Older Slingboxes won't work with SlingPlayer for iPhone

Looks like all that pent-up demand for SlingPlayer for iPhone has caused the suits at Sling to go mad with greed -- the company just posted up a page saying that owners of every older SlingBox save the Slingbox PRO will have to upgrade to a Slingbox SOLO or Slingbox PRO-HD in order to stream to iPhones. Yes, this is totally ridiculous: we've been told that the limitation is purely money-driven and that previous builds of the iPhone client worked just fine with older Sling hardware -- hell, if a Palm Centro can stream off the original Slingbox, there's no reason at all the vastly more powerful iPhone can't hack it. Sling's offering a $50 credit to owners of older hardware, but honestly, we can't say some token coupon is going to take away from the bitter taste of a forced upgrade here -- unless Sling comes up with legitimate technical reason for crippling such highly-anticipated software like this, we'd say it's about to piss off a lot of formerly-happy Sling customers.

[Via SlingCommunity; thanks David]

[Mike10010100 @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:04AM]

Snicker. Yay corporate greed!

[CleverEndeavor @ Apr 2nd 2009 1:07AM]

as always!

[AVG @ Apr 2nd 2009 1:11AM]

"about to piss off a lot of formerly-happy Sling customers"

Okay, Nilay. So they were happy before, but since they aren't getting MORE than they are apparently currently happy with, now they will be pissed off...? Does it ever end? It's like the people who bitched about extra content in RE5 costing extra.

[StephenD @ Apr 2nd 2009 1:12AM]

Well not only will they miss out on my money for an upgrade, but they won't get my money for the App either (which will doubtless cost a fortune). Double whammy. Don't these morons know there's a credit crunch on?

It's funny - I remember the Sling Team practically begging us to buy a Slingbox back in the early days when they were trying to get the company off the ground - not those of us that did exactly that are getting a slap for our faith in them.

Jerks.

[Kim @ Apr 2nd 2009 6:16AM]

I have a slingbox pro and a hava Monsoon titanium. Gotta say by far the better box is the monsoon. Better quality, better setup, better options. etc. So go ahead sling, be greedy. All the way into oblivion.

[Jack Storm @ Apr 2nd 2009 8:43AM]

Watch them tell me my SlingBox Pro wont work with any new software they come out with for my computers or winmo phone...

[kal326 @ Apr 2nd 2009 9:38AM]

The Apple Tax, it's spreading....

[Rafy @ Apr 2nd 2009 10:15AM]

Wow I can't believe Sling is doing this to the iPhone/iTouch community. Especially when you know they are trying to get the app approved with the word of the press/popularity. Why do you think they making announcements when the application was submitted to Apple? They know that Apple listens to its customers and that there will be a big outcry if Apple doesn't approve this app. Now they haven't publicly announced that a upgrade is needed because they need the people, and don't want the community angry at this.

I'll continue to use my Slingbox AV, but definitely not upgrading. It's bad enough I already paid for the mobile software for windows mobile, but I bet they can't transfer it to the iPhone app.

[OneLove @ Apr 2nd 2009 10:57AM]

ridonkulous!

[Frankenstein Black @ Apr 2nd 2009 11:07AM]

Another DICK MOVE by the DOUCHE Network suits!
PS Dish, er Douche, owns Sling...

[Frankenstein Black @ Apr 2nd 2009 11:28AM]

One more thing - Hey Sling (Ra/Jen, etc.), tell your Dish Network overlords that this obvious money grab attempt is “bad for business” especially in the long run. If you don’t, we will never sign the NDA and our development house will make sure that SlingShot and SlingBlade will NEVER see the light of day. Better still, we will shop them to someone else. We will be waiting to hear/read the “updated/corrected” press release!

PS By the ballz GEEK POWER for life bitches!!

[Johnny @ Apr 2nd 2009 11:30AM]

"Another DICK MOVE by the DOUCHE Network suits!
PS Dish, er Douche, owns Sling..."

Yep, that explains it. They lost me as a customer a while back for dickish moves like this. Dish, that is.

[C. Espo @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:47PM]

Digg this up to spread the exposure of this BS

http://digg.com/apple/Older_Slingboxes_won_t_work_with_SlingPlayer_on_iPhone

[you @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:04AM]

i dont believe.

[Aaron @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:09AM]

Screw those hippies!

[rock99rock @ Apr 2nd 2009 1:36AM]

www.orb.com

[Epsilon-Not @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:09AM]

Clear evidence that Palm Centro > Apple iPhone.

[reddyroc @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:13AM]

except that the phone itself has nothing to do with the fact that its the douchebags at sling that have done this. therefore you fail.

[Douglas Bailey @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:51AM]

No, it's clear evidence that iPhone is better than Centro because Sling didn't even bother putting the limitations on the Centro. They did it because of greater demand for iPhone.

[patriotsn1 @ Apr 2nd 2009 1:02AM]

Wow you iphone users are sensitive.. I think the OP was joking, then again when a phone lacks as much as yours does, you get defensive. (Not meant as an attack, but come on, the iphone lacks a LOT of features other phone have had for a while)

[VanillaSpice @ Apr 2nd 2009 8:45PM]

@patriotsn1 - so, when a troll makes a "(other phone) > iPhone" comment, that is humorous and we should all get the joke, but when a toll makes a "iPhone > (other phone)" comment, it is okay for all the haters to get mad and spew forth the bile that they do spew forth when such a comment appears?

Find any "iPhone > (other phone)" troll comment, look at the replies to it, and then tell me who is defensive.

[GreezyG @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:12AM]

I've had the Slingbox (original) for like 3.5 years now. I LOVE IT! and saw NO reason to upgrade.... Now I'm pissed... this is effed up!

What really sucks is they KNOW I will buy a new slingbox anways! I hate you lol

[Kurian @ Apr 2nd 2009 2:50AM]

You were stupid enough the buy the iPhone, so you'll buy a new box too.

[GreezyG @ Apr 2nd 2009 3:10AM]

Stupid enough? Stupid enough to buy a music player, movie player, email reader, web browser, cell phone all in one?
I use this thing all day every day, it helps me relax during my commute, it helps me do my job, it helps me keep in touch with *gasp* friends. You may not like the thing but don't judge me for owning one you arrogant troll.

[pki730 @ Apr 2nd 2009 6:09AM]

I definitely won't be buying one if this is not an April fools joke. It would be borderline robbery for sling to cripple the original boxes like this. www.orb.com.

[MJZimmer88 @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:15AM]

For some reason, I have a feeling "Server Capacity" or "Bandwidth Capacity" or some other shpeal is going to be thrown around by a suit or two... either way it seems like I'll be upgrading to the Solo...

[MJZimmer88 @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:18AM]

Note: I wrote this comment up... and then edited it for language. This was all that was left.

PS: Fyck you jackholes at the top...

[nerdtalker @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:18AM]

I could legitimately see something like that being the case if it was a matter of the newer Slingboxes using H.264 or VC-1 or some better codec that the older Slingboxes don't have the processing power to do in real time for the bitrates possible over AT&T to the iPhone smoothly.

Other than that, there shouldn't be any reason (technically) to impose such a constraint.

Honestly, I think it's Slingbox wanting to sell another round of boxes to everyone hopping on the iPhone craze.

[Eric @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:19AM]

The truth is Slingbox classic blows new Sling products away. When you consider the bandwidth limitation nowadays, streaming HD is BS. And new firmwares from Sling are much less usable than the one they produced 2 years ago.
Seriously, why would anyone has Slingbox classic wanna upgrade it?

[sr @ Apr 2nd 2009 2:49AM]

Even the player software has gotten worse. I mean really Hava looks like a much better product. Multiple streams, integrates with Wondows Media Center and cost $110 on their website for the HD version. I mean if I need a new "Sling" product I'll just get Hava instead.

Pkus I use S60 So my phone Hava player is free, not the $30 Sling charges.

[Kevin @ Apr 2nd 2009 1:48PM]

I really hope this Engadget story turns out to be wrong. If it's true, this is ridiculous. I'm super ready to be pissed off, but I'm just hoping that instead Engadget is wrong... Crapola...

[zachary miller @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:22AM]

Nilay you are totally correct about pissing of Sling Happy Customers. They just lost their CEO, I had a feeling there was a problem between the sling team and EchoStar and I think I know what was going on. I think that kevorkian or whatever the last CEO's name was told by EchoStar not to support the older boxes and push forward demand for the new integrated cable/sling boxes.

[BarryBee @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:25AM]

APRIL FOOLS!!!!?? There's still time left.

[Yankees368 @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:26AM]

Good thing I will still be able to use my SlingBox Classic on my good ole Windows Mobile powered Touch Pro. Suck it, iPhone.

[Albert @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:26AM]

Complete guess on my part could be that newer slingboxes may have better compression tech, and so the iphone stream wouldn't be as bandwith hungry? Never really an issue with other phones, but given iphone popularity its now an issue.

[Brent @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:28AM]

On the Canadian sling site they confirm this story, hopefully customers create enough of an uproar to overthrow this poor business decision

[Adam @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:30AM]

I have a sling box Solo, but I don't have an Iphone.

[MJZimmer88 @ Apr 2nd 2009 9:52AM]

Then you are obviously not important.

[Rick @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:39AM]

That's bullshit. Screw 'em.

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:46AM]

"...has caused the suits at Sling to go mad with greed"
-This line strikes me as funnier than anything I've read in a long time. Nice work, Nilay Patel.

[Nohone @ Apr 2nd 2009 1:56AM]

Actually, I laughed when I read Nilay's "outrage" about this. Anger over older Sling hardware not working on the iPhone, but a few weeks ago when Apple said that some 3.0 featrues would not work on the original iPhone (really, why the restriction using bluetooth headphones on older iPhones), there was no outrage, just praise. Wonder why?

[Martin @ Apr 3rd 2009 2:58PM]

There was both outrage and praise. You just choose to remember only that which supports your own viewpoint.

[Deano @ Apr 2nd 2009 12:56AM]

Um...April Fools, right?

seriously?

WTF

[Chowbaby @ Apr 2nd 2009 1:11AM]

Might it be possible that the iPhone/Touch don't support the codec that the original Slingboxes use? And that maybe the new ones use h.264, which there is support for? Apple really limits things with their own video player, and I very much doubt that their API offers the kind of direct hardware access that Sling would need to write their own driver (not to mention Apple would never let it in the store if they did, in fact, use "undocumented APIs"). As much as I think Sling has gone downhill and that this is probably just one more manifestation of it, I think it's just as possible this is yet another victim of Apple's "our way or the highway" approach to apps.

[Bootes @ Apr 2nd 2009 9:57AM]

This is what I was thinking, but they had it working on 1.x firmware, and the beta version worked with older SlingBoxes. Also, if it was because of something like that, I doubt they would talk about how they chose to not to support older models when they could blame this on Apple

[Eater Alumn @ Apr 2nd 2009 1:03AM]

I used to use my trusty slingbox tuner with my winmo phone. I've been looking forward to an iphone client for close to two years now. If this is really true, and not just some features not working with older hardware, it will be a HUGE blow. A lot of people are gonna be pissed off.

[knowledge @ Apr 2nd 2009 1:03AM]

Slingbox is shooting themselves in the foot by forcing people to upgrade. It's just going to cause them to lose sales from their Slingbox app. I'll be damned if i'm buying another $300 Slingbox.

[Sunny Singh @ Apr 2nd 2009 1:06AM]

I can't believe this. I too was an original beta tester for the slingbox back in 2004. I still have 3 of those original slingboxes working just fine. And to top it off, sling just released a new firmware upgrades for those boxes. I'm totally shocked and sling media may just have lost another one of their loyal customers for the past five years. Very disappointing.

[Adam @ Apr 2nd 2009 1:34AM]

I'll take one

[Brian @ Apr 2nd 2009 1:06AM]

not only will i not buy a new box, they won't get the $50 i was willing to pay for the iphone software either