Sling opens up Mac SlingPlayer beta

Attention Mac place-shifting fans, you'll probably want to check this one out. It looks like at long last Sling Media's readying their SlingPlayer Mac version (perhaps for WWDC launch next month?), as they've opened it up for private beta over the next two weeks. So if you have a high tolerance for pain and are tired of putting up with running the Windows SlingPlayer client in Parallels, your moment may have arrived. Whereas we can't guarantee anyone will be granted entry to the beta program, you can at least rest assured knowing that we're undoubtedly only weeks away now from the proper Mac client launch -- and with a bit of luck maybe they won't charge us for the player software this time around.

[Thanks, Dave & Ron]

[blackout @ Jul 11th 2006 11:43PM]

first thing i noticed was the icon in the dock.

ugly.

they'll have to fixt that.
or i will have to do some photoshopping.

[Rex @ Jul 11th 2006 11:45PM]

lol are they saying that all Apple users watch
C-SPAN?!

[jbulava @ Jul 12th 2006 12:33AM]

It's about time this gets rolled out. I've been waiting for the mac client since October-ish...now I just need to buy the box.

And agreed, the icon needs to go. It may be a bit cliche, but here's a quick one that I think is ten times better.

http://www.jonbulava.com/ref/sling.jpg

[m @ Jul 12th 2006 12:39AM]

why does everything take so long to be released on a mac?...and people try to tell me you can do everything on a pc that you can on a mac- pshya. consider me the guy in the suit in the commercials in that case.

[BJP @ Jul 12th 2006 12:42AM]

Ugh...

They always show C-Span because of copyright infringement concerns which is actually quite smart. I am sure those network/movie types are just waiting for such a slip from Slingbox.

[BJP @ Jul 12th 2006 12:46AM]

I stand corrected... sort of... I think that C-Span may indeed protect its intellectual property.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C-SPAN#C-SPAN_and_Intellectual_Property

[Bryan @ Jul 12th 2006 1:38AM]

I really hope that the Sont Location Free follows suit.

The only reason I chose the Sony over the Slingbox was becuase the Sony Location free supports PSP.

Please Sony, get the mac client rolling!

[Sean @ Jul 12th 2006 2:21AM]

I also have a LocationFree box and a PSP, and just found a company that's coming out with a mac client. I've ordered the software, but it hasn't shipped yet, so who knows how well it will work. Here's their website...

http://www.iodata.com/usa

[Racer5 @ Jul 12th 2006 2:22AM]

Bryan,

Not that I am promoting Sony over Sling since I like Sling's FREE unlimited client license scheme over Sony's pay-per-seat garbage but if it's a Sony client for mac you want then here you go. Let us know how it works.

http://www.iodata.com/usa/products/products.php?cat=HNP&sc=TLF&ts=2&tsc=&sc=TLF&pId=TLF-MAC%2FE

[BustaCap @ Jul 12th 2006 2:24AM]

And the legion of 6 mac users rejoiced at their ever expansive viewing options.

[j annis @ Jul 12th 2006 3:03AM]

O' I guess that number is 7 now.

[Thom Brooks @ Jul 12th 2006 3:12AM]

Bustacap - lame. ElGato's EyeTV 200 and 500 are some seriously nice products, for folks who are willing to pay decent money for good products. EyeTV 2 rev was really excellent, adding a ton of new features and it's universal.

happy to be one of the six, I guess. :)

[Dave Zatz @ Jul 12th 2006 10:15AM]

FYI The Mac Slingplayer will be FREE once it's released. :)

[Harbinger @ Jul 12th 2006 11:44AM]

As an interface designer, what's with the horrendous dock icon and on-screen remote? Designers forget the point of computers is not only to emulate tangible hardware, but to make the interface elegant as well. Glad the software is being released, but how about a v2.0 facelift?

[AllMadeInTaiwan @ Jul 12th 2006 12:55PM]

Dave,
You sure on the pricing? The Mobile client isn't free..

[Bryan @ Jul 12th 2006 4:27PM]

Thanks for the link to the MAC Driver guys. However, $40 is a joke for some simple driver/client utility.

I am going to hold of on buying that (reason stated above), but once my macbook comes back, I'm gonna run it through bootcamp, so hopefully all is well for me.

[Robert Clegg @ Jul 12th 2006 6:14PM]

The Mac Client is completley 100% free- it has been confirmed by slingmedia... cheers rob

[AllMadeInTaiwan @ Jul 12th 2006 7:10PM]

Robert,

Do you have a link to anything that officially states that? I looked at the Sling Media website but couldn't find anything.

[Jeremy Toeman @ Jul 12th 2006 8:47PM]

Hey there, thought I'd jump in and add some details. First, we will (unfortunately) not be launching at MacWorld - we are only going into private beta at this time. Our final public release is a few months away. More details on the Mac release here (including pricing): http://www.slingcommunity.com/blog/9/13338/

With regards to the icons and such, what you see pictured is not reflective of the final version!

Best,
Jeremy
VP,
Market Development, Sling Media

[Todd @ Jul 13th 2006 3:39PM]

Nice... A Mac media software product showing what appears to be a screenshot of C-SPAN being tuned in by an UltimateTV unit. It's a discontinued Microsoft-based PVR product developed for DirecTV. Sony and RCA were at least 2 brands, but there may have been more at some point.

What a co-inky-dink.

[Andrew @ Oct 20th 2006 11:59PM]

Interesting that sling would ship a product to stores with a retail box which indicates that they support OS X when they do not at this stage. I thought that was illegal in the US?

I hope someone calls them on their marketing tricks.

I am also disappointed to see that CompUSA & Best Buy let this slip. Who can you trust now days. They all seem to be playing the same game.

Have a read for an update on the OS X client..

http://www.i4u.com/article6882.html