel-surf from anywhere.
Slingbox 500
The new Slingbox 500 has many of the same features as the 350: component and composite A/V connections, an Ethernet port and an integrated IR emitter for controlling the entertainment system. The 500 also features HDMI in and out and Wi-Fi connectivity, which makes it possible to connect to a wireless router. In addition to being able to place-shift your favorite content from your living room to your laptop or mobile device, you can also send photos and videos from your remote computer or device back home to your TV. You can save an archived backup of your personal media on a USB 2.0 connected drive, and allow others to view it back home on the biggest screen in the house. The Slingbox 500 also features a graphical on-screen interface on your TV, which makes setup and operation easier, and a hardware remote control is also included.
| Slingbox 350 | Slingbox 500 | |
| Full 1080p HD | Yes | Yes |
| Component/Composite In & Pass-Through with RCA Audio | Yes | Yes |
| Integrated & External IR Emitters | Yes | Yes |
| USB 2.0 | Yes | Yes |
| Ethernet | Yes | Yes |
| Remote Viewing on Four Screens (Smart Phones, Tablets, PC/Mac, Connected Devices) | Yes | Yes |
| HDMI In / Out | No | Yes |
| Built-in Wi-Fi | No | Yes |
| Video Out/TV Interface (On-Screen Setup, Personal Media Viewing) | No | Yes |
| Remote Control Unit | No | Yes |
| Remote Viewing of Local Digital Content / Personal Media | No | Yes |
| Personal Media Viewing on TV | No | Yes |
| SlingSync & SlingProjector | No | Yes |
| Supported Sources | Digital cable set-top box Satellite receiver Digital video recorder (DVR) DVD or Blu-ray Disc player/recorder Video security cameras |
Digital cable set-top box Satellite receiver Digital video recorder (DVR) DVD or Blu-ray Disc player/recorder Video security cameras USB storage for remote viewing of photos and videos |
| Browsers | Latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari (OS X only) | Latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari (OS X only) |
| Minimum Network Bandwidth | HD viewing: 2 Mbps SD viewing: 600 Kbps Mobile viewing: 250 Kbps |
HD viewing: 2 Mbps SD viewing: 600 Kbps Mobile viewing: 250 Kbps |
| Android, iOS and Mobile Devices | SlingPlayer app for Android, iOS, and other mobile devices is available separately | SlingPlayer app for Android, iOS, and other mobile devices is available separately |
| System Recommendations | Computer hardware: Intel Core 2 Duo or better, DirectX 9 Class video card with more than 256 MB of memory for Windows PC Windows: Vista (or later) Mac: OS X 10.6 (or later) |
Computer hardware: Intel Core 2 Duo or better, DirectX 9 Class video card with more than 256 MB of memory for Windows PC Windows: Vista (or later) Mac: OS X 10.6 (or later) |
| Dimensions | Not Specified | Not Specified |
| Weight | Not Specified | Not Specified |