Slingbox 500

Who makes it: Sling Media

What it costs: $300

Why we like it: Watch what's showing or recorded on your cable or satellite box outside the home. It's that simple. The first new Slingbox in four years (there's also a little sibling called the Slingbox 350) connects through paid apps sold on Google Android, Apple iOS, Amazon.com's Kindle Fire and Microsoft's Windows phone stores to deliver full high-definition viewing of your home content. Just make sure the mobile streaming costs don't take a bite out of your wallet. New features also shift content the other way in the home, letting you stream photos and other content off your device to the big-screen TV.