The latest software pledges to fix the dodgy video quality on the Sprint Mogul.
(Credit: CNET)Sling Media is offering upgraded versions of three of its mobile software clients: SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Mobile PocketPC (now version 1.6), Windows Mobile Smartphone (also 1.6), and Symbian S60 (1.1). According to Sling's press release, the updated software adds support for additional hardware--including the Nokia N95 8GB, the Treo 500v, and the Samsung i760--and improves the streaming experience on "select handsets," including the the Sprint Mogul. The upgrades are free for registered users of the previous versions. Download prices for new users remain at $30 per handset, and with the free 30-day trial period, you can try before you buy.
Still available (but not updated today) is Sling's Palm OS mobile client. The company is pledging Symbian UIQ (for Sony Ericsson phones, as opposed to the Nokia/S60 version mentioned above), and BlackBerry support by the end of 2008. Of course, in order to stream live TV (or any other home AV source) with the SlingPlayer Mobile software, you'll need a Slingbox up and running in your home.
What do you think: do the new Slingbox Mobile software clients make a good product even better? Or do you prefer rival offerings from the likes of Sony, Hava/Monsoon Multimedia, and--soon--Archos? Or is the whole "TV on your phone" movement overrated?
SlingPlayer Mobile downloads (US): Slingmedia.com
(Credit:
Sling Media)
It's been hinted at for months, but Sling Media has finally officially confirmed that a BlackBerry version of the company's SlingPlayer software is on deck. The software--which allows live TV to be streamed from any Slingbox model--is designed for broadband-enabled (3G wireless or Wi-Fi) BlackBerry smartphones. The software will cost the same one-time $30 fee as the similar versions already available for Windows Mobile, Palm, and Symbian phones. Sling will be demoing an early version of the software on the Pearl 8120 at CES next week, and the company hopes to have it ready for public release by the end of 2008.
Centro: verified Sling-compatible
(Credit: Sling Media)Add the new Palm Centro to the list of smartphones that can stream live TV from the Slingbox family of placeshifting devices. Sling today confirmed what was widely assumed: the Palm OS version of the SlingPlayer Mobile software is fully compatible with Sprint's new bargain smartphone. (The current version of the software may warn Centro users that they're about to install it on a noncompatible device, but that minor glitch should be corrected in the next build, says Sling spokesman Dave Zatz.)
Confirmation of Centro compatibility is hardly a big surprise, given that the SlingPlayer runs on Palm's previous two 3G smartphones, the Treo 700p and 755p. (Some users have reported success--albeit decidedly jerky video--on the non-3G Treo 650 and 680 models.) But the bigger news is that the price of entry for streaming live TV to your phone is getting lower than ever: the Slingbox AV is widely available for $130 (often discounted to $100), and the Centro retails for just $100 with contract. Toss in the $30 for the Palm SlingPlayer software, and you've got complete access to your TV programming wherever you are for under $260. To me, that's a far better deal in the long run than paying the $10-25 monthly fees for Sprint's Sprint TV service--which, unlike Sling, offers fewer channels and no access to your home DVR.
The Symbian SlingPlayer has hit version 1.0.
(Credit: Sling Media)
The SlingPlayer for Symbian S60 phones is out of beta and now available for sale. The software allows a selection of Nokia phones (the E65, N75, and N95 in the U.S., and the E65, N73, and 6120 elsewhere) to stream TV from the full range of Slingbox models. Previously, the Symbian software was only available pre-installed on models sold by British wireless provider 3. Furthermore, the new standalone software delivers full-screen playback and Wi-Fi streaming not available on that previous edition.
The Symbian software will be available on Sling Media's Web site soon. It will cost $30 in the U.S., C$35 in Canada, and £20 in the U.K.--although the fee is waved for those who purchase the Nokia N95 in the U.S. As with other mobile versions, a free 30-day trial version will be available, so you can try before you buy. The Symbian SlingPlayer joins versions already available for Windows Mobile and Palm OS products, as well as Windows and Mac computers.
The announcement of the Symbian player software caps a busy week for Sling. In recent days, the company unveiled a buyout by Dish Network parent EchoStar, as well as the announcement of a new hardware product, the Slingbox Solo.
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