CNet has a review of Sony's LF-B10 and B20 base stations for its LocationFree TV platform. Basically, this is Sony's attempt to enter the place-shifting market. Sony actually launched its first place-shifting system before Slingbox hit the market, but Sling Media has been grabbing all the attention with cheaper, easier to use boxes.The latest generation of LocationFree base stations have similar functions to the latest Slingboxes, and sell for just a bit more money ($250 for the B20, and $200 for the B10). And probably the biggest advantage to the Sony system -- these base stations include 802.11a/b/g capabilities.
Apparently setup is rather complicated, but once you set the base station up, you can stream programming to any PC or Mac, to a Playstation Portable, and in the future you'll be able to watch on a Palm or Windows Mobile PDA. You can also use a Sony LocationFree tablet, and Sony plans to release a $230 box in the future that will connect to any TV letting you stream content from one TV or PVR/other device to any TV set.
The problem is you only get one Windows client out of the box. If you want to watch TV on multiple PCs, or on a Mac, you've go to shell out an extra $29 for each additional client.
Limitations aside, it's nice to see some competition in this area. Sony and Sling and others' continued presence in the market will keep everyone on their toes in terms of pricing and features.
