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slingplayer posts

SlingPlayer 1.1 for iPhone promises DISH integration for US, 3G streaming elsewhere (maybe)

by Ross Miller posted Aug 10th 2009 at 6:31PM

As history tells us time and time again, iPhone apps / updates submitted to Apple aren't a sure deal for approval. Still, we can't help but like where SlingPlayer Mobile is going with the recently-submitted version 1.1. In addition to providing true 16:9 widescreen support that stretches across the whole screen, Slingbox owners with DISH Network can now navigate using a touch-supported native browser, instead of pushing through the TV-standard browsing screen being streamed in. That last bit's great for US customers, but it's what the rest of the world might get that has our interests very piqued. The company's submitted a version for use outside of AT&T's homeland that would finally allow for streaming over a 3G connection -- again, not a certainty for approval, but we'll be most interested to see if that one makes its way through the system.

SlingPlayer for Mac HD browser plugin beta launched

by Richard Lawler posted Jun 5th 2009 at 3:47PM


OS X Slingbox users can finally enjoy HD streams, now that the web based SlingPlayer for Mac HD originally planned to launch in Q1 has been released. It's still carrying the beta tag, and SlingCommunity users have noticed some issues with audio and picture quality at this time. Another downer? A lack of access to older SlingPlayers, you'll need a PRO, PRO HD or SOLO and Intel based Mac to come to this h.264 encoded party, but if the requirements meet your setup, fire up Safari or Firefox and head on over.

Read - Sling.com Enables OS X Slingbox Streaming
Read - Sling.com HD access for Macs (finally!)

SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone coming shortly: $29.99, no 3G support

by Chris Ziegler posted May 12th 2009 at 12:36PM


After what has become one of the longer (and certainly one of the highest-profile) App Store approval delays, SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone has finally gotten Apple's blessing -- with some serious changes under the hood. Most importantly, 3G access has been disabled, meaning you'll only be able to get your Sling on over WiFi -- a serious blow to the app and a huge change from the way SlingPlayer Mobile works on other platforms -- and likely a verification that either Apple or AT&T took serious issue with the bandwidth load imposed by this type of app on the HSPA network. Despite the restriction, Sling will be charging a whopping $29.99 for the download; in exchange for your troubles, though, they've decided to lift the ban on older Slingboxes, with the caveat that they won't be officially supported if you run into trouble.

We've had a chance to play with the app, and it certainly gets the job done -- we just wish it worked a little better. Even on WiFi, control feels laggy, and there's no native guide (though there's an icon to quickly pull up your set-top box's guide). When you're in letterbox mode, you've got black bars around all four sides of the image, meaning that the app isn't taking full advantage of the phone's display; we're hopeful this'll be fixed in a future release, though. Happily, we think Sling really nailed the app's UI -- the on-screen translucent controls are pretty cool and generally work well without obscuring the view. Look to grab your own copy some time between 12:01AM and 6:01AM EDT tomorrow morning, and in the meantime, check out our gallery.

Older Slingboxes won't work with SlingPlayer for iPhone

by Nilay Patel posted Apr 2nd 2009 at 12:01AM


Looks like all that pent-up demand for SlingPlayer for iPhone has caused the suits at Sling to go mad with greed -- the company just posted up a page saying that owners of every older SlingBox save the Slingbox PRO will have to upgrade to a Slingbox SOLO or Slingbox PRO-HD in order to stream to iPhones. Yes, this is totally ridiculous: we've been told that the limitation is purely money-driven and that previous builds of the iPhone client worked just fine with older Sling hardware -- hell, if a Palm Centro can stream off the original Slingbox, there's no reason at all the vastly more powerful iPhone can't hack it. Sling's offering a $50 credit to owners of older hardware, but honestly, we can't say some token coupon is going to take away from the bitter taste of a forced upgrade here -- unless Sling comes up with legitimate technical reason for crippling such highly-anticipated software like this, we'd say it's about to piss off a lot of formerly-happy Sling customers.

[Via SlingCommunity; thanks David]

SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone, SlingPlayer for Mac HD make debuts

by Darren Murph posted Jan 6th 2009 at 12:00AM


Remember that proof-of-concept you saw way back in June of last year? You know, that one involving SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone? Here at Macworld, Sling Media is doing its darnedest to take the spotlight away from the looming Apple keynote by announcing that said app is almost ready for consumption. It'll be demonstrating a functional version in San Francisco, and it's planning to submit the software to Apple for certification sometime this quarter. In case you couldn't care less, it'll also unveil a prototype SlingPlayer for Mac HD, which will enable Mac-using Slingbox PRO-HD owners to stream high-def material to their Mac. As for the good stuff, pricing has yet to be determined for the SlingPlayer iPhone app, but the SlingPlayer for Mac HD will be made available gratis. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone, SlingPlayer for Mac HD make debuts

SlingPlayer Mobile for WinMo adds new resolutions, devices

by Chris Ziegler posted Dec 23rd 2008 at 9:00PM


While the BlackBerry camp sits and waits patiently for its public beta to begin in a few days, Sling has been hard at working bringing its SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Mobile up to snuff for the latest round of devices finding their way into pockets as of late. Notably, the app supports several new resolutions -- 800x480, 640x480, 400x240, and 320x320 -- and a whole host of new phones, including the AT&T Fuze, Sprint / Verizon Touch Pro, and the Samsung Epix, among eleven others. The update is available immediately; should be interesting to see how this looks on an X1 clipping along at WVGA, eh?

SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry goes beta at long last on December 30

by Chris Ziegler posted Dec 18th 2008 at 12:57AM Breaking News


Great googly moogly, we wrote about this very application like fifty weeks ago. Fifty, people! Of course, with the drawn-out SlingCatcher drama, lengthy Sling product cycles aren't a terribly big surprise, so we should just all thank our lucky stars we're going to be getting our hands on SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry before the year's out. The app officially enters its public beta cycle come December 30 for the Bold, the Curve 8320 / 8900, the Pearl 8120 / 8220, and the venerable 8820, piping your home teevee right to your handset and usurping any semblance of productivity your BlackBerry otherwise stands for. A 3G or WiFi connection is "strongly recommended" -- which we take to mean "go ahead, give EDGE a whirl" -- but BlackBerry OS 4.5 is a hard and fast requirement, so make sure you come equipped with the goods if you want to waste some quality time in front of the small screen when this goes live.

SlingPlayer 2.0 escapes beta, Slingbox PRO HD "any day now"

by Thomas Ricker posted Sep 24th 2008 at 2:05AM


Not that any of you would be shy from running beta software, but at least now your milquetoastian friends can experience Sling's latest, Windows-based SlingPlayer 2.0 without fear of the beta baddies. Still no Clip+Sling sharing, but the new 60-minute buffer, EPG, and on-screen SlingRemote certainly makes this a worthwhile update. We've also got good new for those of you waiting for the SlingBox PRO-HD to ship -- Sling says "any day now" in accordance to their late September pre-order promise. Righteous.

[Thanks, Martin]

SlingPlayer 2.0 enters public beta -- without Clip+Sling

by Nilay Patel posted Aug 7th 2008 at 3:36PM


SlingPlayer 2.0 was announced way back at CES 2007 (and, uh, re-announced this year) and it looks you'll finally be able to get a taste, public beta style -- but only a taste, since it's missing its most hyped feature, Clip+Sling. If you'll recall, C+S was supposed to let you nab up to 5 minutes of content and share it online with your friends, but it looks like only the local DVR features have made the cut, so while we're still excited about the new 60-minute buffer and EPG, it's not all we've been promised. On the bright side, the holdup isn't technical, it's legal, so once all the appropriate networked partnerships and contracts have been signed, you'll be clipping and slinging like there's no tomorrow. Other minor changes include a tweaked UI (skin support has been dropped) and (finally!) the death of Slingbox Finder IDs in favor of user accounts. Windows-only for now, with a video demo after the break -- let us know how you're doing in comments!

Read - Slingcommunity announcement
Read - Dave Zatz's take

Continue reading SlingPlayer 2.0 enters public beta -- without Clip+Sling





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