SlingPlayer Mobile Released for iPhone and iPod touch

Sling Media has released a version of its SlingPlayer Mobile application for Apple's smartphone and handheld. This gives Slingbox owners the ability to watch and control their home TV and associated equipment from an iPhone or iPod touch without paying a month subscription fee.

"The SlingPlayer Mobile application gives users access to the full spectrum of viewing, including local channels, local sports teams, video on demand, and pay per view, right from their iPhone or iPod touch, as well as the ability to watch and control their home digital video recorder (DVR)," said John Gilmore, senior vice president and general manager at Sling Media.

Some Limitations
The iPhone version of this application has a couple of limitations not included in ones for other mobile devices.

Most notably, it will only work over a Wi-Fi connection, and can not take advantage of this smartphone's 3G access. This is likely a result of AT&T's concerns about the wireless bandwidth required for streaming video.

In addition, this software will only work with Slingbox SOLO, PRO, or PRO-HD base units, which means those with earlier devices will have to buy new hardware.

Pricing and Availability
SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone and iPod touch costs $29.99, and is available now at the iPhone App Store.

There are no subscription fees for this app, but as mentioned earlier it requires a Slingbox to operate. These start at $180, and can also be used to watch streaming TV from a Windows PC or Mac.

More information of this software is available on Sling Media's website.

The iPhone edition joins the other mobile versions of this software: BlackBerry, Palm OS, Symbian S60, and Windows Mobile.

Source: Sling Media