Overview
For those of you who thought it would never make it, it's finally here! Sling Media's iPhone app for connecting to your Slingbox is now available in the App Store.
There are a few changes from Sling's original design. First it no longer supports 3g streaming (yes, wifi only unfortunately). Second, even though it's not supported, the app will work with legacy boxes, however Sling will not offer any technical support or advice if you are having an issue with a legacy box. And finally, the price is $29.99 (in line with their other mobile player apps).
Features
I have tried the other versions of Slingplayer mobile (for Windows Mobile phones) and found them almost unusuable, I was skeptical when Sling said they were releasing an app for the iPhone, however after using the app for just a few minutes I knew this was in a whole different realm from their other productions.
The app is feature rich and very intuitive. It guides you through everything from getting connected to your Slingbox to changing channels and setting up favorites. The speed of the interface, as well as the speed of everything from changing channels to buffering and displaying the video is quick and digestible.
The app will allow you to manage and watch multiple Slingboxes of multiple types, and switching between the different devices is a simple two-button-press task. Your directory is setup and controlled from Sling's user website http://www.sling.com, or from the app itself.
If you have a Slingbox Pro and have multiple devices setup, switching between your devices is also a simple two-button-press task. You will be watching your SD and HD sources in no time.
There are a few different ways of controlling your box once connected. Changing channels can be done through the guide (if your cable/satellite box has one), using the numeric keypad, or by swiping your finger up or down on the screen.
If you setup your favorite channels, you may also change by selecting from one of them, or swiping left or right on the screen for previous or next favorite respectively. Favorites lets you assign a logo to the channel as well as you can see below.
The on-screen remote is intuitive and integrates seemlessly with the app. It gives you access to all features of your regular remote including play, fast forward, record, and other DVR functions. It groups buttons in logical sets so you're not swiping around trying to find them in random locations. Check out
our video demo to see how intuitive it is!
There are lots of customizable settings, such as the ability to set your home channel, automatically connect on launch, stereo sound on/off, and high quality audio on/off. While watching a video stream some of the options include changing to an audio only stream, switching between high quality and standard quality, and adjusting the aspect from Letterbox to Standard.
The Breakdown
The Good
As far as a well designed app, that is intuitive, easy to use, and works, this one gets an A+ in my book. It makes remotely accessing the slingbox a pleasure, and watching tv on the phone is more than bareable, it's enjoyable. Having used their previous mobile platforms Sling really did it right this time.
I expected tiresome wait times during buffering, and choppy low quality video, but was pleasantly surprised when the buffering took seconds and the video quality was actualy great. I could easily see myself watching a TV show while at lunch or watching the local news while away on vacation. I could even see myself watching the Lakers game tonight since I won't make it home before it starts.
The ability to control multiple slingboxes and control multiple devices on each box is great, and it's hassle free. I expected to have to sign up a seperate account for each box, and log in and out of accounts to change devices, but they made it as simple as selecting from a list.
The Bad
Sling didn't follow the standard pricing that the App Store has shown to be successful. SlingPlayer for the iPhone will cost a pretty $29.99 which may be too rich for some of our readers. I also think it's a little unfair that if I've spent $29.99 on their windows mobile app I now need to pay another $29.99 to take advantage of their iPhone offering. I would have liked to have seen this app come in at $19.99 or even better a more reasonable $9.99.
Another thing that is an obvious bummer is the fact that Apple has decided not to allow the app to be used over 3g. This is likely due to pressure by AT&T though we have no comments regarding the exact reason. When we questioned Sling regarding the feature change they responded with "please direct any questions about Apple's decision to them." So we assume they are less than pleased to have it altered as well.
Our last gripe about the app is the original decision by Sling to not allow the app to control legacy boxes such as the Slingbox AV, as well as their subsequent decision to not support them now. I am glad to see they changed their mind and decided to allow the app to work with the legacy devices, but I don't see why they can't support it as well. ALL of their other mobile apps work with every box they offer and have offered in the past. We asked them to give us a reason as to why the iPhone app was different, but never got a response. If there was a technical reason that we could qualify then I might be more understanding in that regard.
The Verdict
Although the price of this app may put it out of reach for the average iPhone user, I believe it is a great addition to the phone for any user that owns a Slingbox. The design and implementation of the application was well planned and executed. If you have a Slingbox, or plan on getting one, and can save up the $30 bucks for the app, I can't say it's not worth it. I hope Sling sees that compared to other offerings in the App Store it's overpriced though. We'd like to see a sale or price drop on this app in the next few weeks.
