It’s been cooking in the iPhone app oven for what seemed like an eternity, but SlingPlayer Mobile is finally available for download on iTunes. You can use it to connect to a Slingbox — the handy gadget that gives you remote access to video devices like DVRs connected in your home. Like many TV addicts, watching my TiVo through Slingbox on an iPhone is a huge deal. But I’m finding this highly-anticipated app to be a huge letdown.
First, SlingPlayer Mobile only works if the iPhone is connected to a Wi-Fi network. It won’t work on AT&T’s 3G cellular network, which is what most Sli-phone fans have been salivating over. This means that unless you happen to be at a coffee shop, park, or other public area with an accessible Wi-Fi cloud, SlingPlayer Mobile is useless. Several years ago, I used a similar app from Sling Media that ran on a Windows Mobile device. Running on Sprint’s network, not Wi-Fi, it enabled me to watch TV at a baseball game, in a car, and on a subway platform. I can’t do any of these things with the iPhone version of the Slingbox player. For what it’s worth, Sling Media, the company behind the Slingbox, isn’t to blame for their app’s Wi-Fi shackles: The app would work just fine over the 3G airwaves, but AT&T put the kibosh on this feature because it’s afraid the extra bandwidth load would create havoc on the entire wireless network.
Also adding to the disappointment with the release of this app is the price tag. At $30, it’s significantly pricier than most of the apps for purchase on Apple’s sprawling application bazaar. The actual experience of using the app is hard to swallow, too. While the concept of watching my Slingbox-connected Tivo from far-away places on my iPhone is undeniably cool, the video quality is average (it gets progressively worse with slower Wi-Fi networks), the controls were sluggish and counterintuitive, and the audio was often out of sync. Because of the less-than-optimal video quality, the text on my TiVo’s on-screen guide was almost too blurry to read. In its current state, it’s hard to imagine many scenarios when I’ll be using the Slingbox app on my iPhone, especially when I’m carrying my laptop computer, which can run a vastly-superior (and free) version of the Slingbox software on the same Wi-Fi networks.
What about you, PopWatchers? Are there any satisfied Sli-phone users out there?
Absolutely worth it. AT&t’s greed has opened my eyes to the joy of jailbreaking my iPhone (more like breaking from the shackles). I now enjoy the Sling Media Player app over 3G; the way it was intended. Take that, ATT.
I see a huge movement for jail breaks with this latest attempt at a money grab by AT$T. It really shows the lack of foresight. They had plenty of time to get ready for sling. I’ve heard AT$t is about to come out with their vesion of live TV. It’s always about money. The iPhone is becomeing a black hole for cash.
The torture that I went through, figuring out how jailbreak my iPhone was well worth it. Apple and AT&T really blew the call on this one as not only is iPhone over 3g AWESOME but I had no idea about all the programs that we’re available once you jailbreak the phone. Now, I can videotape my friends with my iPhone. That said, having 24/7 access to my slingbox thru my iPhone is a Godsend. Sure, changing the channels can be sluggish but now I can carry my MLB extra innings and NFL Sunday ticket with me wherever I go. Initially, I was annoyed with the $30 pricetag but once I started using Slingplayer on the iPhone, I forgot all about it. If you have a slingbox, you shouldn’t even think twice. Spend the 30 bucks and jailbreak your iPhone.
The $30 for the program is nothing. SlingPlayer Mobile (for Palm/Pocket PC) has been $30 for several years, and no one ever complained about that. The party in the wrong is clearly AT&T, with their refusal to allow usage of their 3G network with this application.
Slingbox is good. Have been checking here for some updates on iphone:
http://www.techunits.com/content/list_all/82/iphone
Hilarious new free iPhone App. Hear the most ridiculous Bollywood Fight Sounds…
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=315359785
Richard, AT&T has had its own version of live TV for months now. It’s called AT&T Mobile TV and its $15 a month. It’s much better quality than Slingbox but fewer channels. Its on its own network, so it doesn’t clog up the AT&T network. THAT is really their concern.
Of course, you could always just jailbreak your iphone (which you absolutely should have done already, there are no excuses) and download the free tweak Tricker ThreeG, then sling works beautifully over 3G. The wifi restriction is ridiculous.
Kudos to all my fellow jailbreakers — I was surprised to see so many of you on such a non-techy forum. The movement is catching on, and it WILL be televised!
Kudos to all my fellow jailbreakers — I was surprised to see so many of you on such a non-techy forum. The movement is catching on, and it WILL be televised!
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