Digital Journal — First it was personal video recorders. Then it was streaming TV content on websites such as ComedyCentral.com. Now place-shifting is the hot innovation hoping to emerge into the mainstream, as more TV watchers want to check out their shows and sports events anytime, anywhere.
Sony is attempting to gain market share from industry leader Slingbox (currently available only in the U.S., coming to Canada on March 30, 2006) with its next-generation place-shifting software package called the LF-PK1 LocationFree Player Pak. This system allows users to remotely access audio or video content stored at home via their notebook PC or PlayStation Portable. Using an Internet connection, users can access their home TV, movies and PVRs from anywhere in the world. No longer will soccer fanatics worry about missing World Cup matches; now frequent fliers who relax at Wi-Fi zones can let Sony’s LF-PK1 stream live TV to their PC.
“This is clearly an example of a revolutionary wireless entertainment solution,” says Patrick Lapointe, Marketing Manager, Consumer Display Products, Consumer Audio Visual/Information Technology Group, for Sony Canada. “You can watch A/V content anywhere in the world where there is an Internet broadband connection.”
For example, you can set up your DVD player at home so you can watch a movie remotely while on the road, via your notebook PC. LocationFree works with any video source, including PVRs and TiVOs. Also, the software allows a consumer’s notebook to function as a remote control — changing channels, fast-forwarding DVDs and recording on a PVR is so simple it’s almost hard to believe this technology isn’t as popular as the iPod. At least not yet.
But Sony’s first-generation of LocationFree did do well in Canada. “We attribute it to personal income levels, the fact that Canadians travel a lot,” says John B. Challinor, general manager of advertising and corporate communications for Sony Canada.
On the heels of the product’s success, Sony is bringing down the price of the latest incarnation. The LF-PK1, which includes the base station (essentially, a router lookalike) and the CD-ROM-based software, will retail for $500 (its predecessor cost about $1,800).
“Because of the price point and the technology, we’re confident this version will exceed sales of its predecessor,” says Challinor.
What might also drive this place-shifting version is application for PSPs. At the Toronto launch, Lapointe demonstrates how a PSP in Canada can display TV stations broadcast from Japan, since the base station is located in Tokyo. As long as the PSP user is sitting in a hotspot, the streaming video or TV broadcast should be seamless. That kind of flexibility is ideal for travellers, on-the-road gamers and TV junkies, Lapointe says.
While Sony wouldn’t confirm whether the new PlayStation 3 would feature LocationFree TV capabilities, officials hinted at the likely possibility. If Sony does in fact integrate LocationFree into the PS3, the impact could be huge — imagine being at a friend’s house and connecting to your PS3 at home to play games. You would never have to carry a hard drive or a stack of games with you ever again, taking portability to a whole new level. The idea would probably leave execs at Microsoft scratching their heads saying, Why didn’t we think of that for Xbox 360?
For the security conscious, users can set a camcorder beside a newborn, for example, connect it to the base station and monitor the baby remotely. It’s a parent’s safety net — or a spy’s dream come true.
In addition, the base station allows for up to four registered LocationFree TV monitors or PCs, giving the option to connect a notebook or desktop PC, PSP device and an additional computer. But only one device can stream video at a time.
For film fans, the technology should be an enticing draw. “If you have a 100-disc DVD player, you can remotely select from your library what to watch,” Lapointe notes.
It’s all about taking the TV out of the living room. Sony’s latest LocationFree version is poised to reshape how entertainment is enjoyed by people who want to think outside the box.
