When one product totally dominates a niche market, and an upstart comes out with a competiting product, even if you can save a few dollars, the first question that always comes to mind is, "What can they really do that I can't do now?"  Simply put, while both products can transmit video to internet-connected devices with some limitations, HAVA appears to be best for distributing and recording HD quality video inside of a home network and to Media Center PCs.

Below are a couple of things I did with my HAVA Titanium Pro product that I couldn't do with the Slingbox:

Video Recording: Within the first few days, I found myself recording video to two different computers on the network, something you cannot do on a Slingbox without installing aftermarket software.  One was a HD documentary that I recorded to the DVR that I wanted to share with someone via a laptop.  Another was a old home VCR that one of the kids had been requesting for sometime, but I never seemed to have time to connect the VCR to a dedicated recording card or even hookup a .

HD Video on a Media Center PC: I've been meaning to get another cable set top box to connect to the Media Center PC, but with HAVA, I can scratch that one off the list.  HAVA is completely MCE compatible.

The only comparable product from Slingmedia is the new Slingbox HD Pro, which we have not reviewed yet.  However, the Slingbox costs twice as much and it looks like you still cannot record nor is it compatible with Windows Media Center. 

HAVA mobile device software is still in beta, and there are some quality issues, so if streaming low resolution video to your phone is your top priority, you may still want to consider one of the lower-end Slingboxes.  

For more information on HAVA, visit: www.myhava.com