EchoStar Europe Launches the World's First Freesat+ DVR With SlingLoaded® TV Anywhere

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011
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LONDON, United Kingdom — EchoStar Europe (NASDAQ:SATS), a leading developer of added value, connected device solutions to the digital television industry, announce their SlingLoaded® HDS-600RS, the world’s first HD digital video recorder (DVR) to combine Freesat+ features with Sling Media’s unique place-shifting ability, enabling TV anywhere, on all popular smartphones and tablets*.

The SlingLoaded feature enables users to watch and manage their live and recorded TV remotely anytime, anywhere, via 3G or Wi-Fi, with no additional monthly fees. With Freesat+, viewers get over 150 digital channels, including HD, On Demand services and the ability to pause, rewind and record TV, all subscription free. There’s seamless access to catch-up TV including BBC iPlayer, with other connected TV services including ITV Net Player to follow.

Once connected to home broadband, the EchoStar HDS-600RS will Sling live or recorded TV anywhere, to your iPhone®, iPad® or Android™ smartphones or tablets, and any device supported by SlingPlayer® Mobile*, even to your Mac® or PC via SlingPlayer® . This ensures that you’ll never miss a moment of your favourite show, movie or sports event ever again. Throughout your home or around the world, you can truly Sling your TV anywhere.

The EchoStar HDS-600RS delivers a host of viewing options; ‘live pause and rewind’, simultaneously watch one show and record another, and one touch series-link via the High Definition (HD) Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) all ensure that you’ll never miss a show! The 500GB hard disk drive provides huge capacity to record up to 300 hours of Standard Definition (SD) programming or up to 100 hours of HD programming. You can even connect to a compatible Dolby® Digital home cinema amplifier, using the integrated Digital Audio Port, allowing you to enjoy cinema quality sound at home. All this is packaged in a stylish unit with a touch sensitive display.

“For TV lovers everywhere, this is the ultimate combination of subscription free TV anywhere meeting digital television recording and connected TV”, said Rhod Williams, General Manager of Echostar Europe. “We’re bringing together the strengths of EchoStar and Sling Media Inc. to create a hybrid device that will give people the ultimate TV viewing experience; what they want, when they want and where they want it. With this industry first we’re making TV anywhere a reality that delivers an enhanced user experience to consumers, with no monthly fees.”

Freesat Managing Director Emma Scott commented “This is a great partnership for us. It’s our first foray into EchoStar’s ‘TV anywhere’, and offers even more fantastic choice for our customers. Freesat has constantly evolved since launch and this paves the way for more exciting innovations in the future.”

* Requires mobile data plan, mobile broadband or Wi-Fi and the SlingPlayer Mobile app – sold separately.
TV anywhere requires that you connect your HDS-600RS to the Internet via your broadband router.
To view HD services, HD guide and upscale SD services you’ll need an HD Ready TV set connected via HDMI®.
You can only watch your TV anywhere in standard definition; some connected TV apps may not be used with TV anywhere.