In the late 1990's, an unknown company called TiVo started a revolution that forever changed how consumers would watch and consume television. Their new device, now known as a DVR, allowed consumers to easily "timeshift" their shows by recording them to a hard drive so that you could watch them any time you choosed. While consumers had been able to record shows to a VCR tape for years, the DVR made the process significantly easier, and also allowed for other new, innovative features like giving you the ability to pause and control live television. Today, DVRs are common in households around the world, and while not all of them carry the TiVo logo, they perform many of the same functions that makes timeshifting possible.

Today there's a new revolution in electronics that's redefining not only when you watch TV, but where. Even though timeshifting allowed you to watch television on your schedule, you still had to be in front of your TV when it came time to watch a show. Today, new pioneers like California-based Sling Media are introducing the next big concept called placeshifting, and the results of this new focus is bringing new products and technologies that allow you to watch and listen to your favorite television shows anywhere in the world.

Sling Media's product, the Slingbox, connects to your home cable line, cable or satellite box, DVD player, etc., and allows you to stream the content from these devices to any remote broadband connected Windows 2000/XP computer or Windows handheld in the world. Watching is only part of the placeshifting experience, as control is equally important to the virtual living room experience. Sling Media has you covered there, as their virtual "Sling Remote" recreates the familiar living room remote control on the screen so you can have complete control of your devices from anywhere you happen to be. In many cases, the on-screen remote looks identical to the one at home on your coffee table.

Though Sling Media is widely considered to be the industry pioneer, they are not alone. Placeshifting is starting to catch on, and more devices that perform the same or similar functions are starting to appear on the market. Sony has their Location Free product, Orb Networks has a pure software solution that allows you to placeshift content from one PC to another, and Monsoon is expected to release a similar "Sling-like" device in the near future.

As placeshfting further penetrates the consumer market, users will have the ability to timeshift and placeshift their television experience, effectively allowing one to watch whatever they want, whenever they want, and wherever they want. In other words, placeshifting is the last piece of the puzzle to ultimate control over your television experience.