If you remember way back when to the January MacWorld Expo when Apple showed off SlingPlayer for iPhone, you may recall that WiFi, 3G, and even EDGE were all supported with EDGE streaming even being somewhat decent. After 6 weeks of delay since SlingPlayer submitted the app and much speculation, rumor, and worrying, many thought that the app would never come to fuitition. So what is the update story on the whole SlingPlayer/Apple/AT&T drama?
Well…I am sorry to say it, but the ugly though sadly unsurprising details have come to light. According to SlingMedia, Apple will push the SlingPlayer app onto the App Store for public consumption sometime on May 13th between 12:00am and 6:00am. However, thanks to AT&T, their crappy network, and overall love of money have ruined yet again another potential awesome gateway to mobile content. Instead of being the amazing app shown off back at MacWorld with WiFi/3G/EDGE streaming, the new “revised” app will be neutered and limited to solely WiFi streaming. So much for unique. So, it looks as if we still have reasons to turn to Cydia to take care of our needs that AT&T and Apple blatently refuse – tethering and cellular streaming.
If you are still interested in SlingPlayer for iPhone, you better save up and quick, for one it’s being released this evening, and two it won’t come cheap ringing in at a more expensive than most $29.99 for U.S. and Canadian residents while UK’ers will get it for 17.99 british pounds.
Out of the gate, if you want to take advantage of the new iPhone/Sling app you’ll need either an offcially supported SlingBox PRO, SOLO, or PRO-HD. However, a pleasent change from a previous stance is that older legacy models such as the Classic, AV, and TUNER, will now also work with the new app. However, Sling Media has stated that they won’t provide any service for technical problems with these older and “lesser” products – fine by me.
Besides the worries of a complete network meltdown from Sling users streaming video all over AT&T’s network, other rumors suggest that AT&T might be trying to qwell any competition from as they are planning on releasing their own service somehow tied to U-Verse. Whether or not AT&T’s application or service will feature support for streaming over (EDGE/3G/WiFi) or simply act as a “remote/DVR controller” much like the DirectTV app reamins to be seen. However, when carriers stoop so low as to cut off competition and create monopolistic environments such as AT&T loves to do, it only makes the customer that much unhappier and willing to find service elsewhere. Further adding fuel to the digital fire is that AT&T already has other devices such as Blackberries that have their own SlingPlayer app that can actually stream over 3G connections meaning AT&T is playing favorites. If they want to push people to other models or carriers, by all means continue screwing around.
Has the fact that AT&T has obviously influenced Apple into greatly neutering one of the most hyped and talked about iPhone apps for several months now into a merely, dare I say “average” streaming app get you all hot and bothered? Sure the interface and performance of the app may be better than other streaming apps, but as far as new features that it brings to the table, is it really all that different? Will you pay $30 for a streaming app just to watch streamed TV from or will you go on the hunt for cheaper alternatives? Would you even go as far as to jailbreak in order to get your streamed media? You’re paying for unlimited capped data anyway…you might as well use it. Right?
Are you feeling like the caption in the image above…? I know I am. *sad face*
Source: Apple Insider 1, Apple Insider 2, Image Source
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