Placeshifting. That may sound like something out of Star Trek or some other sci-fi flick. But it’s actually quite a compelling concept that sees life in the Slingbox range of products. The idea is that you can use a PC, smartphone or tablet to control your cable/ satellite box and — wait for it —stream whatever’s showing on your TV to any of these devices no matter where you are in the world! I took the Slingbox PRO-HD, (the high definition variant of the Slingbox) for a spin to see just how well it delivers on its seemingly far-fetched ambitions.

Pull the PRO-HD out and you’re immediately confronted with a ton of analog input and output sockets. I can understand such a choice for the standard definition (SD) variant of the product but on the HD variant, I’d imagine at least one HDMI port would be about par.

With no integrated Wi-Fi, you’ll need to connect it using a wired connection, or invest in an additional wireless hardware to connect to your Internet connection. Working through the onerous task of configuring the remote to control your devices (you may have to hunt the forums for remote codes specific to your set-top box) and then finally the Internet connectivity was enough to test my patience. If you can set this baby up, that’s more than half the battle won.

Remote viewing on your PC is free but you’ll need to cough up extra for any iOS or Android device you want to use to watch your TV while on the go. Sling recommends a fast broadband connection (2 Mbps or more) for streaming HD video, though for most regular SD content, a slower connection will do. Factor in the costs of having a fast connection on both ends and crippling fair use data policies in effect with most ISPs, and what remains is a product that appeals to a small niche of well-heeled geeks for whom watching that 9pm soap is paramount, no matter where they are in the world. Clearly a product that needs a local reality check.

Rating: 6/10
Price: Slingbox PRO-HD - Rs 14,999; Slingbox 120 (Standard Definition) - Rs 7,999 URL: http://bit.ly/zAbcHV

Football fever

Capturing the essence of the world’s most popular game is a daunting task for any game developer, and Electronic Arts rises to the occasion to deliver FIFA 12, the latest in a rich heritage of football oriented titles.

FIFA 12 injects a shot of realism into the gameplay, something even long time FIFA fans will appreciate. With three major changes to match dynamics — close control, the player impact engine and the new tactical defending option — the gameplay feels a lot more like the matches you watch on TV, and less a game, not to mention the glorious element of unpredictability that the real game packs in.

Outside the matches, the footie fanatics can indulge themselves in managing their teams, pitting them against online leaderboards to track how well your choice of players is doing, a move that bodes well for continued gameplay and longevity of the game title.

• Rating: 8/10
• Price: Rs 2,499 for consoles
• URL: http://bit.ly/wt1GpT' http://bit.ly/wt1GpT

Budget bonanza

The Reliance Tab and the Beetel Magiq have company, this time courtesy a tablet from PC major HCL. Priced at Rs 10,990, the X1’s brushed aluminium finish makes it look like something for which you’ve paid quite a bit more. At 7-in, it’s comfortable to hold and lug around and use, though the button placement is a little awkward and takes getting used to. Specs are passable when you consider the price, and the fact that it packs in Android 2.3.3 (Gingerbread) is refreshing.

HCL’s done a good job of packing the X1 with lots of local applications such as apps for Cleartrip, Bookmyshow and many of these ship with special offers if you use the app to make your purchases. Noticeably absent though is the Android Market — though HCL has thousands of custom apps on the ME Apps Store and allows you to load Android app files directly as well. Net net, as an India targeted tablet, the X1 is a good attempt at the budget tablet category.

Rating: 8/10
Price: Rs 10,990
URL: http://bit.ly/xeR8i' http://bit.ly/xeR8i

Wireless wonder

Having multiple TVs in the house usually means buying set-top boxes and DVD players for each. What if you just want flexibility in where you watch the content? With the MyWirelessTV Multi-Room Wireless HD Video Kit, Actiontec delivers a product that can stream full HD video from the source in one room to the TV in another room without having to run wires. So you can share your DVD and media players from one location to all the TVs in your house. Best of all, the kit comes with its own wireless connection and doesn’t even need to be set up to connect to your home network!