Check out the Dell Store on CNETSlingPlayer 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 manage your DVR from the iPhone, and can synchronously add and remove favorite channels directly from the phone's interface--a first for the SlingPlayer Mobile line.
In our demo, the client streamed live, high-quality video of stations like MTV and TBS on both Wi-Fi and the iPhone's 3G network. Swiping the screen horizontally advances you through favorite stations, and flicking up and down rotates through all your home channels.
Sling Media says it will submit the file to the iTunes AppStore by the end of the first fiscal quarter. While Sling Media shared no firm price tag, it could mirror the $29.99 lifetime fee of SlingPlayer Mobile on other platforms.
Before getting too excited, just remember that Apple has been known to kill promising apps, ostensibly for the crime of a large data transfers. SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone could suffer the same fate. Assuming it doesn't, the client still faces competition from Orb, whose full version, OrbLive, delivers live TV and media stored on your PC for $10.
Jessica Dolcourt reviews the latest and greatest smartphone apps, in addition to a healthy dose of Windows software. E-mail Jessica and follow her on Twitter.
Considering iTunes itself and the App Store (for 10MB+ apps) are similarly restricted, this seems to come from whatever contractual obligations they have with their carriers for those "unlimited data" plans.
I would imagine it would work the same way Joost and Truveo and others do, which is to say "not on EDGE or 3G." Heck, it seems to me that even apps that are SUPPOSED to work over the cellular network like the built-in YouTube app and Howcast (which doesn't give me a "cannot connect" or "WiFi only" warning) are exceedingly pokey when I connect by 3G, and haven't been doing anything but spinning their wheels even if I leave them alone for a minute. Perhaps that's just the network itself this morning (my email seems to be spinning its wheels, too), but it makes me wonder if at&t is doing anything else on their back end.
Back to the point, though, I can't see anything standing in the way of the SlingPlayer iPhone app. I just see it having to be WiFi-only.
Maybe not. I mean, this IS at&t...
What puzzles me is why Apple cares about large data transfers. It would certainly make sense if the carrier (AT&T) had objections but unless there is an agreement between the various carries and Apple, I don't see why Apple would care.
I have Orb on my iPhone now - it works perfectly well over 3G. Additionally my 3G treo 750 runs sling without any issues on ATT's 3G - so there should be no _technical_ reason (as opposed to Apple's political reason) for forcing only WiFi operation
Finally - if Apple rejects the app, any chance it will appear as a Jailbreak app?
Slingplayer is unique from orb in that it actually shows, you know, LIVE TV. Stop bringing up orb, it is a completely different animal. I'm not saying orb is bad, but it doesnt show LIVE TV, it shows tv shows that you have RECORDED onto your PC.
-
by jmjunique
May 12, 2009 5:03 PM PDT
- Here is the answer. The iPhone SlingPlayer will work on Wi-fi only!....too bad....
-
Like this
Reply to this comment
-
(18 Comments)http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/05/applesling/
[...
When Sling originally submitted its SlingPlayer app, the software had the ability to stream video over the iPhone?s 3G, EDGE and Wi-Fi connections. However, Apple required Sling to modify the app to work with Wi-Fi only, according to Sling.
...]