Unboxed: SlingCatcher

We revealed yesterday that Sling Media's SlingCatcher is now ready for pre-order in the UK – now here's a more up close and personal look at the box.

To re-cap, the SlingCatcher does three things: it lets you stream internet video from sites like BBC iPlayer and YouTube from your laptop, plays digital video files stored on USB sticks or external storage and, if you already have a Slingbox, streams TV from one set to another. In short, it's very cool.

The box feels as light in the hand as the rest of the Slingbox family, and has a healthy range of ports round the back: S-Video, Component, HDMI, A/V output and two USBs (which you can't use to record content, sadly).

But there are a few of caveats. SlingProjector (the software that lets you fire internet video to your TV) is currently Windows-only, although a Mac version is in the pipeline. Like the Slingboxes, there also isn't built-in Wi-Fi, so you'll have to connect it to your router via Ethernet (unless you invest in a Wi-Fi adaptor).

And, unlike Apple TV, there isn't any built-in storage – you can't record content with the SlingCatcher, though this is the main way it manages to sidestep DRM issues.

We'll be doing a FAQ on the SlingCatcher soon, so if you have any questions, fire away in the comments section below.