New SightSpeed Features Challenge Skype and Slingbox
SightSpeed released version 5.0 of their voice and video services software today. SightSpeed, which is based in Berkeley, CA, has been playing in the VoIP and personal video service arena for some time now. The latest release from the company includes some notable enhancements.
SightSpeed has developed a new, proprietary video codec for person-to-person video calling that offers 30 frames per second video streaming with almost no latency. You'll need a broadband connection that's capable of 128Kbps download speeds in order to get those numbers, but that's fairly standard in urban areas these days. Ryan Singel from Wired News has tested the service, and he says that the clarity is fantastic. Other initial reports, like this review of the beta from PC Mag, claim that SightSpeed's video service is the best in the industry. Better than Yahoo, AOL, Skype, and iChat.
The other killer feature in SightSpeed 5.0 is a place shifting "TV anywhere" service called SightSpeedTV. Basically, if you have a computer with a TV tuner installed, you can call it from a remote location and watch streaming TV in the client. Ideally, you'd be able to run the service from a Media Center PC and watch shows you've captured with your DVR and videos you've downloaded in addition to live television. The viewer client includes a virtual remote that lets you change channels and dig through your libraries as well. The client is available for Windows and Mac users.
The comparisons to the Slingbox are obvious. Also, the Japanese company Novak sells a dongle/software combo that offers similar functionality through Skype's service. Om Malik has written quite eloquently about what a service like SightSpeedTV means for the future of digital media in the home.
The company also offers regular, free VoIP calls, and their video service includes a recorder that can be used to capture video for videoblogs or short, two minute sharable videos. Video and voice calls are free, but file storage, file management, and top-tier tech support are available for $4.95 per month or $49.95 a year.
