Sling Media has been the go-to provider for video placeshifting solutions for nearly seven years now. The California-based company launched its first Slingbox in 2005, enabling users to watch live television exactly as it was being broadcast to their homes on any Internet-connected PC. The company rolled out its first SlingPlayer Mobile application the following year and it hasn’t looked back, continuing to expand its mobile offering to support a wide range of popular platforms and devices. Sling Media will launch the latest addition to its mobile app lineup on Tuesday when it releases SlingPlayer Mobile for Amazon’s popular tablet, and we spent much of our weekend enjoying placeshifted live television on our Kindle Fire to test the new app. Check out a small gallery of screenshots below and hit the break for our early impressions of SlingPlayer Mobile for the Amazon Kindle Fire.

We have been using various versions of the SlingPlayer Mobile application here at BGR for years, but it wasn’t until Apple initiated the tablet boom that SlingPlayer Mobile was really able to shine. Having the ability to watch live television or even on-demand and DVR-recorded content on a mobile phone is fantastic, but the relatively small size of cell phone displays makes the experience a mixed blessing. Not missing a moment of the NFC divisional playoffs while being dragged around a mall is fantastic, but viewing a game with wide camera angles on a screen that only measures about 4-inches diagonally is less than ideal.

Tablets changed things for SlingPlayer, however. While these slim devices are typically much larger than smartphones — though the line continues to be blurred — they’re far more portable than laptops and much lighter as well. More importantly where Sling is concerned, tablets also feature more substantial screen sizes that are far better-suited for displaying video.

With an iPad-optimized build and support for a number of Android tablets out of the way, Sling Media’s collective eyes turned to Amazon’s Kindle Fire when the tablet launched late last year. The retail giant’s first slate was expected to be a huge success before it was even announced and once it finally hit virtual store shelves, that expectation became a reality. The Kindle Fire has been Amazon’s best-selling electronics device since mid-November.

“Amazon has created a wonderful device and experience for people looking to consume media — and at a good price point, Sling Media’s marketing VP Jay Tannenbaum said in a statement. “Now anyone with a Slingbox Solo or PRO-HD can turn their Kindle Fire into a TV with our latest version of SlingPlayer, available on Tuesday in the Amazon App Store. We are very proud of the video quality and performance of our app and believe the combination of a Kindle Fire and a Slingbox provides a great value.”

Sling’s Kindle Fire app launches on January 31st, but we spent some time testing a preview version this weekend and it absolutely impressed us. For those unaware of Sling’s solutions, the company takes a complicated problem and makes the solution relatively simple considering how capable it is. Sling’s TV placeshifting solution involves two components, the Slingbox that connects to the set-top box provided by a cable or satellite TV provider and the SlingPlayer software, which can be installed on a desktop PC, a notebook PC or a variety of tablets and smartphones.

With Sling Media’s solution, SlingPlayer becomes a window into the user’s living room. The software features integrated remote control functions that allow the user to send commands over the Web and through the infrared transmitter running from the Slingbox to a cable box, meaning SlingPlayer can do nearly anything a standard remote can do. Users can therefore change channels, view guides, navigate to and watch DVR content, purchase and watch on-demand content, schedule DVR recordings and more.

On the Kindle Fire, Sling’s app performs as expected. Connections to the Slingbox are made quickly and when video first begins streaming, quality is a bit low until enough content has been buffered. Provided the Fire is connected to a network with decent Wi-Fi speeds, quality improves within about 30 seconds and remains quite clear and impressive as long as the connection is not interrupted. There is also a low-quality setting in the event bandwidth is not up to snuff.

The low-quality setting is important on the Kindle Fire, since it is a Wi-Fi only device with no embedded 3G or 4G connectivity. This means that plenty of bandwidth is available when the tablet is connected to a home network or in an office, but those who connect on the go will likely be tethered to a smartphone or MiFi. While Wi-Fi tethering is becoming more reliable thanks to 4G, fast and reliable LTE service is still relatively scarce in the U.S. so most users make do with 3G data connections.

Whether in high quality or low quality mode, however, SlingPlayer for the Kindle Fire performed as advertised. Operation using the on-screen controls was straight forward and commands were received by the Slingbox quickly. I did manage to trip up the connection once or twice by sending multiple commands too quickly, but seasoned SlingPlayer users know not to overload the controller and beyond that, performance was very impressive.

The gravity of being able to reproduce the living room experience — access on-demand content, DVR content, programming guides and everything else that one is able to access while at home in front of a TV — while on the go is something that cannot be fully appreciated until it is experienced. There are a variety of streaming video solutions for mobile devices but none of them come close to providing the same wide range of live TV and varied content that home cable or satellite services provide.

SlingPlayer Mobile for the Amazon Kindle Fire launches on January 31st for a one-time fee of $29.99, and it can be purchased directly on the tablet through the Amazon Appstore. As with all of Sling’s solutions, there are no monthly subscription fees for the service.

Fresh off this morning’s Verizon/Sling partnership announcement, Sling took some time to show us its best and brightest. We got a chance to see the Windows Phone 7 version of its Sling Player app in action, and were definitely impressed with the quality of the streaming video. Sling mentioned that the WP7 version of its software delivers the highest-quality content out of all of its mobile apps, and based on what we saw today we’re certainly not going to argue with that contention.

We also had a chance to spend some time with Sling’s iPad App which, suitably, offers a much richer and more immersive Sling experience than is available on any of its smaller-format apps. Video quality was amazing, and choosing content from the on-board channel guide was easier than using a full size TV and remote.

The company was more or less mum about their upcoming Verizon partnership, but did confirm that they will be offering a subscription based service which will come complete with a totally unique-to-Verizon Sling box unit that will be either subsidized or free depending on the specifics of the Sling subscription that the user opts in to. More details on that will certainly be emerging in the coming weeks and months, but expect to see it hit the streets sometime in late Winter/early Spring.

Read on to see a video of the player in action and our image gallery!

Sling Media’s popular placeshifting app is now available on the Apple iPad. The company first announced the eventual arrival of its iPad offering back in March of this year, and the task was apparently a steep one. Almost eight months later, however, SlingPlayer Mobile for iPad is finally here. Owners of Apple’s iPad can now stream live television and movies from their homes to the iPad over Wi-Fi or 3G. Content recorded on a TiVo or DVR can be streamed as well, and SlingPlayer is capable of remotely controlling a wide variety of cable and satellite boxes. The sizable 9.7-inch display on the iPad makes it a perfect candidate for the app, and early reports from users are definitely complimentary. SlingPlayer Mobile for iPad is available immediately in Apple’s App Store for $29.99.

[Via Dave Zatz]

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Sling Media announced Tuesday that its popular SlingPlayer Mobile software is now available for Windows Phone 7 devices. The mobile app will allow Windows Phone 7-powered handsets like the HTC Surround to stream live TV content from a home television via Wi-Fi or 3G. Sling Media uses a hardware component — a Slingbox — to capture signals from a user’s cable or satellite box and rebroadcast the content over the Internet using a private stream. Slingboxes can also stream content recorded with a DVR using the same technology. SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Phone 7 is available immediately in the Windows Marketplace for $29.99. Hit the jump for Sling’s full press release.

Foster City, Calif. — Nov. 9, 2010— Sling Media, Inc., a subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), today announced the availability of SlingPlayer Mobile™ for Windows Phone 7.  As a Microsoft Launch App Partner, Sling Media is making the new SlingPlayer Mobile software available for purchase and download from the Windows Marketplace on the same day as North American mobile carriers introduce the new handsets in their retail stores.

“The big story about SlingPlayer Mobile on Windows Phone 7 is the quality of the user experience,” said John M. Paul, executive vice president of Products at Sling Media. “From the fully revamped user interface to the clear, sharp video images, customers are going to thoroughly enjoy watching TV on their Windows Phone 7 handsets.”

How it Works
When connected to a Slingbox SOLO or Slingbox PRO-HD via the Internet, the award-winning SlingPlayer Mobile software makes it easy to watch your home TV on a variety of handsets. Now Slingbox® owners with Windows Phone 7 devices can change channels, control their DVRs and watch their favorite shows anywhere they have a 3G or Wi-Fi internet connection.

Pricing and Availability
SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Phone 7 is available now for $29.99 (US), £22.99 (UK), €21.10 plus local VAT (Europe), and CN$31.99 (Canada) from the Windows Marketplace, accessible on any Windows Phone 7 handset or via the internet at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/apps/default.aspx.  SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Phone 7 can be purchased, downloaded and installed in minutes. Initially, the software will be available only in English, with other languages to follow soon.

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Slingbox owners rocking the latest Android handset will be happy to know that SlingPlayer has made its official debut in the Android Market. Available for $30, the app will allow you to Sling over 3G, 4G, and WiFi and is as full featured as its iPhone counterpart; as it has support for local channels, local sports coverage, video on demand, pay per view, and home DVR control. If you are an Android-toting, Slinbox-owning resident of Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom or the United States, head over to the Android Market and get your Sling on.

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Today is a great day for the forever on the go TV addict, as the the latest version of SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone has arrived and brought 3G streaming with it. Available in the iTunes App Store for the princely sum of $30, SlingPlayer Mobile the other week won AT&T’s nod of approval thanks to its a new optimization live streaming optimization method that AT&T has been tinkering with since late last year. So far we’ve heard and read that the app runs fairly well in heavily congested metropolitan areas, but we’re pretty keen to know the experience of our readers first hand. After all, you’re one good looking and intelligent bunch and we think this version is slightly different than the 3G-enabled version we’ve been using.

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Ten months after we broke the news on the WiFi-only SlingPlayer Mobile for the iPhone, it looks like AT&T and Sling have finally come to terms on a 3G version of the video streaming product. During these intervening months, SlingMedia has developed a 3G optimized version (read: it won’t kill AT&T’s network) of SlingPlayer Mobile that AT&T has been testing since mid-December. Sling’s well-written code coupled with AT&T loosening grip on the application requirements for its 3G network has lead to success as AT&T announced today that it has given the rubber stamp of approval to Sling’s 3G mobile app. No word on when this 3G version will hit the App store but we are reaching out to Sling to see if we can get a ballpark date. We’ve been using a 3G-enabled SlingPlayer iPhone application for a while, and we’re not sure how we’d live without it, so this is really, really, exciting. Hit the jump for the full press release.

AT&T and Sling Media Collaborate on SlingPlayer Mobile app for 3G Mobile Broadband Network

SlingPlayer Mobile app optimized to conserve wireless spectrum

DALLAS, Feb. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — AT&T* today announced that its 3G mobile broadband network will support Sling Media, Inc.’s SlingPlayer Mobile™ app.

Sling Media, a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (Nasdaq: SATS), originally developed its wireless app to make efficient use of 3G network bandwidth – and to conserve the finite wireless spectrum available to the wireless industry. Since mid December 2009, AT&T has been testing the app and has recently notified Sling Media — as well as Apple – that the optimized app can run on its 3G network.  The SlingPlayer Mobile app already is available for use today on AT&T’s Wi-Fi network, the nation’s largest with more than 20,000 hotspots.

“Just as we’ve worked with Sling Media in this instance, we look forward to collaborating with other developers so that mobile customers can access a wider, more bandwidth-sensitive, and powerful range of applications in the future,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “Collaboration with developers like Sling Media ensures that all apps are optimized for our 3G network to conserve wireless spectrum and reduce the risk that an app will cause such extreme levels of congestion that they disrupt the experience of other wireless customers. Our focus continues to be on delivering the nation’s most advanced mobile broadband experience and giving our customers the widest possible array of mobile applications.”

“We’re delighted with AT&T’s decision to approve the SlingPlayer Mobile app on their 3G network,” said John Gilmore, senior vice president and general manager at Sling Media.  “SlingPlayer Mobile on AT&T’s 3G network gives customers the best experience possible for watching their home TV while on the go.”

AT&T will provide developers with wireless network optimization requirements for video and other applications by the end of the first quarter via its AT&T Developers Program website (http://developer.att.com).

AT&T’s announcement today further demonstrates its commitment to fostering the development of a wide range of mobile applications for smartphones, quick-messaging devices and other mobile devices.  In January, AT&T hosted its fourth annual Developers Summit, where it announced a range of initiatives to support app development.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Sling let us know that they’ve gone and submitted version 1.1 of their popular SlingPlayer for iPhone application to Apple. New in this version include true 16×9 wide-screen support, improved remote control interface, faster speeds all around including channel changing, initial connection, remote control response.

While unfortunately there’s no 3G support in here, SlingMedia did let us know that they’ve submitted a version specifically for outside the United States that does have 3G support built in. There’s no telling whether Apple will approve it, but still a nice bit of information for our brothers and sisters that don’t live in the States.

We all know that AT&T defended its decision to cripple limit the iPhone SlingPlayer application with claims that such an application “would use large amounts of wireless network capacity” and “could create congestion and potentially prevent other customers from using the network”. The company further elaborated upon its stance by claiming that “applications like this, which redirects a TV signal to a personal computer, are specifically prohibited under our terms of service”. A Gizmodo tipster claims however, that these publicly proclaimed reasons are only half of the story and a more nefarious reason for a WiFi-only SlingPlayer exists. According to the tipster, AT&T is hard at work with a version of its own Slingplayer-like software, codenamed i-Verse. The i-Verse mobile application will reportedly interact with AT&T’s U-Verse television service and allow U-Verse subscribers to stream recorded video from their DVRs to their mobile phones. The i-Verse application was supposedly well-received when demoed last year and AT&T has been working overtime to get it up and running. Yeah, we can understand AT&T being sore that Sling beat them to the punch with its SlingPlayer app for the iPhone, but deliberately crippling a competitor’s application to give preference to its own app? That is a bit over the top and we hope for AT&T’s sake that this tipster is less than accurate in his claims.

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Remember that story we broke last month? Unfortunately it looks like our tipster was indeed correct. While SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone is about to become available in the App Store, it only will work over a Wi-Fi connection as opposed to a cellular data connection. It also will run you $29.99. The only good news we could scrounge up is that Sling has allowed/enabled the iPhone client to work on any Slingbox, but they won’t officially support it. All in all, we’re sad to say, we really don’t see this going over well. $30 for an application you can only use over Wi-Fi really doesn’t sound that appetizing. We love you Sling, but this isn’t exactly optimal.

Well, we’re going to hold on to our demo apps that work over 3G — who knew some applications would become collectibles? We didn’t have a chance to put a formal review together even though we’ve been using the application for the last month or so, but quick thoughts? Really solid product that had a ton of potential (and a nice revenue stream for Sling) had it launched with cellular data support. Couple laggy spots, but hey, it’s your TiVo (or whatever crap DVR you use) on your iPhone. Anywhere. AT&T really bent them over with a hot iron stick on this one…

Some feared it might happen, others thought it would pass with flying colors, but unfortunately we’ve got a tip that tries to shed some light on the situation. This was from an anonymous tipster and we’re posting it for information sake. We’ve already reached out to Sling Media PR, so in the meantime, while we wait, here’s what we’ve been told:

The application (SlingPlayer for iPhone) conformed to every single Apple guideline for applications and user interfaces, etc. The reason it was denied (actually denied today if our tipster is to be believed) was because of an executive decision on Apple’s end. AT&T had asked that the app be rejected due to worries about bandwidth consumption (this doesn’t make too much sense given that other devices has been using SlingPlayer Mobile for a long time…).

What do you guys think? We’ll update this when we hear more!

UPDATE: Sling says that they “have had no word from Apple.” Yay!

Well, Sling has gone and done it again. This time they’ve got some iPhone app nonsense for your TiVo-addicted souls. You might remember the initial “concept” version, but the new actual application was created within Apple’s SDK guidelines, thus making it App Store friendly. Sling is aiming to get this out in Q1, so let’s hope they make it this time. Pricing will most likely be the same as their other SlingPlayer Mobile applications — $29.99 — though they haven’t announced that yet.

If you’re a Mac user, they have also got somethin’ cooking for as well. Look forward to HD streaming through Sling.com. It’s essentially a web-based Mac SlingPlayer that links up just perfectly with your brand new PRO-HD box. Good stuff all around, guys.

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Here we go peoples. Get excited, because Sling has just opened the doors to all of you BlackBerry-lovers who want some TiVo on the go. Download link is below, so get out those ‘Berrys, hit the download button, and let us know what you think, ok?

Thanks, Justin!

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As BlackBerry users sit patiently and wait for the official BlackBerry beta program to FINALLY get under way, Sling Media has just cranked out a new build of its Windows Mobile application with a host of improvements. Most notably, SlingPlayer Mobile now supports 16 additional handsets sporting a range of display resolutions that had previously been unsupported. Is your weapon of choice among the list of newly-supported phones? Look no further:

• AT&T HTC Fuze
• AT&T LG Incite
• AT&T Pantech Duo
• AT&T Samsung Epix
• HP iPAQ 910
• Palm Treo Pro
• Sony Ericsson X1
• Sprint HTC Touch Diamond
• Sprint HTC Touch Pro
• Sprint Samsung ACE
• Sprint Treo 800w
• Verizon HTC Touch Pro
• Verizon Samsung Omnia
• Verizon Samsung Saga
• Verizon XV6900
• Motorola Q9h

The folks over at Sling sure have been busy lately but you know we’re never satisfied… What’s up with an iPhone app fellas? Oh well, hopefully we’ll get there soon enough. In the meantime if you’re a Slingbox owner with one of the devices listed above, definitely click through to the download page and get slinging.

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Always count on Sling to be cooking up a new batch of software right? This time around, it’s for Windows. SlingPlayer users can now grab the latest 2.0 update which adds support for a built-in programming guide, a live video buffer which basically works like a software DVR letting you pause, rewind, or fast-forward up to 60 minutes of video from your PC directly from SlingPlayer, and other cool features like integrated Sling accounts so you don’t have to constantly try and remember your Finder ID. All in all, good things, folks. You know we be Slingin’. No, they didn’t pay us to say that. Hit the link below to grab the new client.

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