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Best of CES 2015 Awards, Software: Sling TV
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-278135{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-278135, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-278135{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-278135").style.display="none";}catch(e){} Sling TV won many accolades at CES this year, and deservedly so. Not only did it walk home with awards for the Best of the Best and Best Home Theater categories, it won one for Best Software too. Not only is the service a game-changer for cord-cutters, the software itself is great - it's intuitive, smooth and easy to use. Plus, it'll be compatible with iOS, Android and most set-top boxes, making it easier for cable-scoffers everywhere to get their ESPN fix.
Best of CES 2015 Awards, Home Theater: Sling TV
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-117497{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-117497, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-117497{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-117497").style.display="none";}catch(e){} It's not exactly a gadget or anything physical, but Sling TV still came away from this year's CES with a host of accolades. That's because the service from Dish is essentially a cord-cutter's dream, with a slew of channel offerings from the likes of ESPN, CNN and Cartoon Network for only $20 a month -- no cable or satellite subscription required. It was a shoo-in for this year's Best Home Theater award.
Best of CES 2015 Awards, Overall Winner: Sling TV
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-402776{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-402776, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-402776{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-402776").style.display="none";}catch(e){} You missed our Best of CES 2015 awards last week? Why? Give me one good reason why. Sorry, unacceptable. Fortunately, we're recapping all the greatest products found in Las Vegas this week, starting with our overall winner: Sling TV. The potential to revolutionize TV-watching habits (and a launch later this month) are just a few of the reasons why it deserved to win. Expect to see Sling TV a few more times as we circle back on all the individual winners from last week.
CES 2015: The secret to Sling TV's success
At first glance Sling TV's hype is all about the business model: no onerous contracts, a low entry price and access across a slew of devices, all with a bundle of content viewers have usually needed a cable TV package to get. But the truth about our Best of the Best CES winner is that while it's smaller and travels better -- this is still the same old pay-TV bundle, and constructed by the same old companies to repeat the model many have grown tired of. So why am I still leaving Las Vegas thinking I've had my first good look at TV's future? It's the experience. Sling is hardly the first built-from-the-ground-up service for watching video on the internet -- Netflix, Hulu and all the rest have been doing it with TV-quality content for quite some time. This is different because it feels like the live TV experience I'm used to, but designed in the internet age. Unlike others that tried (and have mostly failed) to execute this combo by building a foundation on the shifting sands of existing cable TV and IR blasters -- we mean you, Google TV and Xbox One -- Sling TV doesn't have or need channel numbers hanging on like vestigial limbs. It's all right here: Your live TV is an app; it's organized like one; and in all of the demos I saw, it responded like one.
Sling TV is 2015's Best of CES winner
Sling TV managed to snag two individual awards from the official Best Of CES 2015 plaudits, but it also came out with the coveted Best of the Best award. Why? Because it could well revolutionize TV habits. As Senior Editor Richard Lawler put it, Sling TV is the first non-traditional alternative that looks like it could really work -- and it's coming this month. We talked to Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch right after the win. Photos: Will Lipman
A closer look at Dish's Sling TV service
If you've been looking to give cable the boot, Dish's announcement of a $20-a-month service that brings you TV channels over the internet may be the most exciting news of CES. Sling TV doesn't quite have the robust network lineup as Comcast, Time Warner and others, but big names like ESPN, CNN, TNT, TBS, Food Network have signed on. What's more, the subscription includes a movie rental feature, and it'll be available on a handful of smart TVs, Roku players, Amazon Fire TV (and Fire Stick), Xbox One, Nexus Player, Android TV and both Android and iOS mobile platforms when it arrives later this year. That means that if you're already itching to opt in, it won't be too difficult to find a compatible device. Read on for a quick walkthrough of the interface, and for all the details, consult more of our Sling TV coverage.
Sling TV to stream ESPN, TBS, other networks on Xbox One
Dish Network has announced that the Xbox One will be the first console to receive its new Sling TV media service. Revealed yesterday at the Consumer Electronics Show, Sling TV offers viewers access to live streams of popular networks including ESPN, Cartoon Network, the Disney Channel, HGTV and the Food Network, among others. It does require a $20 per month subscription fee, but that's a far less expensive option than signing up for a cable subscription package for those who don't care about the all those other channels and just want to watch Sportscenter or whatever delightful cooking program Alton Brown is hosting this season. Notably absent from the Xbox Wire announcement is any word on when Sling TV - which is currently in closed beta testing on PC - will reach the Xbox One. Instead, we are told it will arrive in "the coming weeks." [Image: Microsoft/Dish Network]
Dish goes after cord-cutters with Sling TV, a $20-per-month service
According to a Bloomberg report earlier this year, Dish was said to be preparing to launch an online television service last summer. But, as we now know, nothing ever came from that -- at least not until today. The satellite company has taken to CES 2015 to reveal Sling TV, its long-rumored internet TV service, and it wants all current and would-be cord-cutters to know that this is designed specifically for them. Dish says that Sling TV has been years in the making, pointing out that it was born out of learning from Dish Anywhere and DishWorld, a US-only, internet-based TV package that offers access to about 200 international channels.
SlingPlayer support for Chromecast brings an obvious combination together
Watching Netflix or Plex streams on your Chromecast is great, but what about when the game is on? Sling has enabled its apps on iPhone, iPad and Android phones (Android tablets coming soon) to help with just that situation. Just tap the Cast button in the apps, and you can send video to Google's $35 dongle. Similar to Sling's integration with Apple TV and Roku, once the video is playing, you can use the app as a remote control, or close it and do something else while the video keeps playing. The only bad news? Chromecast support requires one of the company's newer boxes: 350, SlingTV/500 or M1. Still, both devices already make sense for frequent travelers, and now they're better together. The SlingTV is also getting a tweak, as the Android phone and iPhone apps can now control its living room UI directly, without the included remote.
SlingTV arrives with an update for Slingbox 500 set-top boxes in tow
Back in July, Sling announced that one of its first new offerings in almost two years would largely be a software refresh. The out-of-home TV-streaming outfit revealed that, in addition to a new $150 WiFi-equipped M1 option, the familiar-looking SlingTV would replace the pricier Slingbox 500. Well, the time has come, and the new wedge-shaped set-top box that's nearly identical to the 500 on the outside delivers that retooled UI as it goes on sale today. If you'll recall, part of the redesign includes "excitement ratings" from Thuuz that let you know when you should switch over to the big game based on score changes, momentum swings and analysis of the matchup. In addition to the new $300 device, folks who have already splurged for the Slingbox 500 will be privy to a software update that will bring all of the new features to their living rooms -- which includes a remote refresh that's coming to iPhone and Android apps next week.
Sling's 'M1' streaming box brings built-in WiFi at a lower price
It's been nearly two years since Sling unveiled new placeshifting boxes, so it's high time the company brought its products into the year 2014. The firm just announced two refreshes, including the entry-level M1, which has a smaller footprint and comes with built-in WiFi so that you don't need to park the thing near an Ethernet cable to stream live and DVR'd TV to your mobile devices. Additionally, it can now be configured using the Android/iOS app, though unfortunately, you need to use old-school component cables (maybe in the year 2016 they'll add HDMI). On the software side, meanwhile, Sling is bringing back its Mac and PC desktop apps, since users seemed to miss them. Most importantly, it's cheaper: The M1 costs $150, compared with $180 for the Slingbox 350 it's replacing.
