Apple OKs 3G-Enabled SlingPlayer App For iPhones

[khurramdar]

Apple OKs 3G-Enabled SlingPlayer App For iPhones
Updated Mobile Video Player Can Access Slingboxes Over AT&T's Network
By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 2/15/2010 11:53:21 AM

Apple has approved Sling Media's revised SlingPlayer Mobile app that lets iPhone or iPod touch users access their DVRs and live TV channels over AT&T's 3G network, following the carrier's reversal on a policy that banned the app.

SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone"SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone"AT&T earlier this month said it would allow an "optimized" version of the SlingPlayer video player over its 3G network, which has struggled with wireless capacity issues in certain markets. The telco said it worked with Sling Media, a subsidiary of EchoStar, to test the revised version. Previously, the carrier blocked access to the app citing potential congestion for other users, limiting it to Wi-Fi.

The SlingPlayer Mobile app version 1.2 is available for $29.99 from Apple's App Store. The updated version, released Feb. 15, is a free upgrade for existing users of the SlingPlayer Mobile App, EchoStar said.

The app provides access to a Slingbox connected to a cable or satellite set-top box over the Internet to let users watch TV and recorded programs.

"We're delighted the SlingPlayer Mobile app now has 3G capability," Sling Media senior vice president and general manager John Gilmore said in a statement. "Slingbox users in many countries around the globe, including the United States, can now enjoy their living room TV experience on their iPhone and iPod touch whether on a 3G or Wi-Fi network."

Sling Media made the announcement Monday at the start of the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.