Demo Video of SlingPlayer for iPhone and iPod Touch

[MacRumors]

Engadget and Gizmodo have posted videos and screenshots of a "Proof of concept" version of the SlingPlayer for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The included video demonstrates how to stream video from your SlingBox, though not all options are presently enabled.

Once you connect to your Slingbox, you control channels with an on-screen remote whose buttons scroll horizontally at the bottom of the screen. There's also a scrollbar full of channel icons that provide shortcuts to specific stations. Video ran pretty smooth and looked good over a wi-fi connection. And it goes without saying, but Sling also has their fingers crossed for a 3G iPhone.

Sling Media sells the SlingBox which allows you to stream video from your home television over the internet to any supported device (Mac, PC, Mobile Phone). This native SlingPlayer port would bring that functionality to the iPhone. Unfortunately, SlingMedia has not yet been accepted into the iPhone developer program, but are targeting a "fall or winter" release.

Apple is expected to detail more about the iPhone Developer Program and the iTunes App Store on Monday, June 9th. We are providing keynote coverage at MacRumorsLive.com.

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[Donz0r]

That is awesome! Screw ATT's Tv service and whatever it costs, this is way better! Hope this makes it native soon!
With this you can watch ANY channel, Any DVR/Tivoed show, even DVDs on your iPhone, anywhere with wifi or 3g

[JonHimself]

How would streaming work over 3G? I have to assume that over WiFi it'd be pretty good. I've never used a Sling device so I don't know how good it is.

[HailToTheVictor]

I have been waiting for this for so long. How are video connections over 3g?

[bobbleheadbob]

This would make me want to get a Slingbox, fer sure. Especially with 3G coming soon (we all hope).

[rvk27]

ive been waiting so long to hear news about the iphone and here it is

[Mykbibby]

This is so amazing... even if the iPhone already has Live TV!

[icy-macpro]

thats preety slick! i would so get that

[antoneoh]

If the BlackBerry can do it, so can the iphone.

[seattle]

Great news! I have four slingboxs and I would love to use them with my iPhone.

[ChristoRogers]

Oh, it's a picture of the new iPhone!

Oh, wait...

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by Donz0r

That is awesome! Screw ATT's Tv service and whatever it costs, this is way better! Hope this makes it native soon!
With this you can watch ANY channel, Any DVR/Tivoed show, even DVDs on your iPhone, anywhere with wifi or 3g

As I recall, the rules of the SDK do not allow streaming media over the carrier for 3rd-party apps, only via WiFi.

Although, we'll probably have a hack or settings workaround to allow this feature.

[SirOmega]

I assume that you would need new Sling hardware on the TV side. It would be great if the Slingbox could encode to H.264 and then the built-in decoders in the iPhone could decode them so you could get good battery life (though I would expect it would only last 3-4 hours).

I'd love to see a HDMI pass through, so I could use it with my TiVo HD.

[flopticalcube]

Great! That puts a SlingBox on my list of things to buy.

[PoitNarf]

Originally Posted by JonHimself

How would streaming work over 3G? I have to assume that over WiFi it'd be pretty good. I've never used a Sling device so I don't know how good it is.

SlingPlayer mobile requires a minimum of 120Kbps, this is possible over EDGE but not consistent. 3G would have no problem maintaining at least a constant 120Kbps.

[inkswamp]

Unfortunately, SlingMedia has not yet been accepted into the iPhone developer program

Sigh.

Was there ever any official word on why the iPhone SDK was handed out so selectively? This whole thing about being accepted into the dev program is so elitist and snotty sounding that it annoys me every time I see a reminder of it. I don't get why Apple would do that but I sure hope they open the SDK up to everyone at some point. Sometimes the greatest ideas come from hobbyists tinkering around--no, scratch that, most of the great ideas come from hobbyists and non-pros. Apple shouldn't cut the iPhone off from that.

[rolex54]

of all the people to be accepted they should definitely of been one. I have wanted slingplayer on my iphone ever since I got it

[Lepton]

Originally Posted by inkswamp

Sigh.
Was there ever any official word on why the iPhone SDK was handed out so selectively? This whole thing about being accepted into the dev program is so elitist and snotty sounding that it annoys me every time I see a reminder of it.

This sure bothers me a lot, since I'm working on two iPhone apps that need to be tested on the hardware itself, and I can't get in the program, though I've been a Mac developer for decades.

But I have hope! I believe they will open up the program perhaps Monday, surely by month's end. But that may be too late to have my apps ready for day one of the App Store, where I could have gotten, perhaps, lots of extra downloads from those looking for apps under their brand new App Store icon.

[admanimal]

Originally Posted by inkswamp

Sigh.

Was there ever any official word on why the iPhone SDK was handed out so selectively? This whole thing about being accepted into the dev program is so elitist and snotty sounding that it annoys me every time I see a reminder of it. I don't get why Apple would do that but I sure hope they open the SDK up to everyone at some point. Sometimes the greatest ideas come from hobbyists tinkering around--no, scratch that, most of the great ideas come from hobbyists and non-pros. Apple shouldn't cut the iPhone off from that.

The SDK -is- available to everyone. The limited enrollment is for the iPhone Dev Program, which allows you to test your apps on actual devices and distribute them via the App store.

There is nothing elitist or snobby about the way Apple is accepting people into the beta iPhone Dev program. In fact it appears to be the complete opposite, i.e. totally random*. I am a nobody hobbyist developer and I was accepted, presumably by chance. It will be open to everyone willing to pay the fee once the 2.0 firmware is no longer in beta- so very soon.

*I'm sure there are some big names that were hand selected (EA, AIM, etc.)

[Zubin]

I'm not entirely sure how this works. Do you need a slingbox?

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by Zubin

I'm not entirely sure how this works. Do you need a slingbox?

Yes. Here is an exmaple of how it be setup...

CableBox » (coax) » Slingbox » (Ethernet) » Router » (Internet) » iPhone

The way the software works is that Slingbox tells an internet server your IP address and keeps it on file so when your mobile device's SlingBox app connects, it connects to the server with your username and password and gets the IP address, which it then connects directly too. This is great if your IP address changes; Back To My Mac works like this too.

The SlingBox has a cable with an infrared light on it so it can send commands to your cablebox to change the channel from your device, which it then changes the channel and streams it to your device.

Check out their website or a YouTube video on it.

PS: With the Windows and Mac apps, it also stream video and audio from your home computers.

[bytethese]

Originally Posted by Zubin

I'm not entirely sure how this works. Do you need a slingbox?

If you travel or just like to be able to watch your TV from where ever you are. I'm going to love the next time I forget to set my DVR to record something....WAIT, I'll fire up my iPhone and use the SlingPlayer to do it!

[jersey]

This could be so awesome...... too bad Apple seems to be stonewalling developers, even well known ones.

[bytethese]

Ok, now that looks pretty slick. I'd LOVE to be able to DVR a bunch of stuff and "take it with me" on my iPhone.

I hope we see this soon!

[Rocketman]

They are very clearly a player. Apple/ATT wants to reduce the bandwidth hit they would deliver.

Sooo, a "beta" app slinging from your Mac/PC to your iPhone or any other IP enabled device would do the trick initially.

Rocketman