Space shifting (or spaceshifting), also known as place shifting (or placeshifting), allows media, such as music or films, which are stored on one device, to be accessed from another place through another device. Space shifting is frequently done through computer networks, for example by viewing a television broadcast from a WiFi equipped
set-top box
A set-top box (STB), also colloquially known as a cable box and historically television decoder, is an information appliance device that generally contains a TV-tuner input and displays output to a television set and an external source of s ...
on a WiFi equipped notebook. Other media shifting processes include
time shifting
In broadcasting, time shifting is the recording of programming to a storage medium to be viewed or listened to after the live broadcasting. Typically, this refers to TV programming but it can also refer to radio shows via podcasts.
In recent year ...
, a process whereby a radio or television broadcast is recorded and played back at a different time, and
format shifting
Format shifting is the conversion of media files into different file format or data compression ( video coding format and audio coding format). This may be required to play the media on different devices, for example when converting or ripping aud ...
where media files are converted into different formats.
A practical purpose of placeshifting is to avoid
copyright infringement
Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the copyright holder, ...
claims, as when viewing content through the
Slingbox or similar consumer electronics.
In the 1980s, in the United States, Radio Shack marketed and distributed a different technology to view Audio/Video output remotely. It worked on the cordless phone frequencies and broadcast the signal with their proprietary transmitters and receivers branded Archer/Rabbit VCR Multiplying System.
Products and devices offering space shifting technology
Here are a few products and devices known for offering space shifting technology:
*
TV2Me - the original placeshifting device, developed by Ken Schaffer
*
LocationFree Player
Sony's LocationFree is the marketing name for a group of products and technologies for timeshifting and placeshifting streaming video. The LocationFree Player is an Internet-based multifunctional device used to stream live television broadcasts ( ...
*
Slingbox
*Subsonic (media server)
*
Ampache
*
Plex (software)
*
Monsoon Multimedia
Monsoon Multimedia was a company that manufactured, developed and sold video streaming and place-shifting devices that allowed consumers to view and control live television on PCs connected to a local (home) network or remotely from a broadb ...
See also
*
Comparison of DVR software packages#Network support - list of software packages supporting place shifting
*
Media server
*
Format shifting
Format shifting is the conversion of media files into different file format or data compression ( video coding format and audio coding format). This may be required to play the media on different devices, for example when converting or ripping aud ...
*
Time shifting
In broadcasting, time shifting is the recording of programming to a storage medium to be viewed or listened to after the live broadcasting. Typically, this refers to TV programming but it can also refer to radio shows via podcasts.
In recent year ...
*
Copyright
A copyright is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the exclusive right to copy, distribute, adapt, display, and perform a creative work, usually for a limited time. The creative work may be in a literary, artistic, educatio ...
*
Private copying
A private copying levy (also known as blank media tax or levy) is a government-mandated scheme in which a special tax or levy (additional to any general sales tax) is charged on purchases of recordable media. Such taxes are in place in various ...
References
{{Reflist
Copyright law
Digital rights
Digital television
Ripping