Different strokes for different folks. I only wonder if you'll actually get your money's worth.
Yeah, sadly I will get my money's worth all to quickly I am afraid.
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SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone Release Imminent? Wi-Fi only?
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Yeah, sadly I will get my money's worth all to quickly I am afraid.
it'll be interesting if it is only in the US that the 3g side of it is blocked... will be very interesting..
as someone has already said, us in the UK get plenty of wifi thrown in with our tariff, and a lot of cities here are also nicely meshed, so as we walk around we get wifi everywhere.. (leeds is a great example), so there really shouldn't be an issue watching a quick bit of tv, if you need to, while in a city centre.
i don't get 3g in my office, so i couldn't use it there, and there is no wifi, but hell, i have a laptop, so can use that..
i have a 3g dongle from o2 as well, and can watch my slingbox on that... it'll be interesting to see if it is US only that is wifi only...
time will tell..
as someone has already said, us in the UK get plenty of wifi thrown in with our tariff, and a lot of cities here are also nicely meshed, so as we walk around we get wifi everywhere.. (leeds is a great example), so there really shouldn't be an issue watching a quick bit of tv, if you need to, while in a city centre.
i don't get 3g in my office, so i couldn't use it there, and there is no wifi, but hell, i have a laptop, so can use that..
i have a 3g dongle from o2 as well, and can watch my slingbox on that... it'll be interesting to see if it is US only that is wifi only...
time will tell..
Some of you are forgetting that the iPhone & the Slingbox are sold in many more countries outside the United States. Myself being from Canada, I have a 6GB data plan for my iPhone 3G, and my wireless provider does not care what passes thru the device, in fact they hope people go over so they can cash in from the overage fees. They do not block tethering or streaming content to the other smartphones like WinMo & BB's.
If Apple's decision to allow only Wifi streaming is based only because of their relationship with AT&T, then their decisions is severely flawed.
If Apple's decision to allow only Wifi streaming is based only because of their relationship with AT&T, then their decisions is severely flawed.
I will pay the $ 30 because I am a supportor of sling and they spent money developing this application, it's not their fault AT & T screwed it up. Again I say that we gather up the people that are angry about this and pick a date and time and stream video through ATT'sr 3G network and see how they respond.
Need EDGE/3g
Wi-Fi only provides little value for me.
I enjoy my SlingPlayer on my WinMob Verizon phone very well, and was hoping to come to the upcoming iPhone w/ATT, but not if I can't continue to listen to my SlingPlayer while mobile/driving (no Wi-Fi). The Audio only mode is only 20 kbps, not really a bandwidth hog.
Big disappointment.
Wi-Fi only provides little value for me.
I enjoy my SlingPlayer on my WinMob Verizon phone very well, and was hoping to come to the upcoming iPhone w/ATT, but not if I can't continue to listen to my SlingPlayer while mobile/driving (no Wi-Fi). The Audio only mode is only 20 kbps, not really a bandwidth hog.
Big disappointment.
I, along with a lot of others, was expecting this. However, if the price does turn out to be $30 then I can't see how SlingPlayer will be successful with only WiFi support. For SlingPlayer, 3GTV is the killer app.
I'd say a reasonable price for WiFi-only would be $10. Then, when AT&T gets their act together in another year or two (we can hope) Sling could offer an upgrade for those who want 3GTV.
As for the other phones and carriers on which you can currently run SlingPlayer over 3G, I have two remarks.
1.) If SlingPlayer for the iPhone worked over 3G then I can well imagine that this player would see more use on the iPhone than on all previous phones combined.
2.) I've read reports over on the Sling community forums that at least one other U.S. carrier has been actively trying to block SlingPlayer from use on their wireless network. Given this, AT&T's action doesn't seem that unusual.
By the way, I'd suspect that as soon as the iPhone v3.0 firmware is released that we'll see 3G support in Orb disappear. Apple will probably use this opportunity to block additional apps since they've already told developers that v3.0 compatibility is going to be a requirement for the App Store. This will give Apple a new opportunity to bring consistency in what is rejected or approved. Frankly, they can't allow Orb to continue to work over 3G now that they have apparently rejected such support in SlingPlayer.
I'd say a reasonable price for WiFi-only would be $10. Then, when AT&T gets their act together in another year or two (we can hope) Sling could offer an upgrade for those who want 3GTV.
As for the other phones and carriers on which you can currently run SlingPlayer over 3G, I have two remarks.
1.) If SlingPlayer for the iPhone worked over 3G then I can well imagine that this player would see more use on the iPhone than on all previous phones combined.
2.) I've read reports over on the Sling community forums that at least one other U.S. carrier has been actively trying to block SlingPlayer from use on their wireless network. Given this, AT&T's action doesn't seem that unusual.
By the way, I'd suspect that as soon as the iPhone v3.0 firmware is released that we'll see 3G support in Orb disappear. Apple will probably use this opportunity to block additional apps since they've already told developers that v3.0 compatibility is going to be a requirement for the App Store. This will give Apple a new opportunity to bring consistency in what is rejected or approved. Frankly, they can't allow Orb to continue to work over 3G now that they have apparently rejected such support in SlingPlayer.
Even if Sling tries to counteract a pirated version, crackers will find a way. Trust me. No iPhone app has been un-crackable. Besides, the extra effort by Sling to try and prevent a pirated version isn't worth it, because crackers always find a way.
Will not get it.....if I'm near a Wi Fi Spot, I always have my laptop with me. Really urks me, use to have a Palm Treo 700w on Verizon, with the Slingplayer app, no problem using it on that carrier.
I understand your comments here, but I think you are missing the point aristobrat...
If it is so taxing on other phones, at&t would suing Slingbox from developing and profiting from an app that blatantly breaks the terms of service and use of at&t networks.
There is a double standard here....
Why go out of their way to stop one phone and not another?...
The really annoying thing....
For all the phones that AT&T DOESN'T have an exclusive on, they allow Slingplayer. For the one phone they DO they block it on 3G. This has nothing to do with bandwith - this is about exploiting the exclusivity of the iPhone.
I think I am walking when my contract is up. If other carriers have the iPhone at that point I am DEFINITELY walking (I was a very satisfied Verizon customer for 10 years until I reluctantly switched because I wanted an iPhone). And I don't even care all that much about Slingbox. But if AT&T is going to single out people with the iPhone to treat like 2nd class citizens (no tethering plan, sling, etc), I am sure they won't stop here. We have the most expensive base price they have for a phone/data/texting plan, but we get less. Maybe they have a RIGHT to do this, but it is terrible business. They funnel all this money to Apple to save themselves with the iPhone (look at all their new customers - do they think ANY of them are their because they wanted to switch to AT&T?), and then they turn around and alienate them by refusing them services all of their other customers (and all of the smartphone customers on other carriers) get. So they're gonna have a lot of irritated customers counting the days until exclusivity ends.
This is the sort of thing that happens when there is a monopoly - iPhone lovers are a captive audience, so we have to accept a certain amount of getting dumped on. But we can also remember how we were treated, and split as soon as we can.
For all the phones that AT&T DOESN'T have an exclusive on, they allow Slingplayer. For the one phone they DO they block it on 3G. This has nothing to do with bandwith - this is about exploiting the exclusivity of the iPhone.
I think I am walking when my contract is up. If other carriers have the iPhone at that point I am DEFINITELY walking (I was a very satisfied Verizon customer for 10 years until I reluctantly switched because I wanted an iPhone). And I don't even care all that much about Slingbox. But if AT&T is going to single out people with the iPhone to treat like 2nd class citizens (no tethering plan, sling, etc), I am sure they won't stop here. We have the most expensive base price they have for a phone/data/texting plan, but we get less. Maybe they have a RIGHT to do this, but it is terrible business. They funnel all this money to Apple to save themselves with the iPhone (look at all their new customers - do they think ANY of them are their because they wanted to switch to AT&T?), and then they turn around and alienate them by refusing them services all of their other customers (and all of the smartphone customers on other carriers) get. So they're gonna have a lot of irritated customers counting the days until exclusivity ends.
This is the sort of thing that happens when there is a monopoly - iPhone lovers are a captive audience, so we have to accept a certain amount of getting dumped on. But we can also remember how we were treated, and split as soon as we can.
Where do you guys get the idea that the Wifi version should cost less than the 3G version (if it comes out)? It is the same app. It's not Sling's fault that the app didnt get approved for 3G (if that turns out to be the case).
I would pay the $30 if the app has built in TV-Out support, that way I don't need to buy a Slingcatcher.
I would pay the $30 if the app has built in TV-Out support, that way I don't need to buy a Slingcatcher.
hahah yeah.. then again i can't really think of an application where i'd want to use the sling app.
everywhere i go i have my MacBook - airport (with wifi), car (with tethering), work (wifi), home (wifi).
i mean... honestly i would never want to watch TV on a small screen like the iPhone when i have my laptop. so for me it's not a dealbreaker
I agree
I feel the same way. The WiFi only will be a flop. i hope they were thinking of just getting their foot in the App Store door and plan on making adjustments later. 3G should be included.
I feel the same way. The WiFi only will be a flop. i hope they were thinking of just getting their foot in the App Store door and plan on making adjustments later. 3G should be included.
If it's only going to work on Wi-Fi then it should be FREE dammit. What the hell is the point of charging for an application with such limited use other than Sling being a bunch of greedy asses?
And what the hell AT&T!!?!? You guys allow a host of WinMo devices to stream TV and you won't allow it on the iPhone? Shame on you you bunch of jerk offs.
And what the hell AT&T!!?!? You guys allow a host of WinMo devices to stream TV and you won't allow it on the iPhone? Shame on you you bunch of jerk offs.
Apparently you didn't read my entire post. The point was that Sling already makes money on the hardware. They don't charge for their desktop software, it's part of the cost of the device, so why charge for the mobile software? As I said, it's their right to do so, but I think this thread proves that at that price, the response will be tepid at best.
Here is a good protest - lets all turn on YouTube and watch several 10 minute clips every night while on the cell phone data network. The amount of data is not that much for every phone, but taken together, it will sap the ATT system.
I don't care if anyone else does it, but I'm doing it.
I don't care if anyone else does it, but I'm doing it.
Well I'll be saving this $30 and however much a Slingbox HD was going to cost....
I feel bad for Sling as I know they were probably pushing hard to allow streaming over 3G, I truly wanted to support them and buy their product. I have been looking forward to this for a very long time, but WiFi only just doesn't cut it. I just can't justify spending all that money when I can't take full advantage of the services.
I feel bad for Sling as I know they were probably pushing hard to allow streaming over 3G, I truly wanted to support them and buy their product. I have been looking forward to this for a very long time, but WiFi only just doesn't cut it. I just can't justify spending all that money when I can't take full advantage of the services.
However, I suspect that it would only take one phone call or email from a properly placed source at AT&T to pretty much seal the fate of any app. That goes well beyond simple "influence." Sure, they couldn't impose blatant anti-competitive restrictions, but anything that could be made to appear as either technical grounds or terms of service would certainly get the ax. Given that, this development really isn't that surprising since the SlingPlayer over 3G probably lands in both of those areas.
I don't think it is Apple that is forcing this...AT&T controls the bandwidth.
All of Sling Media's mobile apps cost $30. I totally expected it to come out at this price point.
I for one am excited about it. Sure I can only use it on WIFI, but how many coffee shops and airports have WIFI? A lot of them! I can't wait to get this up and running! And I guaranty it will be in the top ten, if not number one, on the top paid apps list. All this whining and complaining and it is still going to sell...