Sling TV brings cloud DVR recording to Apple TV

AppleInsider

Dish's internet-only TV service, Sling TV, has announced the availability of Cloud DVR support for the Apple TV, letting users record some (but not all) shows for later viewing.

The option is currently in a rough "first look" state and costs $5 per month, Sling said on Monday. Previously, the technology only worked with Roku and Android devices, including Amazon streamers.

With the feature active, subscribers can theoretically keep recordings as long as they want. Sling noted, however, that after the 50-hour mark, it will automatically make room for new recordings by deleting the oldest data. DVR functions are also blocked on some channels, presumably because of rights agreements.

Apple TV owners must go to Sling.com to pay for the DVR package. The company didn't say when the option might expand to other platforms, like iOS, except to promise broader device support in the future.

DVR functions are quickly becoming a dividing point among internet TV providers. While they're available on Sling, YouTube TV, and PlayStation Vue, all of those services have different implementations, and the option is still missing entirely from DirecTV Now.

Hulu may launch its own live TV platform as soon as next month, but like Sling ask subscribers to pay extra for full DVR support.

macxpress

sog35 said:

Still dung.

Some channels you can record like ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, Disney.....crappy

Still beats paying for cable/satellite service. I use Sling and love it! And, I pay a much lower price and get pretty much only the channels I want. I don't have to for some exorbitant price for the next tier of channels just to get 1 channel I want to watch.

mtbnut

Once the leaders in the DVR space, it's sad to see TiVo lagging by miles in this regard. They just got a big cash infusion after being bought out by Rovi, but they're still relying on spinning magnetics disks. Sad. Bigly sad!

wood1208

TV streaming space is getting interesting. With more competition, consumers will benefit with better contents, more features at lower price. For cord cutters, SLING certainly worth a try.

[Deleted User]

Sling TV is great. I just cut the cord a few months back and went with Apple TVs. Sling TV is the best for the money by far, especially if you watch sports. They really have the best packages for the money in my opinion. I've tried Sling TV, DirectTV NOW, and PSVue for live TV. DirectTV NOW has the most channels and nicest app, but it's very expensive. PSVue is OK too but pricey again. Hulu is adding live TV next rumored at $40.00 a month which still costs more than Sling TV.

macxpress

Now if Apple would only get in the mix...they too are getting far behind with this. They're letting everyone else get away. I know Apple wants to go in a different direction, but maybe they need to take baby steps, just like they did with music. It wasn't great at first, but eventually they were able to get it to where it is today. 

alandail

so strange a cloud based TV service would require recording, why not just "auto record" everything so you can watch it any time after it's aired?  It's crazy you have to know in advance you might want to "record" a show.

Soli

alandail said:

so strange a cloud based TV service would require recording, why not just "auto record" everything so you can watch it any time after it's aired?  It's crazy you have to know in advance you might want to "record" a show.

It is, but this is actually progress. Maybe one day there will be instant availability of all shows right when they air without any sort of pre-arrangement and without waiting for the complete season to be launched on disc, like how Netflix typically gets content they don't produce, but that's probably years away.

rezwits

macxpress said:

Now if Apple would only get in the mix...they too are getting far behind with this. They're letting everyone else get away. I know Apple wants to go in a different direction, but maybe they need to take baby steps, just like they did with music. It wasn't great at first, but eventually they were able to get it to where it is today. 

IDK man, Apple is doing fine I think. Cause I use my AppleTV to watch Television, 750GB a month worth. The TV.app is loaded from about 12 Apps so far with single-sign-on even. I think the future of TV and AppleTV is every channel gets their OWN APP, and Apple will use the TV.app to piggy back off of all of them and be an aggregate service, and when it gets "Thick" like 40-50 "channels" with their own apps, we'll need the TV.app. I don't think Apple really is going to get into combining all the channels into a package deal, because they are serving them on a per App basis, "in the future" al-a-carte we can all hope... oh and AT&T bought Directv out and ended any of that nonsense...

techrules

YouTube TV gives you unlimited storage and tuners. They need to get a native AppleTV app and it is a no brainer. Hope YouTube is listening.

alandail

Soli said:

alandail said:

so strange a cloud based TV service would require recording, why not just "auto record" everything so you can watch it any time after it's aired?  It's crazy you have to know in advance you might want to "record" a show.

It is, but this is actually progress. Maybe one day there will be instant availability of all shows right when they air without any sort of pre-arrangement and without waiting for the complete season to be launched on disc, like how Netflix typically gets content they don't produce, but that's probably years away.

but why?  If they are recording to the cloud, presumably they aren't actually duplicating recordings.  If a show has already been recorded to the cloud by anyone, and you have the service, why can't you just set it to "record all available" and have access to anything anyone recorded (that you have a subscription to).  Then, for example, when you find out the next day your favorite actor, band, whatever, was on one of the late shows, you can still watch it.   You don't have to record (and later delete) all of the shows just for that random one.  Or when you discover a show midseason, you can watch all of the earlier episodes because they were already recorded into the cloud you already subscribed to. 

mike1

mtbnut said:

Once the leaders in the DVR space, it's sad to see TiVo lagging by miles in this regard. They just got a big cash infusion after being bought out by Rovi, but they're still relying on spinning magnetics disks. Sad. Bigly sad!

I'll take a local hard drive over a cloud DVR any day of the week. Much more responsive. No lag. Easier to pause precisely when needed and fast forward past commercials without overshooting.

AppleBighter

It's about time. The DVR function as been available on Amazon Fire and Roku for months ( I have all three, don't ask why). I really prefer ATV and it was a pain switching around between devices.

mrboba1

rexbinary said:

Sling TV is great. I just cut the cord a few months back and went with Apple TVs. Sling TV is the best for the money by far, especially if you watch sports. They really have the best packages for the money in my opinion. I've tried Sling TV, DirectTV NOW, and PSVue for live TV. DirectTV NOW has the most channels and nicest app, but it's very expensive. PSVue is OK too but pricey again. Hulu is adding live TV next rumored at $40.00 a month which still costs more than Sling TV.

I didn't ever think that Sling was the best for the money for sports.
PS Vue has the ESPNs, Fox Sports channels and NBCSN for 29.99 for me. With Sling you have to choose between ESPN and FS/NBC or pay $40, and then +5 for DVR. And then only 1 stream for the ESPNs.

Did I miss something?

edit: Didn't see Sog's reply - lots of crossover.

Soli

alandail said:

Soli said:

alandail said:

so strange a cloud based TV service would require recording, why not just "auto record" everything so you can watch it any time after it's aired?  It's crazy you have to know in advance you might want to "record" a show.

It is, but this is actually progress. Maybe one day there will be instant availability of all shows right when they air without any sort of pre-arrangement and without waiting for the complete season to be launched on disc, like how Netflix typically gets content they don't produce, but that's probably years away.

but why?  If they are recording to the cloud, presumably they aren't actually duplicating recordings.  If a show has already been recorded to the cloud by anyone, and you have the service, why can't you just set it to "record all available" and have access to anything anyone recorded (that you have a subscription to).  Then, for example, when you find out the next day your favorite actor, band, whatever, was on one of the late shows, you can still watch it.   You don't have to record (and later delete) all of the shows just for that random one.  Or when you discover a show midseason, you can watch all of the earlier episodes because they were already recorded into the cloud you already subscribed to. 

The content owners are typically very difficult to work with. Check out something like the show Ally McBeal. One of the reasons it was so popular was the soundtrack, but when it finally came to DVD it was missing most of the original music because they only secured rights for the original airing (and possibly the syndication), but not disc sales. It can be a huge mess. Check out why Taken was delayed a US release for nearly a year after coming to France. This sort of stuff happens a lot and it's always huge PITA.

fallenjt

sog35 said:

Still dung.

Some channels you can record like ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, Disney.....crappy

Sony Vue is still the best? Lol

fallenjt

mrboba1 said:

rexbinary said:

Sling TV is great. I just cut the cord a few months back and went with Apple TVs. Sling TV is the best for the money by far, especially if you watch sports. They really have the best packages for the money in my opinion. I've tried Sling TV, DirectTV NOW, and PSVue for live TV. DirectTV NOW has the most channels and nicest app, but it's very expensive. PSVue is OK too but pricey again. Hulu is adding live TV next rumored at $40.00 a month which still costs more than Sling TV.

I didn't ever think that Sling was the best for the money for sports.
PS Vue has the ESPNs, Fox Sports channels and NBCSN for 29.99 for me. With Sling you have to choose between ESPN and FS/NBC or pay $40, and then +5 for DVR. And then only 1 stream for the ESPNs.

Did I miss something?

edit: Didn't see Sog's reply - lots of crossover.

$35 for DIRECTV Now with 100 channels including broadcast ones and $5 for HBO add on during Game of Thrones season. Yeah, beat that. Others offer $15 for HBO so the Vue will be $65/mo.

bigbeardon

I have sling tv on both an Apple TV and a roku. I can fast forward a recording on the Roku, but not on the Apple TV.   I hope they fix this soon.

mrboba1

fallenjt said:

mrboba1 said:

rexbinary said:

Sling TV is great. I just cut the cord a few months back and went with Apple TVs. Sling TV is the best for the money by far, especially if you watch sports. They really have the best packages for the money in my opinion. I've tried Sling TV, DirectTV NOW, and PSVue for live TV. DirectTV NOW has the most channels and nicest app, but it's very expensive. PSVue is OK too but pricey again. Hulu is adding live TV next rumored at $40.00 a month which still costs more than Sling TV.

I didn't ever think that Sling was the best for the money for sports.
PS Vue has the ESPNs, Fox Sports channels and NBCSN for 29.99 for me. With Sling you have to choose between ESPN and FS/NBC or pay $40, and then +5 for DVR. And then only 1 stream for the ESPNs.

Did I miss something?

edit: Didn't see Sog's reply - lots of crossover.

$35 for DIRECTV Now with 100 channels including broadcast ones and $5 for HBO add on during Game of Thrones season. Yeah, beat that. Others offer $15 for HBO so the Vue will be $65/mo.

How did you go from 30 to $65 by adding $15? Not that DirecTV doesn't sound good, but what?

I'm not beholden to Vue (I have issues with some of its technical restrictions) so I'll bounce around for the best deal that meets my needs. PS - I don't want/need HBO.

Edit: um - $35 Directv gets you 60 channels, $60 gets you 100. And I get the same broadcast one (I checked local availability) that I get with Vue.

http://cdn.directv.com/content/dam/dtv/gmott/html/compare-packages-account.html

Why the attempt at disinformation?

maestro64

Part of the reason I stayed with the service I have is the fact we mostly watch time shifted content. I have DTV, and they have; Real time shows, with the ability to rewind an already in progress show so you can watch from the beginning, on-demand and also if you miss a show you can watch it at any time up to two weeks after it first air. Even with those options I find the shows we tend to time shift are either not available on-demand or I realize too late I miss a recent show and I am past the 2 week window. This has kind of forces us to stay with the DVR. we let it record as much as we like and we do not have to worry about doing a search to find a show, since searching sucks on these system. The other issue is on demand will not let you fast forward

I have 4TB DVR drive so I can record 100's of hours shows, 50 hours is not really a whole lot of space they are giving their users for $5/moth, probably around 160G to 250G. depending on the content and the compression they are using.

In this day and age, we should have everything on-demand, but content owners really do not like this model. Hell, for Network DVR there is no reason to have more than one copy of content, you can have one copy and a database that shows who either requested to record or has access to the show and everyone can access that one copy. But again content owner require an actual copy for every person who actually press the record button. This alone shows you content owners are still living in the VCR days or physical recording.

Long and short content owners control most everything and they want everyone to pay over and over every time the content is viewed.