Stream the game to wherever you go

— -- Football playoff season is here. You don't want to miss a minute of the action. But your schedule may not allow you to be home for all games. With most shows, you'd simply record them for later viewing. That won't do with football. You want to see the playoffs live.

Fortunately, there's a solution: placeshifting. This lets you watch television over the Internet just as if you were sitting back home. That's true even if a game is blacked out in the area from which you're watching.

Placeshifting requires an always-on broadband Internet connection at home. You'll also need to bridge the gap between the TV and the Internet. Fortunately, there are several ways to do this.

Slingbox

A gadget called a Slingbox lets you watch live or recorded TV shows anywhere using a Web browser. It connects to your TV and router at home. It also connects to DVRs and cable or satellite boxes for viewing recorded content and paid programming.

A Slingbox lets you watch and control your programming on a Mac or PC. You can also buy the optional SlingPlayer Mobile software ($30) and watch programming on BlackBerry, Windows, Palm and Symbian smart phones. SlingPlayer does not yet support the iPhone. However, Sling Media is planning to release a version for the iPhone by April.

There are two versions of the Slingbox.

The Slingbox Solo ($180) connects to one source. This may be all you need if you just want to watch live TV. For example, connect it to your cable box or DVR. It doesn't matter if the source is standard- or high-definition. Programming is transmitted in standard definition.

The Slingbox Pro-HD ($300) connects to multiple sources. So, you can switch between TV, cable and DVR. It's great for catching up with recorded shows on the road. It has a built-in digital tuner; it can receive a cable connection without a set-top box. As its name suggests, the Pro-HD is capable of streaming high-definition video.

The Slingbox takes over your TV at home. You probably don't want to connect it to your primary set. Otherwise, your family must watch the same programming that you're watching far from home over the Internet.