SlingPlayer Mobile app hits the iPad (update: only works with SOLO and PRO-HD)
SlingPlayer Mobile for iPad was looking pretty slick when we saw a preview a couple weeks ago, and now, just like that, it's arrived at the App Store. Folks who already invested in the iPhone app might be a bit disappointed to find they need to fork out another $30 for the iPad version -- although they can keep using the iPhone app in "Compatibility Mode" if they'd like -- but Sling is touting new video quality levels for the iPad, that your iPhone can only dream of, to sweeten the deal. There's also a new program guide UI and other iPad-friendly tweaks. Check out that video preview after the break to learn more, or just hit up your local App Store and start downloading (it's rolling out in typical App Store fashion, which means it might take a few minutes to pop up in your particular iTunes).
Update: We were having trouble getting our Slingbox PRO to work with the app, but it turns out that's on purpose: it doesn't work. That's right, Sling just pulled a Sling and has made obsolete another set of its own hardware. The only iPad compatible Slingboxes are the Slingbox SOLO and the PRO-HD, which is a bit confusing given that the iPhone app has a wider compatibility list. Sling says Apple wanted them to stick with a higher resolution than some of their older hardware could support, but it seems pretty lame that they can't just upsample the video as a fallback. There's a $50 voucher that will apparently be offered for Slingbox owners who want to upgrade, which will help them buy expensive hardware that will no doubt be obsolete by the time Sling decides to support a new piece of Apple hardware. Not that we're bitter or anything...
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Sling Media Announces Availability of SlingPlayer Mobile for iPad
App Transforms iPad into a TV
FOSTER CITY, Calif., Nov. 24, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Sling Media, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (Nasdaq: SATS), today announced the availability of the SlingPlayer Mobile™ player for the Apple iPad. Available for purchase on the iTunes App Store, SlingPlayer Mobile software for iPad lets Slingbox® owners extend their living room TV experience to their iPad and takes advantage of the iPad's high-resolution, 9.7-inch LED-backlit display for great video quality. The revamped program guide uses the iPad's intuitive native interface, and a recent channels feature puts a viewer's recent channels at his fingertips.
"A Slingbox is the perfect accessory to an iPad," said John M. Paul, executive vice president of products at Sling Media. "When combined with the new SlingPlayer Mobile app, now anyone with an iPad can enjoy a beautiful, personalized TV experience anywhere in the world."
How it Works
When connected to a Slingbox SOLO or PRO-HD, the award-winning SlingPlayer Mobile software makes it easy to watch your home TV on your iPad. Now Slingbox owners with iPads can change channels, control their DVRs and watch their favorite shows anywhere they have an internet connection. They never have to miss another show or game, no matter where they are.
Pricing and Availability
SlingPlayer Mobile for iPad is available now for U.S. $29.99, UK GBP Sterling 17.99, and 23.99 Euros from the App Store on the iPad or at http://itunes.com/apps/slingplayermobile. SlingPlayer Mobile for iPad can be purchased from the iTunes Store, downloaded, and installed in minutes.
The SlingPlayer Mobile application for iPhone will continue to work in "Compatibility Mode" on the iPad at no extra charge. The iPhone version of the app streams from all Slingboxes, but not at the higher quality resolutions required for the iPad.
About Sling Media
Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (Nasdaq: SATS), is the leading provider of video place shifting products and services for consumers and television service providers. Sling Media's product family includes the internationally acclaimed, Emmy award-winning Slingbox that allows consumers to watch and control their living room television shows at any time, from any location, using internet-connected PCs, Macs, PDAs and smartphones. For more information, visit www.slingmedia.com.
