sling

Sling working to restore streaming access

Sling Media is scrambling to address service issues that have left many of the company's users unable to access their Slingbox video streamers during the past several days.

For the uninitiated, Slingbox is a "placeshifting device." Connect it to a video source (cable or satellite box, DVR, TV antenna, and so forth), and the Slingbox digitizes the video output for access on a wide variety of PCs and smartphones--essentially allowing access to your home TV anywhere you can access the Internet. At least, that's the case when Sling's service is working properly.

The official support thread … Read more

Hands-on: SlingPlayer Mobile for Android

Owners of Android-based smartphones have been clamoring for a version of SlingPlayer for some time now, and last week the streaming software finally made its way to the platform.

Sling Media had promised various improvements in overall performance, and these speed tweaks are immediately noticeable compared with the experience on Windows Mobile or even an iPhone. We were impressed to see how quickly the software loads, and once we configured all the appropriate settings, we were able to get video less than two seconds after hitting the application icon.

We used SlingPlayer for Android with a Slingbox Solo and an older Slingbox AV model. Even though Sling says the AV model isn't designed to work with the Android player, we had no issues getting a clear picture from our AV box. The only drawback we could find using a Slingbox AV is that we weren't able to get a full-screen video playing with the AV as our source. On the other hand, the Solo had no problem streaming video that fit our HTC Evo's entire screen.… Read more

SlingPlayer Mobile launches on Android phones

SlingPlayer Mobile has hit the Android market.

Sling Media's $29.99 app, released Tuesday, lets Android users with Slingbox devices control their home TVs and DVRs to watch live or recorded content on their smartphones.

Users must have a Slingbox Solo, Pro, or Pro-HD device and can connect through a 3G, 4G, or Wi-Fi network.

The new Android version of SlingPlayer Mobile joins the company's other SlingPlayer apps for the iPhone, Palm OS, Symbian, and BlackBerry.

SlingPlayer Mobile offers faster start-up and response times than its other mobile versions, according to Sling Media, and sports a new interface … Read more

Android Atlas Weekly 1: This Android show is still in beta? (podcast)

Welcome to Android Atlas Weekly! From phones to tablets to set top boxes, if it runs Android, we'll cover it. We also throw in a hot app pick of the week and a special tip that should help you get even more use out of your Android device. Justin and I will bring in special guests to help us cover everything Android! This week, Jessica Dolcourt joins us! Now, excuse a few of the rough edges. Apparently, like Google, we keep our show in Beta longer than expected.

Palm Loses Mobile Design Guru Matias Duarte to Google http://digitaldaily.allthingsd.com/20100527/exclusive-palm-loses-mobile-design-guru-matias-duarte/

Fring picks up video calling on Android http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19736_7-20006181-251.html

That Extra $5 Add-On For Qik is Optional, For "Premium Features" http://phandroid.com/2010/05/31/that-extra-5-add-on-for-qik-is-optional-for-premium-features/

New Video Shows Sling Player Private Beta In Action And Its Incredible http://droidedup.com/2010/05/new-video-shows-sling-player-private-beta-in-action-and-its-incredible/

Motorola Droid 2 Might Be Released by Verizon in July http://www.brighthand.com/default.asp?newsID=16611

Motorola Bets Big on Google, Verizon http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704269204575270872420145294.html… Read more

Sling prepping SlingPlayer for iPad

Back in February, Sling Media, now owned by Echostar, finally got permission to allow users of its SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone app to stream video over AT&T's 3G network instead of just Wi-Fi. We've been playing around with the updated app for a little while and are happy to report that it works as well as it does on other cell phones and cell networks. However, as we were watching some March Madness on the iPhone's smallish screen, we couldn't help but wonder what a great a platform the iPad would be for Sling, … Read more

AT&T green-lights SlingPlayer on iPhone

It has taken almost a year, but on Thursday AT&T said it will start allowing Sling Media's SlingPlayer to work over its 3G network on the iPhone.

SlingPlayer, which redirects TV signals from a home TV over the Internet so it can be viewed on a portable device, like cell phones or laptops, is the latest application that AT&T is making available to iPhone users on its 3G network. In October, it said that it would allow voice over IP services, such as Skype, to operate on the iPhone using the 3G network. Previously, these … Read more

Sling unveils a quartet of new devices

EchoStar's Sling Media division made a splash at CES 2009 with the "SlingLoaded" EchoStar 922 DVR, an HD DVR that included built-in Slingbox technology for accessing your recorded programs elsewhere in the home--or anyplace you've got an Internet connection. Unfortunately, the DVR 922 still hasn't been released--but that hasn't stopped Sling from announcing four new products, including some departures from the company's tried and true (if niche-y) Slingbox products.

The new products include:… Read more

Is AT&T playing gatekeeper to the Wireless Web?

AT&T's decision to allow Major League Baseball fans to stream games live onto their iPhones while restricting video streaming using another video application has one advocacy group crying foul.

With the release of the 3.0 version of Apple's iPhone operating system this week, subscribers to a popular application from Major League Baseball called At Bat will now get the chance to stream live video feeds of baseball games directly to their iPhones or iPod Touches. The first game was streamed Thursday afternoon, featuring a match up between the Chicago Cubs and White Sox.

But unlike … Read more

How to make SlingPlayer Mobile work over 3G

It's bad enough that Sling Media charges $29.99 for its SlingPlayer Mobile app (which you can see demonstrated in the video at right), but limiting it to Wi-Fi connections? That's downright criminal.

Fortunately, the gadget gurus over at Gizmodo have documented a way to stream SlingPlayer video across 3G connections, thereby overcoming one of the app's major annoyances. (Now if they could just talk Sling Media into a reasonable price tag. Like, say, $5.99.)

As you might expect, there's a catch: You have to jailbreak your iPhone. It's not hard to do, particularly … Read more

CNET News Daily Podcast: Limits imposed on SlingPlayer app for iPhone

The SlingPlayer app has finally made its way to the iPhone App Store. But it has some limitations, namely that it will only work using the phone's Wi-Fi connection, and not AT&T's 3G wireless network. This, despite the fact that similar apps do work on AT&T's wireless network and are available in the App Store, and the SlingPlayer app itself is allowed for some other AT&T smartphones. Reporter Erica Ogg tells us what's up with this discrepancy.

Also in this podcast: Craigslist closes down its Erotic Services section; Microsoft takes … Read more