[a_c_s]

To dumb this down since it hasn't been explained in detail here it is... you buy the slingbox for a one time fee (ie no recurring monthly cost), and it sits on top of your cable or satellite box... you set up an internet connection between sling on your computer, and at the location of your tv/cable setup... after that has been established, you can use the slingbox to watch any channel remotely that you can get at home, as well as recorded shows (ie your DVR list). The desktop client is free with the hardware, the mobile client for your phone would be another $30. But after that, there are NO recurring monthly fees, which is nice. I bought mine years ago... you can probably find them anywhere between $150-$250 used/new... also to note, there are new satellite boxes from DISH coming out now (DISH bought Sling a year or so back) which actually incorporate the Sling functionality right into the cable/satellite box (ie no other hardware required)... hope that helps explain it a little more clearly...