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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]
Slingbox Solo devices no longer streaming for some users?
According to Slingbox's message boards, some Slingbox SOLO owners are experiencing a slew of issues with their devices, the most concerning of which is the failure to stream content after a brief period of use. Understandably, that's more than a bit frustrating for users who purchased the set top box exactly so they could stream TV content remotely. The particular thread in question was started back in May, and as of now has not been universally resolved by Slingbox's engineering team, who claim the problems have yet to be nailed down to a single issue -- despite many owners discovering their issues are related to bloated capacitors. Unfortunately for users, that means Slingbox hasn't announced a blanket replacement program. Instead, Slingbox is asking those affected by the problem to contact their support team: if your device happened to fail within 90 of purchase or you purchased an extended warranty, they'll handle for free. Otherwise, those still within the device's hardware warranty can pay a small fee for service which will be refunded only in the event the problem is found to be hardware related. From a consumer standpoint, this definitely sounds like a raw deal, but we'll avoid taking sides until more details surface... or a last minute press conference is called to claim it's a problem with all streaming boxes.
SlingPlayer Mobile for Android ready to entertain you for $30 starting tomorrow
After a public beta spanning a couple months, Sling is rolling out the latest piece of its expanding SlingPlayer Mobile portfolio this week -- this time for Android, plugging the biggest coverage gap it currently has. This is the same app we recently had an opportunity to check out, but since that preview, we're happy to report that it's been massaged into a more stable, more usable setup -- gone are the disconnect crashes we'd had before. Furthermore, Sling claims they've specifically worked to improve load and response times with this version, and we have to say that the effort is noticeable -- this definitely feels like the fastest SlingPlayer Mobile we've used to date. It's officially available starting tomorrow from the Market in Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, and the US for $29.99. Follow the break for the full press release.
SlingPlayer Mobile for Android beta preview
We can practically hear the collective sigh of relief among Slingbox owners now that Sling's finally just about ready to push out a version of SlingPlayer Mobile for Android -- by far the biggest hole in the company's lineup of mobile players ever since the iPhone version went live. This is no mere port, though; the company is boasting that it worked hard here to reduce load times, meaning the total wait you've got from app load to the time you're actually seeing General Hospital should be less than you're accustomed to, and that's a big win in our book. Check out our quick impressions (and video) after the break!
Elgato's EyeTV HD records shows to your Mac, slings live to your iPad
How's that Apple tattoo treating you? Good, good. Well, Elgato has something for the faithful: the new EyeTV HD. The device grabs a 1080i signal over component from your DVR or cable box or Blu-ray player, and records that video to your Mac using Elgato's own desktop DVR software. The shows can then be auto-transcoded to iPhone or iPad-friendliness, providing you a bit of much needed Animal Planet during your commute the next day. That's all well and good, but the real kicker is the live streaming the device can push to your iPad or iPhone, using an IR blaster to change the channel on your cable box. It's all rosy except for the fact that you'll need to plug this directly into your Mac and your cable box, meaning that they'll have to be in fairly close proximity (there's a six foot USB cable included). The unit retails for $200 and is available now directly from Elgato or Apple stores. PR is after the break. We haven't plugged in the box yet, but we played around with Elgato's setup using an iPad 3G and found it pretty impressive. The streaming quality isn't really at, say, a Netflix level (it's more suited to a phone screen), but it's certainly passable, and the interface for browsing your own channels and recordings is very pleasant. We also loved the inclusion of meta data and chapters in the recorded shows and movies that had been loaded onto the device (you can check that out in the gallery below). Elgato might've just released the most elegant "analog hole" yet. %Gallery-93584% %Gallery-93585%
SlingPlayer Mobile for Android goes to private beta?
Android's quickly becoming the elephant in the room for Sling Media, so we're delighted to hear today that the promised Android client of SlingPlayer Mobile is apparently entering a private beta period as we speak -- according to a tipster over at Phandroid, anyhow. It seems that some members that signed up to Sling's beta program have been contacted recently with a link to the download and a request that they not discuss the app or the beta program (so much for that), so if everything goes really, really well, we might see a release before too long. The thought of this thing running on the EVO 4G just blows minds, doesn't it?
Dish Network's SlingLoaded ViP922 DVR to hit store shelves tomorrow (finally!)
We saw it at CES 2009 -- and then we waited. And waited. And finally last month Dish's SlingLoaded DVR made it to the FCC. And now? We've just received word that the ViP922 should be hitting Dish Network retailers April 7 (like, tomorrow). The long-awaited device carries an MSRP of $649, although existing customers who want to work it into their lease can expect to pay closer to the $200 - $400 range. Unless, of course, you live in Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands -- in which case you'll have to do without altogether. That what the Dish Network calls "tough love." We'll let you know if the company changes its mind. PR after the break.
Sling working on player for iPad, Windows Phone 7 Series
Looks like Zatz got the goods from the folks at Sling, who have a few interesting tidbits currently in the development pipe. Zatz not Funny is reporting that Sling's Mobile Product Marketing Manager, Dave Eyler, has told him that the company is "actively moving towards H.264" and Silverlight support, as well as delivering streaming with resolutions beyond the current 320x240. Though there are no firm details or timelines yet, this means we should definitely be expecting SlingPlayer Mobile versions for the iPad and Windows Phone 7 Series. While Sling says it won't have anything ready for the iPad's launch, we've got our fingers crossed that we'll see it soon.
SlingPlayer for Android coming this summer, demoed on video
Good news, Android fans. It looks like you'll soon have a SlingPlayer to call your own. While complete details are still pretty light, the company was showing off the app at the recent gdgt Live event in Austin, and confirmed that it will be available sometime this summer, and support streaming over both 3G and WiFi -- yes, even Friends streaming. Head on past the break for a quick demo video. [Thanks, Kevin]
Microsoft announces Windows Phone 7 Series dev partners and details apps: Sling, Pandora, Foursquare and Xbox gaming (video!)
Microsoft just dropped its first press release of MIX10 on us, and in addition to detailing the Sliverlight and XNA-based Windows Phone 7 Series development situation, we've also got a list of launch software partners and some screenshots of apps in action. There's some heavy hitters here, and everything from games to enterprise apps are represented -- notables include the Associated Press, Citrix, EA Mobile, Foursquare, Namco, Pangeonce, Pandora, Seesmic, Shazam, and Sling. We've seen a handful of this new software in action, so check out the full list and details after the break. Updating with impressions (and video!) after the break! %Gallery-88236% %Gallery-88246%
Sling Monitor 150 hits the FCC
We caught our first glimpses of the Sling Monitor 150 placeshifting display at CES 2009, but it only got an official launch at this year's show, and now it looks like it's getting even closer to store shelves with an appearance at the FCC for some RF testing action. We've always been intrigued by the 15-inch 720p display that can stream HD over WiFi, but until a cable or satellite operator actually deploys some of those hot SlingLoaded set-top boxes this thing isn't going to do anyone too much good.
SlingPlayer Mobile v1.2 enables 3G streaming on the iPhone, now ready for download
We knew this was coming, and sure enough, Sling hasn't kept us waiting for long. Our beloved readers have inundated our tip jar with the news that the 3G-enabled flavor of SlingPlayer Mobile is now live on the App Store, and from what we're hearing works very well. The placeshifting app will set you back just under $30, but will allow you to finally take your cable, satellite or PVR content on the move with you. We say finally, 3G streaming has been available on other phones for a while now, but good to see AT&T and company see sense and enable the goodness for the iPhone. Get downloading and commenting -- how does it compare to sliced bread? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
TiVo patent points to new sharing and interactivity built around closed captions
The rumors are already flying for that upcoming March 2nd TiVo event, but a recently granted patent gives us one idea of what TiVo's been up to of late. The basic idea of the patent is to use embedded meta data in TV broadcasts, primarily the closed caption text, to create "event identification data" that makes the DVR -- when synced up against related data online -- smarter about the content. Example uses include overlaying interactive ads from the content provider, creating "tagged" video files for viewing on a portable device, extracting tagged clips, or even "sharing" segments with other TiVo users. Some of this info, like the commercial detection, is already in use, but the opportunity to "share" a sequence with a friend would be a powerful workaround for existing limitations from broadcasting companies that don't want users sending copyrighted content to each other. Using the TiVo to merely "tag" the relevant portion of something already recorded by a friend (hopefully with the addition of our helpful "OMG" and "LOL" commentary) makes a lot of sense, and even if we don't see it in this upcoming revision, it could be a pretty nice win for TiVo in the ongoing war between the well dressed, successful people who create our content and us schlubs who are trying to consume it conveniently.
Nazomi Communications makes friends by suing everyone you know
When the Java programming language burst onto the scene in the mid-'90s, the mantra was "write once, run anywhere." Any Java coder will tell you that dream never quite became a reality, and while plenty have worked on ways to make Java code run like instructions specialized for this or the other family of processors, Nazomi Communications wants there to be only one: its way. The company was founded in the late '90s by Sun expatriates and created some processors capable of running compiled Java code natively. Now its biggest production is a lawsuit against Amazon, Microsoft, Nokia, Garmin, Sling, and others for patent infringement. Exactly which patent hasn't been made clear at this point, but we wouldn't be surprised if it's 6,332,215, the same one the company referenced when suing ARM back in 2007. Nazomi lost that suit (plus a subsequent appeal) and, given how much we dislike these annoying patent disputes from tiny, seemingly struggling companies (Nazomi currently has four whole employees according to LinkedIn), we're hopeful that all these lawsuits go away soon too.
Sling says it didn't change iPhone SlingPlayer for AT&T (Updated)
AT&T certainly made a few of us happy yesterday when it announced that the iPhone SlingPlayer app would now be allowed to run over its 3G network, but the carrier apparently embellished the facts a little when it said Sling had optimized the app to be "more bandwidth sensitive" -- Sling's John Santoro told Ars Technica that it "didn't change anything," and that "AT&T never discussed specific requirements with us." So much for that happy narrative -- we thought AT&T's line sounded odd, given that SlingPlayer has always run just fine on AT&T Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, and S60 devices. It's cool, though, Sling isn't sweating it: "Whatever the reason, we're just glad AT&T has approved it." Now it's just up to Apple to let it through the App Store -- any day now, guys. Update: Sling just called us to clarify the above statements -- while it didn't make any specific changes to iPhone SlingPlayer, its engineers did work with AT&T to make sure the app didn't interfere with other customers and clog up the network. Sling says that once AT&T was involved in the testing process and "saw how the app worked," things went smoothly, and that the app was "refined" to meet AT&T network requirements -- refinements we were told would come to other platforms over time. Sounds good to us, although we're still wondering why this wasn't the party line in the first place.
AT&T letting SlingPlayer stream over 3G on the iPhone at long last
After all the hubbub and controversy caused by the release of SingPlayer for iPhone back in May, we knew it would take a serious change of heart for AT&T to reverse course on the issue of 3G streaming. The app's super-conspicuous lack of 3G was one of the clearest statements around that the iPhone represented a level of data consumption that AT&T was fairly unprepared for, and that certain uses like VoIP over 3G and live video streams were just not going to fly. Well, we've just now gotten over that VoIP hump, and now AT&T has given in to SlingPlayer demand at last. AT&T says it has been testing an "optimized" version of the app on its 3G network since December, and Sling says the dynamic bandwidth adjustment should keep the app from bringing the network to grinding halt -- in not so many words. The 3G-friendly version will be a free upgrade to the $30 application, and should be available as soon as the revised software makes its way through the App Store approval process.
SlingPlayer Mobile 2.0 for WinMo gets finger-friendly
Sling has given the Windows Mobile community a little love this week with the release of SlingPlayer Mobile 2.0, blessing it with a totally redesigned "sleek and intuitive" interface and a handful of new features that bring it to parity with its counterparts on other platforms. First off, the UI's been reworked to make styli a thing of the past -- everything should now be usable with a finger -- and they've added multiple viewing modes for widescreen and zoomed content. You've also got support for Sling Accounts, an improved guide and DVR control, and fully-blessed streaming over both 3G and WiFi on any network. Anything running WinMo 6 or up with a touchscreen should theoretically work and it's a free upgrade from 1.6 -- only catch is that you need a Slingbox Solo, Pro, or Pro HD to use it (older models are being blocked, an annoying habit that we've seen with other recent SlingPlayer releases). It's available for download now.
Slingbox DVR streaming due for PS3, says Sling Media VP
Our buddy Leo LaPorte interviewed Jay Tannenbaum of Sling Media the other week on his Tech Guy Labs podcast live at CES, and reader Jason spotted a little bit of news that will be of interest to PS3 owners. The interview starts at about 33 minutes into episode 629, and in his chat with Leo at 33:35, Tannenbaum mentions that the Slingbox software allows you to stream DVR content to anywhere in the world, including "your phone, your laptop, and soon to even the PlayS -- uh, PS3." Leo responds the same way we would, with an incredulous, "Really?" And Tannenbaum answers in the affirmative. So, wow, there you go. Presumably, you'll still need a Slingbox to actually sling the media out to your console, and obviously there's no word yet of how the software would be delivered to the PS3 (on a disk like the Netflix app, or via a purchased program like the $30 iPhone app), but eventually you'll be able to watch your Slingbox media, even in 1080i, as Tannenbaum says later in the interview, on your PlayStation 3. Interested? Update: DustoMan in our comments says that Tannenbaum meant streaming Slingbox through the PS3's browser, as shown in these photos at CES. Still works, we guess, but not quite as groovy.
Sling's CES showing gives us a Touch of optimism
CES is officially under way so of course we got our hands all over the Sling Touch Control 100 in person and screwed up the DVR queue mightily over WiFi thanks to simple touch controls, then took control our imaginary Sony Blu-ray player with an overlay that matched the native remote functions. Reps confirmed to Dave Zatz that an Android Sling app is under development -- for owners of other phones, a Flash implementation of the mobile app is your most likely bet. Most tantalizing? SlingCatcher-style software running on plain-jane Broadcom boxes representing future TVs or set-top boxes that could ship with Sling functionality embedded in them. Given Sling's lack of acceptance on non-Dish content distributors so far, we can't help but wish for a Yahoo! or VUDU style invasion of third-party devices to come. Check the gallery for pics of all the hardware announced recently, as well as a video of the remote after the break. %Gallery-82043%
Dish takes Sling's new boxes for its own TV Everywhere in 2010
At least one TV provider is taking advantage of Sling's veritable bounty of new hardware, and rather predictably it is Dish Network. The rebranding (instead of being SlingLoaded, the ViP 922 DVR is now "with TV Everywhere", the Sling Monitor 150 is dubbed the Dish Network WiFi Monitor and the Slingbox 700U has become the TV Everywhere Adapter) is enough to make your head spin, but at least we don't have to miss our stories, thanks to the recently released Dish Remote Access Mobile App for iPhone and iPod Touch with remote scheduling and remote control capabilities for most Dish receivers. All of the hardware is scheduled to arrive in the second quarter, we'll need at least that long to get our Everywhere and Anywhere TV straightened out.
