SlingPlayer compatibility confirmed for Palm Centro

Add the new Palm Centro to the list of smartphones that can stream live TV from the Slingbox family of placeshifting devices. Sling today confirmed what was widely assumed: the Palm OS version of the SlingPlayer Mobile software is fully compatible with Sprint's new bargain smartphone. (The current version of the software may warn Centro users that they're about to install it on a noncompatible device, but that minor glitch should be corrected in the next build, says Sling spokesman Dave Zatz.)

Confirmation of Centro compatibility is hardly a big surprise, given that the SlingPlayer runs on Palm's previous two 3G smartphones, the Treo 700p and 755p. (Some users have reported success--albeit decidedly jerky video--on the non-3G Treo 650 and 680 models.) But the bigger news is that the price of entry for streaming live TV to your phone is getting lower than ever: the Slingbox AV is widely available for $130 (often discounted to $100), and the Centro retails for just $100 with contract. Toss in the $30 for the Palm SlingPlayer software, and you've got complete access to your TV programming wherever you are for under $260. To me, that's a far better deal in the long run than paying the $10-25 monthly fees for Sprint's Sprint TV service--which, unlike Sling, offers fewer channels and no access to your home DVR.