sling

Apple and AT&T playing favorites with the App Store?

Correction at 7:20 a.m. PDT: Mark Siegel is a spokesman for AT&T mobility.

Just under a year since first announced, the SlingPlayer Mobile application is finally available for the iPhone. But compared with the capabilities of the same application available on other smartphone platforms, the iPhone version of SlingPlayer is curiously handicapped.

The version set to arrive Wednesday costs $30, and can stream a TV signal from a set connected to a Slingbox to the iPhone. But this version is available using Wi-Fi only. It's notable because the beta version of the application was demonstrated at CES using the iPhone's 3G connection. So why is it turned off in the official release? Recent changes in the terms of service that comes with AT&T's iPhone wireless service may offer some clues.

Apple rejected the original version of the application Sling submitted to the App Store that required use of the phone's 3G service, according to Sling. It was subsequently approved when it was modified so that it will just use local Wi-Fi hot spots. Apple's exact reason for rejecting it isn't clear. There are plenty of video- and audio-streaming applications available today in Apple's App Store, from smaller streaming services like Orb and Last.fm (owned by CNET News publisher CBS Interactive), and heavyweights like MLB.com's At Bat, CBS' TV.com, and YouTube.

While Apple has certainly not been shy about exercising its veto power over App Store applications--just ask Trent Reznor, for example--it's unclear why Sling's streaming video service is being treated differently from, say, the YouTube app (owned by Apple-friendly Google), which has been available on the iPhone since the device's launch.

Apple did not respond to requests for comment about why only the Wi-Fi version of SlingPlayer was approved. But it appears the rejection also could have been at AT&T's behest. Early in April, AT&T changed its terms of service for wireless customers, saying that redirecting TV video or audio signals--as the SlingPlayer does--was no longer allowed on its network. After a public outcry, AT&T quickly reversed its decision, citing "a mistake." But then last week the company reinstated the ban in its TOS.… Read more

First Look: SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone

After some hiccups in the development process, Sling has finally released SlingPlayer Mobile for the iPhone. The software works with your Slingbox at home, and lets you control and watch your satellite or cable box and DVR from your iPhone or iPod Touch.

All of the functionality found in previous SlingPlayer Mobile platforms is still intact. You'll have access to a menu bar that'll let you use a remote-like interface on-screen to control your box as well as switch sling devices and manage your favorite channels. What's new are a few gestures that'll allow you to scroll through your favorite channels as well as let you scroll up and down through channels.

SlingPlayer Mobile will work with new Slingbox and legacy devices, but Sling officially won't support the Sling Classic, AV, and Tuner models--that means that if you've got a problem with one of those devices, Sling won't be able to help you troubleshoot your issue.

Now here's the real bad news: SlingPlayer Mobile for the iPhone only works with a Wi-Fi connection, meaning you cannot use the 3G network to stream video. Also, we should note that SlingPlayer Mobile will probably perform better on your home network rather than a public Wi-Fi spot.

Performance wise, the software worked well.… Read more

SlingPlayer for iPhone release imminent: $30, Wi-Fi only

The long-delayed SlingPlayer for iPhone will be hitting the iTunes App Store in the next 24 hours--but the software will only stream video over Wi-Fi, not AT&T's 3G data network. The restriction is a big blow to the usability of the software, which allows owners of Slingbox set-top boxes to stream their home TV in real-time to anywhere in the world.

The SlingPlayer app will cost $29.99--expensive for iPhone apps, but the exact same price as previous iterations of the SlingPlayer Mobile apps available for Windows Mobile, Palm OS, BlackBerry, and Symbian handhelds. SlingPlayer Mobile should … Read more

Older Slingboxes incompatible with Sling iPhone app

Sling Media has announced that the first few models of the Slingbox won't work with new Sling software, including the much-anticipated SlingPlayer for iPhone.

The company, which is now owned by EchoStar, informed Slingbox owners on the Sling Media Web site Wednesday, saying that owners of the original Slingbox, Slingbox AV, and Slingbox Tuner were encouraged to upgrade to either a Slingbox Pro, Slingbox Pro-HD, or Slingbox Solo and that the company would offer those owning discontinued boxes a $50 discount to upgrade. (The Solo is the entry-level product and costs $180).

The reason? Because "software like SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone … Read more

EchoStar unveils Tru2way cable version of its SlingLoaded DVR

EchoStar has officially announced a cable-ready version of its SlingLoaded DVR. Except for the fact that it's designed to work on any Tru2way-compatible cable system, the EchoStar T2200S will not be that different from the Dish Network ViP922, which snagged the Best of CES Home Video award at January's 2009 Consumer Electronics Show.

Like the ViP922, the EchoStar T2200S offers a laundry list of features we'd expect from a high-def DVR, including a 1TB hard drive and dual-tuner support. But EchoStar is also boasting of a built-in DOCSIS cable modem, MoCA (Multimedia over Coax Alliance) compatibility, and … Read more

TigerDirect.com has the Sling Media Slingbox SOLO - RCA for $134.99, after $65 Instant savings.

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Report: Sling Media co-founders, other top execs leave

Sling Media, the company that enables users to push their cable shows to their laptops from anywhere in the world, has seen a management shakeup, according to a published report.

The company's co-founders Blake and Jason Krikorian are leaving as are execs Jason Hirschhorn and Ben White, according to the blog PaidContent.

According to the report, Sling Media's senior executives agreed to stay a year following the company's acquisition by EchoStar for about $380 million. The year is up and it appears that the Sling's entrepreneurial leadership is walking away.

They may leaving at just the … Read more

EchoStar SlingLoaded HD DVR 922 combines Slingbox and DVR into one super set-top box

We're huge fans of the Slingbox, which lets you access your home TV from any broadband-connected PC and many models of 3G smartphones. But the boxes have always had a fundamental problem of monopolizing the host video source (cable/satellite box or DVR); if you access your Slingbox remotely and somebody happens to be watching the home TV, both of you are forced to watch the same program.

That's just one problem that the new EchoStar SlingLoaded HD DVR 922 fixes. The "SlingLoaded" moniker basically means that it's got a Slingbox built-in. That, along with … Read more

SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone announced

Updated at 10:00 AM Pacific.

Six months after announcing its intention to bring SlingPlayer to the iPhone 3G, Sling Media has another announcement to make--just not the one you're wishing for.

SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone isn't ready yet, Sling said on Tuesday, but it is on its way.

Like SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Mobile, Palm, Symbian, UIQ, and BlackBerry (beta) platforms, this iPhone version will let you access one or more Slingboxes from your mobile device, and watch your TV stations on-the-go. It will also be compatible with the iPod Touch.

You'll also be able to … Read more