SlingPlayer 2.0 enters public beta -- without Clip+Sling

SlingPlayer 2.0 was announced way back at CES 2007 (and, uh, re-announced this year) and it looks you'll finally be able to get a taste, public beta style -- but only a taste, since it's missing its most hyped feature, Clip+Sling. If you'll recall, C+S was supposed to let you nab up to 5 minutes of content and share it online with your friends, but it looks like only the local DVR features have made the cut, so while we're still excited about the new 60-minute buffer and EPG, it's not all we've been promised. On the bright side, the holdup isn't technical, it's legal, so once all the appropriate networked partnerships and contracts have been signed, you'll be clipping and slinging like there's no tomorrow. Other minor changes include a tweaked UI (skin support has been dropped) and (finally!) the death of Slingbox Finder IDs in favor of user accounts. Windows-only for now, with a video demo after the break -- let us know how you're doing in comments!

Read - Slingcommunity announcement
Read - Dave Zatz's take

[talwell @ Aug 7th 2008 3:47PM]

I was very happy to finally see this available. I wanted the electronic guide to smooth channel changes and to be able to have no interruption when viewing it.

My first thoughts - electronic guide is super - works great, looks great.

Unfortunately the streaming SUX - it breaks up all the time, freezes and has much lower quality in my scenario.

I have 20 mbps symetric fiber running a quad core pc with 4gb ram. The upload is done on a 10mbps fiber line. Both connections are on the same Verizon fiber network within 2 miles of each other - should be using local routing.

I have a Sprint wireless broadband card installed in my CDMA wireless router in my car. I was able to watch full motion video - full screen and stream about 500kbps with this setup on Slingplayer 1.0. I have to test it on 2.0 beta - but I am thinking the quality is going to be very poor.

BTW- I even turned off the live video buffer to stop the disk writes and try to speed up things - no better results.

[LikesGadgetsWillTravel @ Aug 7th 2008 5:27PM]

Ok, someone who claims to use this, enlighten me -- WHY do you need to watch TV in the car? And why do you need to watch remote TV over FIOS?

[Frankenstein Black @ Aug 9th 2008 10:05AM]

Yep. Installed it, works great so far.
Now what's up with the:
- Sling catcher
- Sling shot
- And Sling blade?
Woops, sorry the last 2 are my inventions!
So bring on the Sling catcher already.
Oh, and talk to you soon ;^)...

[Xultar @ Aug 7th 2008 3:56PM]

Wow, I gotta change my panties.

[GreezyG @ Aug 7th 2008 3:56PM]

douche!

[xor24 @ Aug 7th 2008 4:03PM]

sounds awesome where csn idownload it

[Seminole @ Aug 7th 2008 4:08PM]

You missed the Olympics article...

[tom @ Aug 7th 2008 4:24PM]

I'm using it for the first time and I am getting a better quality than on the old version. I was consistently getting 1200kbps on the old one, and the new one is giving me 1500 so far on a Comcast line. The guide is excellent and the faux-dvr feature looks pretty awesome too.
Very well done I think, hopefully it will be even better when it is fully released.

[michael Jones @ Aug 7th 2008 4:24PM]

what about sling on the iphone? That's what's going to put a player in my living room.

[james @ Aug 7th 2008 4:47PM]

Agreed. I can't imagine that it's too far away (SURELY). Especially seeing the development for other mobile platforms.

[Crooked Style @ Aug 7th 2008 9:23PM]

Apple is gonna delete anyway.

[GPS @ Aug 8th 2008 1:37AM]

Thats also in line buddy.. very soon..

[Justin @ Aug 7th 2008 4:25PM]

You're my HERO!

[michael Jones @ Aug 7th 2008 4:25PM]

is it streaming to the iPhone yet?

[digitalh @ Aug 7th 2008 4:59PM]

Ditto. Any rumors of iPhone support/client?

[C. Espo @ Aug 7th 2008 4:44PM]

Initial reactions:

It's definitely slicker looking in every sense, the installer checks for adobe flash (i dont recall the old one doing this) so this to me indicates some elaborate animations to be seen in the UI. It takes a long time to install, but it's a beta so thats forgiveable.

After install, if you are installing over an existing install, it remembers your slingboxes but you have to immediately set up a sling account (or login if you made one previously) when you go to view your box. You then need to update the box and go through the set up again. This is where I am now, I'll reply as I get further.

[C. Espo @ Aug 7th 2008 4:52PM]

Holly pixels batman, the picture isnt as smoothed as it used to be even with a solid connection speed and maxed buffer it looks far grainier. This for me is a deal breaker for the beta for now. Be aware guys, the picture quality noticeably decreases. Here is a screencap, as you can see I was getting a solid ~650kbps, which on the old player would look a lot better than this.

http://i33.tinypic.com/2rgjdhu.jpg

[Jamoke @ Aug 8th 2008 2:04PM]

Mine didn't do a Flash install because my Flash is up to date. For me it took forever updating my '.net' applications. I think it just makes sure that the API's that it has to have to work are up to date. This is probably why your Flash Updated. Takes forever to install, but I agree that it is slicker. I can't wait for the Clip+Sling. Hopefully that'll make the Public Release!

[Harkonian @ Aug 7th 2008 4:56PM]

"On the bright side, the holdup isn't technical, it's legal..."

Did anyone think it was anything _other_ than legal?

[blomster @ Aug 7th 2008 5:00PM]

Why is it pictured with a TiVo remote?

[WilsonGoneWild @ Aug 7th 2008 5:12PM]

Hmm...maybe because the person who took the screenshot HAS a Tivo?

[Prey521 @ Aug 7th 2008 5:36PM]

I take it that you've never used a SlingBox? lol

[FreeRange @ Aug 7th 2008 6:51PM]

lowercase b.

blomster, the software shows an image of the remote control for the device you have the Slingbox connected to. It could look like a DirecTV, Dish, Comcast..whatever remote. With your mouse you just click on the buttons on the screen and the Slingbox uses IR blasters to process the button push back home.

[blomster @ Aug 7th 2008 8:53PM]

Thanks, FreeRange.

[Craig McRae @ Aug 7th 2008 5:42PM]

AWESOME! that guide is going to save so much buffer time.

[Mark @ Aug 7th 2008 6:05PM]

Slowly, but surely, the features that were promised are being removed. At this rate, the SlingCatcher will be about as useful as Minidisc..

[MegaZone @ Aug 8th 2008 4:31AM]

I'm not sure what you're on about. One feature, Clip+Sling, was postponed until a later update for business reasons. And from that you extrapolate doom?

[Sean @ Aug 7th 2008 6:51PM]

Captions?

[StephenD @ Aug 8th 2008 2:55AM]

Yes. Apparently.

[Graham @ Aug 7th 2008 7:22PM]

"like zodiac signs and turn ons so you'll never have to worry about finding them again"
yes, im very worried that I may forget what turns me on.

[grmcgee @ Aug 7th 2008 7:39PM]

I agree with other posts that streaming quality is a little worse than previous release. Lots of video hesitation and audio breakup, and this is running over a wired ethernet connection to a home LAN to a fast computer. Also, the new guide does not work well. After providing my zip and cable provider, the guide got only partially populated. Channel 0 is listed about 50 times, and then channels 1-99 are listed, and there are no entries for any channel above 99. Cannot find any way to reload the guide, and the guide editing features do not work. The guide shortcomings are a big problem, given that shortcuts no longer appear on the main display. Overall, this feels like alpha code, not beta.

[Steve Childs @ Aug 7th 2008 7:52PM]

I was interested in this until I thought about it.

A) their top of the range box doesn't stream in HD anyway, so although its got a HDMI socket, what's the point.

Oh, and PlayTV is out for the PS3 soon, which I'll be buying. Ok, that doesn't stream HD either (not much point when the PSP isn't HD!), but it also turns the PS3 into a DVR, so its a tad more useful!

[MegaZone @ Aug 8th 2008 4:34AM]

Just to note in case anyone gets the wrong idea, the Slingbox PRO does NOT have an HDMI connection. It has a proprietary connector for the HD Connect dongle, which accepts component input. That connector looks somewhat like an HDMI connector, but it is NOT compatible - not physically not electrically. It is just a compact form factor connector to attach the dongle. The first unit that can actually stream HD, the PRO-HD, is slated for release later this year.

[Sean O @ Aug 7th 2008 8:01PM]

Please correct me if I'm wrong. But aren't Slingbox products a total waste of money considering the fact that Orb is free?

[FreeRange @ Aug 7th 2008 9:51PM]

You're wrong. Orb as software may have been free but how much money did you spend on the computer it's running on?

[Jack Storm @ Aug 7th 2008 11:21PM]

I use both but prefer my Slingbox 10x more.

[Dave Bach @ Aug 8th 2008 11:02AM]

Orb and the Slingbox are far from the same thing. Don't get me wrong, they're both great for different things. I use Orb to access my movies, music, and pictures remotely. But when it comes to watching TV and being able to surf through the channels or skip ahead through a TV program (recorded on my DVR) my Slingbox blows away the Orb offering.

[oxfdblue @ Aug 7th 2008 8:10PM]

Also promised from Sling for the last three to four million years... SlingMobile for the Blackberry.

Talk about vaporware.

Been waiting for that for freakin' ever.

[MegaZone @ Aug 8th 2008 4:29AM]

Try just over 7 months - it was announced at CES in January of this year. And it is coming, currently planned for later this year. We're working with RIM and bringing SPM to Blackberry is non-trivial. We've uncovered a number of issues that had to be resolved to provide a satisfactory product. (Yes, the 'We' means I work for Sling.)

[michael @ Aug 7th 2008 11:38PM]

i gave up my Treo for an iPhone and wnat only one app back really. Hurry up with the Sling on iPhone, would ya!!!

[jambre @ Aug 8th 2008 12:03AM]

I got the new software today and think its great. I have two slingboxes and both are going about the same speed but the video quality is better for me now. The guides are spot on and great.

2.0 is a huge improvement! I'm resold on my slingboxes!

[Mindfield @ Aug 8th 2008 2:39AM]

Can someone please tell me why remotes these days have an alarming tendency to be modelled after a maxi-pad? Is there some kind of subliminal message here I'm just not getting?

[FreeRange @ Aug 8th 2008 10:06AM]

You know, if you're seeing a maxi-pad every time you look at a remote, I think there is something you're trying to tell yourself. Subliminally, of course.

This link should help set your mind at ease: http://gizmodo.com/5017972/story-of-a-peanut-the-tivo-remotes-untold-past-present-and-future

[RogueFive @ Aug 22nd 2008 11:06PM]

on the LAN, I get only half the bitrate I had before. ugh. I can only hope there is still alot of beta-code in the firmware.

[Mark @ Sep 24th 2008 10:19PM]

MegaZone -
Thanks for your Sling updates.
I am a student studying abroad and I bought a DirecTV HD DVR at my home in the US. Now all I need is the Slingbox PRO-HD to sling to my HD-resolution laptop.

My download speed is great, but my upload back in the US is only ~500 not the 1.5MB/s required.. What kind of resolution can I expect? Am I correct in assuming it won't be full HD, but at least better than 480?

Thanks!