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Sling TV touts 2.2 million subscribers as cord cutting continues
With how popular cord-cutting is, you'd think more services would be keen to share their subscriber stats. Dish pulled back the curtain today and revealed that its Sling TV service has some 2.2 million folks paying for the service. That's compared to just over 11 million Dish satellite customers. Those numbers don't mean a ton on their own, but when you compare them to AT&T's DirecTV Now numbers you can get a sense of where each are at. Last October, the telco reported that its streaming service had 787,000 subscribers. Of course, Sling TV has been around around a year longer, so that's to be expected.
The best subscriptions and gift cards to buy as (last-minute) gifts
Need a last-minute gift? No one will argue if you buy them a gift card to a streaming service. Included in our holiday gift guide are all the usual suspects: Apple Music, Amazon Prime, Netflix in UHD, Hulu, Sling TV and HBO Now. (And there were many others that we considered that didn't quite make the cut, but that still make for solid options.) Assuming you order soon, you also still have time to pick up a streamer with which your loved one can actually enjoy these services. We recommend two in particular: the Apple TV 4K at the high end, and the Roku Ultra in the $100 range.
Stream Sling TV on the web from the comforts of Chrome
Today, the popular live TV streaming service Sling announced a new browser-based player for Google Chrome. The feature is in beta but it's available to all current Sling users.
The best apps and streaming services for students
It's true that most of Engadget's back-to-school guide has comprised, well, gadgets, but as every nerd knows, a piece of hardware is only as good as the software it runs. That's why, to close out our guide, we wanted to highlight some apps and services worth downloading or subscribing to. On the media front, this is as good a time as any to see if you can survive in the adult world as a cord-cutter -- it's not like you're going to have a cable subscription in your dorm room, after all. If your parents are willing to share (or at least foot the bill), we recommend loading up on subscriptions to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and HBO Now -- you'll want different programs from each at some point. If you're a gamer and own a PlayStation, Sony's PS Now service is also worth the extra bucks, while Xbox One owners might want to pony up for EA Access. Music lovers will enjoy either Apple Music or Spotify, but your choice will come down partially to the other devices you own. As for schoolwork (yes, that thing), Google Drive is our favorite cloud-storage service, while Evernote and Bear both rank highly against other note-taking apps. Adobe's Creative Cloud could be worth it (or even necessary), depending on your major. Oh, and if you're worried about the "freshman 15," try MyFitnessPal -- it's a free app many of Engadget's own editors use to keep their calorie intake in check.
Sling’s video production device can use DJI drones for footage
Earlier this year, Sling released its multi-camera video production device SlingStudio that made it a heck of alot easier to juggle multiple feeds for live or edited video. Today the company announced that the platform will now be compatible with DJI drone systems, including models from the Phantom, Inspire and Matrice series. "SlingStudio simplifies production for videographers looking to film with multiple drones, or drones in combination with ground cameras," said Dish CTO Vivek Khemka in a statement, "Its wireless, drone friendly setup allows drone pilots to capture footage without being limited by cords or cumbersome film equipment."
Sling tries to lure customers with an AirTV bundle
Sling has realized that it also needs a dirt-cheap hardware offering to help hook wary users into cutting the cord. That's why it's heavily discounting the AirTV Player, which lets you access local channels and Netflix, from a single, Roku-esque box. Normally, the device would set you back $130, including three months of Sling service, but can be yours for $50, depending on your subscription fee.
Sling TV's Cloud DVR records your guilty pleasures on Apple TV
Two weeks after Sling TV rolled out its Cloud DVR feature to Android and Roku users, the streaming service is now doing the same for people who own an Apple TV. "First Look," which was introduced last November, lets Sling TV subscribers get 50 hours of DVR storage by paying an extra $5 per month. Any recorded TV shows or movies can be watched across different devices, regardless of platform, and they never expire from an active account. It's great for those of you who decided to cut the cord completely, since features like this have traditionally required a pay-TV subscription or some sort of third-party hardware.
SlingStudio makes multi-camera video production a reality for all
Putting video on the internet is easier than ever -- even livestreaming has been dramatically simplified, thanks to products like Periscope and Facebook Live. But video production gets much more complex when you bring multiple cameras into the mix, which is useful for covering live events from different angles. At that point, you'd typically need to bring in professionals who know how to use complex studio equipment. Sling believes it has a better option with the SlingStudio, a $999 device that makes it dramatically simpler for anyone to wirelessly juggle multi-camera video production. And yes, it even works for livestreaming.
Sling TV launches new Extra channel bundles
It's no secret that Sling wants to overthrow the sluggish cable providers. But as more an more people start cutting the cord, Sling is finding out that some of them aren't quite ready to ditch the channel packages that they're used to. Now, to cover the middle ground between broadcast TV, streaming services and a complete cable replacement, Sling is introducing new channel bundles for fans of Comedy, News, Lifestyle or Children's programming.
Sling TV accidentally reveals its set-top box for cord cutters
The Sling TV team has inadvertently spilled the beans on its previously leaked media hub for cord cutters. Zatz Not Funny discovered a briefly available landing website for the AirTV Player, and it's clearer than ever that Sling (read: Dish) is catering to those determined to leave cable and satellite behind. The set-top box will revolve around a home screen that merges over-the-air TV tuning with not only Sling TV, but Netflix -- you won't have to jump between apps or devices to watch both your local news and the latest season of Black Mirror. And since this is an Android device (notice the "G" button on the remote), there's a good chance that other online services will be available as well.
Sling TV just added even more kids programming
It seems like every other month, at least, Sling TV brings new content to its video-streaming service. That's great for those of you who pay $20 (or more) for the monthly subscription. The latest update, announced today, focuses on adding even more programming to the Kids Extra bundle. You'll now find over 200 on-demand TV shows and movies from Kabillion, Kaboom and Splash, in addition to what's been available from Disney Junior, TeenNick, NickToons and other similar channels.
Sling TV launches a native Windows 10 app with Cortana support
For the last year and a half, Sling TV has been gradually improving its cord-cutting TV service. Chromcast support, more channels and an updated interface have all made the streaming television solution better -- but viewers on Windows have been stuck on the service's original UI for months. Not anymore: Today the company launched a new, native Windows 10 app to save desktop users from obsolescence.
Sling TV tests a multi-stream service with catches
As helpful as Sling TV might be for cutting the cord, its one-stream-at-a-time model has its limits. It rules out your family watching across multiple TVs, for instance, or (gasp) sharing with friends. Thankfully, the Dish-owned service isn't deaf to your requests: it's beta testing a $20 per month multi-stream option that lets up to three people watch at once. Besides giving you more freedom, the move also brings Fox channels that aren't available with a single stream, such as Fox Locals, Fox Sports and FX. You'll also get a few other channels that were either previously unavailable or limited to add-on packages, like Univision (normally an extra).
Sling TV CEO on the competition and internet TV's future
Sling TV was the big winner at CES 2015. The internet TV service, which is owned by Dish, took home multiple awards from the show, along with dominating the news cycle throughout the first few weeks of January. And that shouldn't come as a surprise: For the first time, people in the US had a decent and economical alternative to traditional pay television. It was a cord-cutter's dream. Unfortunately for Sling TV, gaining popularity at such a fast pace turned out to be a double-edged sword. In the first real stress test for its servers, Sling TV didn't cope well during the stream of the NCAA's Final Four basketball tournament, leading the company to apologize to subscribers. A month later, the Game of Thrones season five premiere created another problem for the service, with many users missing out on it due to issues with Sling TV's Roku app. But that was then, says Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch, who I had the chance to interview at CES 2016. As part of our discussion, he also talked about other challenges faced since launch; the competition from Comcast and Time Warner cable; and what's going on with the long-awaited Sling TV app for PlayStation 4. (Hint: Lynch says the ball is in Sony's court.)
Sling TV redesign makes it easy to find your favorite content
Since launching at last year's CES, Sling TV has focused on supporting more devices and expanding its content portfolio. Now, the cord-cutter-friendly service is revealing a major redesign, one that's all about putting your favorite movies and TV shows front and center, rather than fixating on specific network channels. The new myTV tab, for example, lets you easily access your most recently watched programming and other favorited items, which blends nicely with that newly improved guide. Sling TV says the fresh UI boasts is more contextually aware too, as it can adapt to your behavior based on time of day, location and platform you're using.
Sling TV adds local content to its Latino streaming service
Sling TV recently began catering some services to Spanish-speaking subscribers. In June, the company introduced Sling Latino, a standalone package for people who only wanted access to video content in Español. Today, as part of these plans to reach a broader audience, Sling TV announced it's adding local broadcast feeds from Univision and UniMas to its Latino streaming service. This will give viewers the ability to watch programming that's restricted to certain areas, such as local news shows.
Sling TV shows off its improved guide for the Xbox One
As great as Sling TV is, the user interface isn't the best. One of the biggest problems is that it isn't easy to find the content you're looking for, but the company's well aware of this and has been working on a fix. Today, Sling TV announced the first of "several" planned updates to its UI, starting with the app for Xbox One. Aside from bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements to the streaming quality, Sling TV is refreshing the guide on Microsoft's entertainment console -- which should make it less tedious for you to quickly come across the live and on-demand shows you want to watch. For example, when you're browsing the guide and set on a channel, hitting up on the Xbox One controller's d-pad or joystick now brings up all the content available for each network. You'll also find better imagery throughout the app, with a focus on cast, crew and episode artwork.
Sling TV says Comcast/NBC doesn't want to run its ads
Just as Comcast dips its toe in the internet TV business, Sling TV is claiming that the giant is refusing to run ads for its service on NBC stations that it owns. According to Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch (last seen walking off with our Best of CES Overall Winner trophy), the ads are running across other broadcasters, and on NBC stations not owned by Comcast. If the idea was to cut down on the number of people seeing an alternative to the cable setup, that may have backfired since you're reading this right now. Comcast's NBC stations aren't running the ads in three cities (San Diego, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.), but the internet stretches much further.
Lawsuit claims Sling tricked viewers by introducing ads
Don't like that your Slingbox setup is dishing out ads when it wasn't before? You're not alone. Two viewers have sued Sling Media for allegedly pulling a "bait and switch" on existing customers, serving them ads that they hadn't actually agreed to see. It's tantamount to fraud, according to the lawsuit, and it's particularly egregious when many viewers paid $300 or more for their set-top boxes.
Sling TV targets Latino viewers with latest channel bundles
The content programming spree for Sling TV continues today. Now, the company has announced two $5 bundles intended for the Spanish-speaking community in the US. Deportes Extra is one of them, featuring beIN Sports en Español, beIN Sports (English), Univision, Univision Deportes and UniMas. The other, Peliculas & Novelas Extra, comes with channels like Az Corazon, Cinelatino, De Pelicula, Pasiones and a pair that carry over from the sports-focused bundle: Univision and UniMas. Both packages are perfect for people who like watching football (soccer) and Latin American soap operas, better known as novelas.
