The original Slingbox achieved fame by taking the video output from a set-top or other home theater box and “slinging” it to the owner’s PC (or cell phone) across the Internet. The SlingCatcher takes an alternate tack by grabbing video playing on the network’s PC and “slinging it” to the home theater setup in the living room. This is a lot more impressive than what you might think and could be the media-moving technology best suited for your home.

The SlingCatcher arrived last October and now retails for $199.99. Is it worth the price? Honestly, this isn't something you'd recommend to your grandmother. As we'll see, proper use requires a fair bit of interaction on the computer side. It's not plug-n-play simple. However, if you're a mid- to high-level user who's comfortable with concepts like screen capturing and transcoding media, then the SlingCatcher might be for you.

Imagine you want to show friends not only a final home movie but also how you went about editing that movie. The SlingCatcher can help. Want to send iTunes video to your TV without investing in an Apple TV or a second PC? Sling has got you covered. This is a very flexible product limited only by your imagination...and one or two feature omissions.