Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
ATT Responds to My Complaint on Slingbox Limitations
- Thread starter prairiefire
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I love how when Slingbox / Slingplayer and cable are used in the same sentence, it always includes the word "theft" somewhere, too. I have two Slingboxes and an Orb server and they all do the same thing so how is Orb "ok" while Slingplayer is not? What about Dish who advertises Sling on their website and includes it as part of their product? According to AT&T's retarded logic, Dish is helping it's users steal from itself. Further, hasn't Sling already been UNsuccessfully sued a handful of times over this garbage already and proven that no one is stealing anything in a court of law? And finally, the Apple fanchumps like to blame AT&T and the AT&T fanchimps like to blame Apple...as if there's any difference. Just like dropped calls, lousy 3G performance and all the rest of it, they're both to blame equally. They make stupid, senseless calls designed to screw the user together, they both share equal blame. Sling is the only company that doesn't come out of this smelling like raw sewage because their software works perfectly on everything platform *except* iPhone. And it has for years on Windows Mobile.
Same! I'm so mad that Verizon couldn't agree with Apple's terms but it's sort of obvious why they wouldn't.
I've missed about half the calls I've recieved, and they pop up in groups randomly in my voicemail. I went to the At&t Store, and naturally, the person told me to go to 
. So I did, and a Genius tells me that I just have to deal with it. So he gives me a refurb. Like that helps! Verizon was amazing for us when our family had it. Only about 2 missed calls over 2 years with 4 phone lines. On At&t, about one eighth of every call is missed. Also, why the heck do they consider an iPhone a computer and not a Blackberry? TEchnically, every phone has a computer inside it, but I guess they could care less about that. Even WinMo phones aren't considered computers. This is basically segregation. They consider smartphones as computers to their favor then limit iPhones, also to their favor. When my contract expires on November 2010, I am 100% jumping ship and going to (you guessed it!) Verizon. I was so happy that the iPhone was GSM so I could unlock it and use it in Europe and other places. Until I switched to At&t.
Both? What benefit would Apple achieve blocking users from using Sling OTA? Besides appeasing AT&T so as to achieve other goals during contract negotiation? Nothing. It doesn't matter to Apple. One could argue Sling also infringes on possible iTunes revenue from TV shows - but if Apple cared, it wouldn't have made the App store at all.
Why did they block OTA downloads from the App Store for so long? 'Cuz they 'wanted to be unfair to customers'? I wouldn't even be surprised if one of the main reasons why Apple is with ATT and not Verizon (o, besides loosing practically the entire world market by sticking with Verizon's CDMA network), is for the fact Verizon probably wouldn't support a 'virtual application store' that it can't maintain control of until it was proven to be a money-maker by Apple and AT&T. Wake up.
Both because I'm tired of these bulls**t games. The Apple camp says "Oh no, we're freakin' perfect. Blame AT&T" and the AT&T camps says "Oh no, Apple made us. Blame Apple". And you know what gets done?
NOTHING.
So yes, both. Apple and AT&T are equally guilty of screwing their customers.
NOTHING.
So yes, both. Apple and AT&T are equally guilty of screwing their customers.
Both? What benefit would Apple achieve blocking users from using Sling OTA? Besides appeasing AT&T so as to achieve other goals during contract negotiation? Nothing. It doesn't matter to Apple. One could argue Sling also infringes on possible iTunes revenue from TV shows - but if Apple cared, it wouldn't have made the App store at all.
Why did they block OTA downloads from the App Store for so long? 'Cuz they 'wanted to be unfair to customers'? I wouldn't even be surprised if one of the main reasons why Apple is with ATT and not Verizon (o, besides loosing practically the entire world market by sticking with Verizon's CDMA network), is for the fact Verizon probably wouldn't support a 'virtual application store' that it can't maintain control of until it was proven to be a money-maker by Apple and AT&T. Wake up.
So you really think allowing all other phones to sling except the iPhone is AT&T treating their customers fairly? Especially considering iPhone users are paying for "unlimited" data like everyone else. Give me break. And yeah, I realize that it's a little late for verizon, however they will be rolling out 4G and I'm sure AT&T would love for the iPhone to stay exclusive. The ball is pretty much in Apple's court for future exclusivity negotiations. Apparently they're choosing not to use that leverage though. I can't believe Apple would choose to let AT&T make their phone inferior to Windows mobile and Blackberry. You need to wake up.
AT&T Reps are well known for not knowing their ass from their elbow so dont take what one said about cable theft too serious.
You'll call customer service 3 times about a question and you'll get different answers each time.
You'll call customer service 3 times about a question and you'll get different answers each time.
The truth is that customer service reps are idiots. She has no idea what the corporate policy is or is going to be.
Read my posts earlier in this thread if you want to know why that a) will be a completely ineffective form of "protest" which b) may make things less pleasant for your fellow users.
Right. Do you know how to run a business? If something was in your best interest to try and limit, wouldn't you do the same thing also? Too many iPhone owners are noobs and would simply accept AT&T's official answer without any question. The real crime is the blatant violation of net neutrality. But hey, they let other companies do it...
Trust me, I don't like it anymore than you do. I have a slingbox at home and was able to sling beautifully on my two previous WM devices. However, AT&T is right. You can't control what goes on those phones. You don't even go through AT&T or HTC/Moto/HP/Etc to get the Slingbox player app for WM. Same thing for Blackberry.
I think the point is, that's one of the main drawbacks of the iPhone compared to other devices. The fact that even with jailbreaking, dev community, and to a certain point, the App store - it still isn't as customizable as other platforms. That's the beauty of Apple's ecosystem (remember that term?). It's specifically designed to guarantee revenue streams for the stakeholders (big business) at the expense of consumer rights. Think about it for the second. To AT&T, it's them before the customers, what makes you think Apple is any different?
I bet that was part of the deal with the app store. Apple would get 30% of the revenue, ATT would deliver apps purchased on the phone and would not receive any revenue, but would have the option to block certain apps from running on their network.
Apple does not care as long as they make their $, ATT does not care as long as they make theirs.
Those of you defending Apple and bashing ATT please take the blinders off. Whatever makes both companies the most amount of $ is all that matters, to both of them.
Apple does not care as long as they make their $, ATT does not care as long as they make theirs.
Those of you defending Apple and bashing ATT please take the blinders off. Whatever makes both companies the most amount of $ is all that matters, to both of them.
ATT's 3G Netbooks
This morning the papers are carrying the announcement that ATT is going to start selling its own branded 3G Netbooks. They are calling them "computers".
It will be interesting to see if they allow people to Sling video on them.
The path to do so is open, because all they need to say is "We can't control the software people put on their computers. All we can control is what they put on their iPhones".
Of course, it is Apple that is controlling what goes on our iPhones. Apple, not ATT approves and sells the software.
I wonder if ATT pushed Apple to keep the Sling Media software on WiFi only because it knew that its new Netbooks would be putting a load on its already weak 3G network.
This morning the papers are carrying the announcement that ATT is going to start selling its own branded 3G Netbooks. They are calling them "computers".
It will be interesting to see if they allow people to Sling video on them.
The path to do so is open, because all they need to say is "We can't control the software people put on their computers. All we can control is what they put on their iPhones".
Of course, it is Apple that is controlling what goes on our iPhones. Apple, not ATT approves and sells the software.
I wonder if ATT pushed Apple to keep the Sling Media software on WiFi only because it knew that its new Netbooks would be putting a load on its already weak 3G network.
With all due respect, I've not found that my customer service rep's are idiots. Some have been very good.
I started this thread by discussing a phone call I had received after sending an email to ATT's CEO.
The call was from a "national escalation" representative in the home office. She spoke for the CEO. The fact that I don't buy the message does not mean that I denigrate the messenger. She did the best she could to defend a bankrupt policy.
3G is just fine. I can use Slingplayer over AT&T with my Fuze with no problems whatsoever. Same with Sirius and other streaming things on the Fuze.
That's the part I love. Apple has sold itself to gullible consumers for years and years as being anti-establishment, a better value, standing up for the little guy, thinking outside the box, freedom in computing and all the rest of that cliche crap. That may have been true 20 years ago but by now it's obvious Apple sold it's soul so it stock could go up a quarter a of point. They're just as guilty of this garbage as AT&T. Probably moreso considering how they deny the app store to certain apps seemingly on a whim. I have zero respect for AT&T and Apple both.
Not that complaining has EVER done a thing with either company. Instead, I won't get rid of my Fuze. In fact, I even got a PAYG chip for it so I can use both phones and if I want to use Slingplayer, I simply switch chips. I can use my classic boxes, I can use it over 3G (which, again, works fine...320x240 @ 15 fps), I can use it in tandem with other apps, even other streaming apps, and there's not a damn thing AT&T or Apple can do about it. Screw complaining, my solution is much better. Blackberry and Microsoft: Freedom in Mobile Computing. Bet you didn't see that one coming, did you?