Sling Media’s SlingCatcher, announced last January, is now available in retail outlets in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

The SlingCatcher is a set-top box, billed as a universal media player, that delivers broadcast TV, Internet video and personal content to the TV.

The SlingCatcher connects directly from a PC to the TV. Used in combination with a Slingbox, the SlingCatcher can access content from the Slingbox, or any device attached to the Slingbox – for example a DVR, cable or satellite STB. That includes devices located in another room in the house, or even from a Slingbox in a remote location.

The SlingCatcher can also host USB memory devices and play back content stored on any standard USB hard drive or USB flash drive.

On its own, the SlingCatcher allows viewers to watch online video, including movie rentals from services like Netflix.

SlingCatcher comes with three applications: SlingPlayer for TV, SlingProjector and My Media.

SlingPlayer for TV delivers the ability to watch and control a household’s main TV on another TV in the home, or on a TV in a remote location without using a PC or custom cabling.

SlingProjector software allows consumers to project any programming directly onto their TV via the SlingCatcher. My Media gives customers the ability to playback on their TV a broad range of media files from a wide variety of sources, including camcorders, digital cameras, personal DVD recordings and Internet video downloads.

When first announced, Sling Media, which is owned by EchoStar, said it wanted to bring in SlingCatcher below $200. The SlingCatcher will be a bit more pricy than that, however; the suggested retail price is $299.99.

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