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First look at SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone

by Mel Martin May 13th 2009 at 1:00PM

This is a painful review to write, because the SlingPlayer for iPhone had so much potential before AT&T decided to cripple it. One can understand the terror at the thought of a million SlingPlayers draining network bandwidth dry, but in fact, AT&T seems to be violating its own Terms of Service by allowing other smartphones to run SlingPlayer without interference.

OK, so how does the SlingPlayer [App Store link] for iPhone/iPod touch work on a WiFi network? Pretty well. The video can be a bit choppy, but it is quite watchable, and basically gives you a full-featured television receiver (or DVD player if you are set up that way) wherever you have an accessible network.

Set up is pretty easy and does not require a manual. The only pain point is inputting your unique Sling ID which requires typing long strings of upper case letters followed by numbers. This can be skipped if you have a Sling account configured in advance.

In my case I have a SlingBox Pro, connected to a DirecTV HD receiver. The remote worked fine, and it is a transparent overlay so the video shows through. Entering a command results in a 4-5 second wait for it to be executed, but that is understandable considering what is going on behind the scenes. Entering pretty much any command to the remote pauses the video and audio, which again, is understandable but not desirable.

If you have a DVR, the SlingPlayer app will control it, which is a real benefit to users who are away from home and want to catch a program, or play it back remotely.

The loss of 3G functionality is sad. In the old days I used the SlingPlayer on a Motorola smartphone. When traveling, it was easy to catch a newscast or get some ball scores from any location. Now, you have to have a Wi-Fi connection, which seriously limits your options.

Finally, there is the matter of price. It is hard to endorse paying $30.00US for an app that has lost a major feature. Sling charges the same price for versions of the app that do run on 3G. It seems unfair given all that has happened to this app.

It is certainly true that Sling Media is not to blame for the business decisions of AT&T, but the company certainly controls the pricing of the app.

I think there will be a lot of people who want to buy and use SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone. On the other hand, many people have had their enthusiasm severely dampened by the current situation. Unfortunately, no matter how clever the app, and it IS clever, AT&T, Apple and Sling Media have all been damaged by this drama.

Nothing is forever, and policies can change. All concerned will have to figure out if the decisions made so far with this app are worth the damage to reputations and corporate image.

Note: The Sling web site is running pretty slowly as I write this, and I was surprised to see that the iPhone version of the app is not listed in the support options.

Here are some screen shots of the app in operation:



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This is a painful review to write, because the SlingPlayer for iPhone had so much potential before AT&T decided to cripple it. One can...
 

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artifex

this is in the not-iphone version of TUAW.

May 16 2009 at 12:09 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
zebra

ATT is using Apple's approval process to launder their dirty business of discriminating over certain bits of data. Sort of like money laundering.

May 16 2009 at 2:50 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
zebra

This thing is fuzzier than it seams. There are plenty of apps that are streaming video over 3G. If Youtube has not brought down ATTs 3G network nothing will. I myself been using Orb App to stream content from my WMCE DVR. That did not bother ATT. IMO Sling is being damaged by ATT breaking the rules of net neutrality. After all Att is providing internet service as any other ISP. Very shady business here. Imagine Verizon DSL or Comcast doing the same. The internet as we know it would come to an end. Sad sad ATT. And I can't believe that Apple goes along with this. After all iPhone is losing out to other competitors that seam to run this app just fine.

May 16 2009 at 2:42 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ali

I blame Apple for allowing AT&T to cripple their device. They should not allow any different set of rules for iPhones vs other phones. Shame on at&t and apple. I cannot wait till this at&t exclusivity agreement is over. Shame on both companies

May 15 2009 at 2:40 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
phil

This may sound stupid on my part but does it stream on HD to the iPhone?

May 14 2009 at 2:59 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
airmanchairman

I suppose the doomsday network scenario for the Carriers is a great percentage of their iPhone users who don't already have a SlingBox going out and buying one, then downloading the app.

Considering the growing installed base of iPhone users (and their statistically proven spending and network surfing habits), allowing SlingPlayer streaming over 3G could (potentially, not certainly) lead to catastrophic hammering of infrastructure already struggling to cope with the video streaming and web surfing demands of all smartphones (comfortably led by iPhone users).

The smart money is on their starting off with restrictions as they have, carefully gauging usage over Wi-Fi for trends, and eventually opening up Sling streaming to 3G and Edge as they struggle to build infrastructure for the new smartphone game in town.

They will be looking beyond even the game-changing iPhone as other handset vendors step up to the plate with their new models and app stores - or they had better be...

The strategy will have a high likelihood of success if the iPhone is any example to go by - start off completely locked down (EDGE only, no native apps, web apps but no Flash, no MMS or video recording), then gradually open up (3G, native apps with cut-and-paste, MMS and video recording etc in the pipeline).

Now though, they desperately need to manage the public expectation of consumers whipped up to a frenzy of techno-lust by the ingenuity of hardware makers and brilliant app developers.

What privileged times we live in! Ever wonder what it will be like 5 years from now?

May 14 2009 at 12:03 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to airmanchairman's comment
zebra

With this kind of practices in 5 years they will reduce the internet back to static html sites, approved by the ISPs for any traces of accidentally helping competition.

May 16 2009 at 3:13 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
l33tpmp

Let AT&T know what they are doing is wrong...

Randall Stephenson, AT&T CEO
rs2982@att.com (direct)
randall.stephenson@att.com
phone: 210-351-5401 (direct to his secretary)
fax 210-351-3553
alternate phone: 210-821-4105 (headquarters, press 3, ask for Mr. Stephenson's office)
175 E. Houston
San Antonio, TX 78205

May 14 2009 at 10:22 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
davidp

It's not just att that are restricting the application. In the UK trying to use it on 3g comes up with the error message this application is designed to work on wifi. Presumably therefore 02 or sling have restricted the application.

May 14 2009 at 7:46 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
PhotoGuru

cool device, may get it, but as much I enjoy watchin' the boob tube, when I leave it, I want to enjoy the Earth dude.

May 14 2009 at 12:39 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Kevin

Once the iPhone hit's other networks, Im jumping ship! AT&T "runs the worlds largest network"... Now that's funny!

May 13 2009 at 9:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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