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Sling sends some users offline with PRO-HD update, issues fix
"Having difficulty with your PRO-HD this week?" That announcement headlining the Slingbox Answers Forum sums it up: a software update pushed last week "caused some Slingbox PRO-HD models to appear unavailable for TV streaming" -- a fairly significant issue, considering TV streaming is what these things do. Sling Media has since released a fix, but your device will need to connect to the internet to receive it. A spokesperson said that a "very small percentage" of users were affected, and that power cycling the device and waiting 10 minutes should solve the problem, as each box is programmed to connect and check for updates during the boot sequence. One Pro-HD owner wrote in claiming that the new software "bricked" his unit, meaning it's unable to power-up to receive the new update. If you're experiencing a similar issue, Sling suggests calling customer service at (877) 467-5464 -- mentioning the failed firmware update should help you avoid that nasty $30 service call charge. [Thanks, Tom]
SlingPlayer for Google TV teased on video, beta program opens up soon
We got a hint of Sling's desire to let users catch their video streams directly on TV without a box during CES 2010, and now there's video of the company showing off its SlingPlayer for Connected Devices app on Google TV. We caught a a preview at CES earlier this year, but interested Slingbox owners (SOLO and PRO-HD boxes only, just like the mobile apps) can sign up for the upcoming beta at the link below. We're wondering if this app could be based on Flash, which could allow for easy porting to other embedded TV platforms with Adobe Flash & Air support like Samsung's Smart Hub. Also not lost in the moment is the ability for the Google TV to show some potential, since it desperately needs for the list of things it actually can do well to garner more attention than the list of things it's blocked from doing.
SlingPlayer Mobile updated with video out
Dig out your TV component cables if you have the SlingPlayer Mobile app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod -- the latest version of the software now supports high quality mode video out to your television. Version 2.1 of the popular TV-streaming app also includes a few unspecified bug fixes. You'll need at least 800 Kbps of bandwidth over Wi-Fi or 500 Kbps over 3G for it to work on your iPhone 4, or 1200 and 800 respectively on your iPad. There goes the weekend... [via Engadget]
SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone & iPad updated with video out support
If you have an iPod, iPhone or iPad with the SlingPlayer Mobile app, you now have a Slingbox to go since the app was just updated with support for video out over component cables in high quality mode. Version 2.1 also includes a few unspecified bugfixes, but we're figuring the opportunity to watch TV, on a TV in high bitrate streams is more than enough to get users mashing that update button and digging out their unused connectors. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
App review: SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Phone 7
For better or for worse, the latest SlingPlayer Mobile app is very much like its other flavors: same easy preparation, a familiar interface, and a similarly tear-inducing $30 price tag.
The SlingPlayer coming to the Google TV
Wrap your head around this one, you have your Google TV connected to your TV and your DVR, and now you'll soon be able to connect to a Sling Box in other room, house, city, country, and watch that content too. This Flash app optimized for Google TV was on display at CES and reminds us more of the Sling Player app on a portable than a Google TV app. No word on when it might be available or how much it'll cost -- you didn't think it'd be free did you? -- but it did seem to work pretty well in our short time with it. %Gallery-113341%
Sling hooks up with Verizon to rent Slingboxes to LTE customers
Looks like Verizon is shopping for ways to get its brand spanking new 4G airwaves loaded, because Sling's just announced an unusual subscription-based deal with them that should kill the upfront cost normally associated with buying a Slingbox and a $30 SlingPlayer Mobile app. Monthly pricing hasn't yet been announced, but if you've got one of Verizon's new LTE phones, you'll have the option of getting some dollar figure tacked onto your monthly bill and a box will get shipped to your door on loan; cancel the subscription, and you'll presumably have to return it or pay a fee. It's an interesting shift in Sling's business model, but from Verizon's perspective, it's also got an air of anti-net neutrality to it -- especially if the $30 SlingPlayer option in the Market goes away. Here's hoping it doesn't! Follow the break for the full press release.
SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone updated with better quality video and a new guide
SlingPlayer Mobile for the iPhone and iPod touch has been updated to version 2.0. The guide is improved, matching the iPad version, and video streaming quality is improved if you have a Slingbox SOLO or Pro-HD model. Happily, older Slingboxes will still work with this update, but you won't get the highest level of picture quality. The update is free if you previously bought the stratospherically priced (US $29.99) app. To get customers on the newer hardware, the Sling people are offering upgrades at $50.00 off on a Slingbox PRO-HD or SOLO or $150.00 off of a refurbished PRO-HD. Sling tech support notes that users with the SOLO or HD-PRO will have to update the software on their desktop machines as well. Users should also be reminded that if they have both an iPhone and iPad and are buying the apps for the first time, they each sell for $29.99. Ouch.
Slingplayer Mobile for iPhone updated to 2.0 with high quality video streaming and new guide
Say hello to the version 2.0 of SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone and iPod Touch devices, which improves over v1.2 and its 3G streaming by adding the high quality video and new program guide features seen in the iPad version. Fortunately, this time Sling hasn't made any of its older hardware obsolete, while taking advantage of the new HQ streams will require a SOLO or PRO-HD box (and minimum 800 kbps WiFi / 500 kbps 3G connection) older Slingboxes will still work, just with lower quality video. Check the screens for a peek at the new look or just head over to iTunes, grab the new version and let us know how it's working out. %Gallery-110516% [Thanks, David]
TV on your iPad: A roundup of useful apps
The iTunes Store is a great place to find episodes of TV shows that you might have missed, or even catch up on past seasons, but it's only one of several options available. Netflix offers a free iPad app to watch movies and TV shows for those who have signed up for their $8/month streaming service (or higher). An iPhone/iPod touch app is also available. Netflix still has more shows available via DVD than instant streaming, but there's still plenty there. Hulu has a free Hulu Plus app for iPad or iPhone/iPod touch for those who use their $8/month service. Unfortunately some shows which are available at Hulu.com are not available to Hulu Plus users, but there is still a lot of content available. My biggest complaint with Hulu is that their content contains ads and their catalog changes, so something that is available today might not be viewable tomorrow.
DISH Network updates Remote Access TV app to work with iPad
There's a new version of Dish Network's Remote Access app, and for iPad users running iOS 4 or higher it's got a killer feature. Subscribers will now not only have the ability to manage their DVR and schedule recordings away from home, but to also watch live TV on their iPad. While the Remote Access app itself is free and available from the App Store, streaming live video and DVR content (branded as "TV Everywhere" by Dish) requires a ViP 922 Slingloaded DVR or the purchase of a Sling Adapter for US $99.99 to worth with a ViP 722 or ViP 722k HD DuoDVR. Using a single USB connection to your internet-connected DVR, the Sling Adapter allows users to watch live satellite TV via a web browser, the Sling client or the Remote Access app. You can also watch via your Mac (on watch.slingbox.com or dishonline.com), although the processor requirements (2.8GHz Core 2 Duo or better) are pretty steep, and the browser plugin requires Snow Leopard users to run Safari in 32-bit mode. While Electronista says that the app should also work on a fast 3G link, I highly doubt you will be receiving any hi-def video via that connection. Dish offers a connection tester tool that will let you prequalify your speed and your computer for streaming video. We have talked about the SlingPlayer for iPad app before, but for those Dish Network customers out there this should definitely free up your ability to watch satellite TV from somewhere other than your couch.
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...
SlingPlayer for iPad now available [update: does not work with PRO]
Just a week after the teaser video was released, SlingPlayer for iPad (US$29.99) is officially available. This app lets you stream anything that comes from your Slingbox SOLO, PRO, or PRO-HD to and iPad via Wi-Fi or 3G. Thirty bucks is kind of high, and the app isn't universal so you're looking at sixty bucks if you want to toss an iPhone into the mix. Note that the Slingbox Classic, AV, PRO and TUNER are not supported for use with SlingPlayer Mobile. If you own one of those you're not completely out of luck; you can take advantage of an upgrade offer to save $50 on a new Slingbox SOLO or Slingbox PRO-HD. [Updated regarding Slingbox PRO compatibility. The app description from Sling suggests that the app is compatible with the Slingbox PRO when used on the iPad, but our readers report differently. We apologize for any confusion, and we are contacting Sling to find out what, if anything, they intend to do to compensate PRO owners who bought the app in error.]
Dish Network remote access app comes to Android, your Harmony groans
Dish Network took another step towards its ambitious TV Everywhere plans -- not to be confused with Comcast's and Time Warner's TV Everywhere partnership -- by releasing the Android version of its Dish remote access app late last week. This nicely completes the provider's suite of mobile offerings, which have already been available on the iPhone, iPad and certain BlackBerry phones. The catch is that to take advantage of the app, Android users must own a Sling-enabled Dish device like the ViP 722 / 722k HD DVRs or the recently released Sling adapter. With the necessary hardware though, the app turns smartphones into a control freak's best friend, working as a remote control, a DVR manager, and a Sling-powered media streamer to view recorded or live programming over Wi-Fi or 3G. That's a pretty nifty feature set considering it costs a lovely low price of free, and it's certainly more robust than mobile offerings from Comcast, Time Warner, or DirecTV. In other words, when it comes to getting the most from your paid TV service while on the go, it appears the underdog satellite company can certainly dish it out.
SlingPlayer for iPad delivers all kinds of television to Apple's tablet
Sling Media has posted a preview video of their upcoming iPad app, and you can watch it in action right after the break below. It looks pretty darn good -- the app of course allows you to stream everything that comes from your Slingbox DVR device, including live TV, DVR'd content, or any on-demand offerings you might happen to have. The iPad app uses Apple's own H.264 codec, so while this is just a video demonstration, presumably the real thing will look just as good. Unfortunately, this won't be the cheapest option -- the app isn't universal at all, so you'll have to pay another $30 on top of the $30 you may have already paid for the iPhone version. And that's after you buy and install a Slingbox in the first place, which itself requires yet another television subscription to actually deliver the content. Compared to a more subscription-based service like Netflix or Hulu, that's pretty pricey, though of course this setup can do things those can't. At any rate, if you're already hooked up to a Slingbox somewhere, $30 is cheap to get that content anywhere on the iPad. The app should be out soon. [via Engadget]
SlingPlayer Mobile for iPad gets a walkthrough, reminds us of all the daytime TV we're missing out on
We heard the iPad version of SlingPlayer Mobile was coming hot on the heels of SlingPlayer for Windows Phone 7, and now we've got some video of the app in action. According to Mr. Video Narrator, the app has video quality "better than any mobile app we've ever done," thanks to Apple's fancy H.264 Live Streaming capabilities. The UI looks nicely responsive and unobtrusive, and the video does indeed look pretty great in the middle of a 360p YouTube video. It's also clear that the iPad is really becoming a TV-consumption powerhouse, between Hulu Plus, Netflix, ABC, etc., so SlingPlayer looks like a natural fit. How well it will perform when it's out in the wild is another matter, but we look forward to plunking down our $30 soon and finding out for ourselves. [Thanks, James]
SlingPlayer arrives in Windows Phone 7 Marketplace, headed to iPad next (updated)
Got yourself a big new Windows Phone 7 device and need something to fill its screen with? Sling Media has your back with its SlingPlayer Mobile app, which has hit the Marketplace just in time to earn its Launch App Partner achievement. Pricing for the software is set at $30 in the US, C$32 in Canada, £23 in the UK, and €21.10 in Europe plus local tax, though you'll obviously need to have a Slingbox to communicate with as well. It ain't cheap, but good things rarely are. Update: We've also just come across a signup page for news updates on an iPad version of SlingPlayer Mobile. It'll be priced identically to the company's smartphone offerings, at $30, and looks to be coming soon. Thanks, Blake!
SlingPlayer for Windows Phone 7 demoed, coming soon (video)
That WP7 third party apposphere just got a nice boost from SlingPlayer, which has announced its intention to soon be present and accounted for on Microsoft's new platform. What we've got today is a quick teaser video showing off the live TV streaming capabilities under Windows Phone 7, along with the remote set-top box controls and a switch for turning the stream's quality up. Sling Media promises up to four times the resolution available on previous Windows Mobile versions and draws a launch window around the woolly concept of "soon." See the moving pictures after the break.
Sling says it's fixed 'many' of the problems affecting users, still has more work to do
Sling said on Friday that it was working on fixing the array of issues plaguing its streaming service, and it now says that it's made some changes that "seem to have addressed many of the problems." Speaking with Crave, a Sling spokesperson further added that the issues "were the result of a data migration process that, while carefully planned for a long time, still had a number of unexpected problems." The spokesperson went on to note that while things have gotten better over the last 24 hours, "they aren't nearly good enough for everyone yet" -- something confirmed by a number of Sling users who are continuing to report problems on the official support forums today. So hang in there -- things are getting better, slowly.
Slingbox account server problems cutting off web players, apps
If you're trying to watch some TV via Slingbox right now and can't, don't worry, you're not alone. A support thread on Slingbox.com lays out the problems: Trying to access watch.slingbox.com directly, logging in to the Sling site, or trying SlingPlayer via computer or a mobile device results in a page that doesn't load. Luckily, there are a few workarounds available like switching networks (some have said going from WiFi to 3G on their mobiles works) or using an older version of SlingPlayer that connects directly to your box and bypasses Sling servers. Obviously Sling technicians are working on the issue, but without any ETA on a fix, it's probably a good idea to check the thread and make sure your setup is foolproof before taking off for the weekend. [Thanks, James & Dave Zatz]
