Amid rumors of Apple subscription TV service, Sling TV comes to Xbox One, adds new channels
The Sling TV subscription service is now available on Xbox One, and will add A&E, History, and Lifetime later this month, expanding its offerings as new rumors suggest Apple plans to compete with its own subscription service starting this fall.
The $20-per-month Sling TV service announced on Tuesday that it will add the trio of cable networks to its live core package before the end of March. In all, the basic package will include 20 networks after the new additions.
Sling TV has also debuted on Microsoft's Xbox One game console, allowing users another way to stream the live content to their HDTV. Sling TV is also available on iOS, but it does not have a native Apple TV channel.
Other channels included in the base package include ESPN, TNT, TBS, CNN, AMC Galavision, HGTV, Food Network, Travel Channel and more.
The enhancement of Sling TV comes on the heels of a new rumor claiming that Apple plans to launch an online TV service this fall with support from major networks like ABC, CBS, and Fox. Absent from the list of networks said to be supporting Apple's efforts is NBC Universal, owned by cable provider Comcast.
Unlike Sling TV, which offers live streams of major cable networks, Apple's talks are said to also include broadcast network channels, which are also available in the U.S. for free over the air. Apple's plans for the service are also said to include a "skinny" bundle of flagship cable channels, debuting at a price between $30 and $40 per month.
It's unknown whether a new Apple service would launch alongside an updated Apple TV. The device hasn't been upgraded to new hardware in years, but did get a price cut last week to $69.
Apple has also been aggressive in courting HBO for its forthcoming HBO Now service, which will debut exclusively on the company's hardware, including the Apple TV, when it debuts in April for $14.99 per month. HBO Now is seen as a major defining moment for the future of cable and content, as previously users were required to have a cable subscription to view HBO, but the new streaming service will be available freely like Netflix or Hulu.
The $20-per-month Sling TV service announced on Tuesday that it will add the trio of cable networks to its live core package before the end of March. In all, the basic package will include 20 networks after the new additions.
Sling TV has also debuted on Microsoft's Xbox One game console, allowing users another way to stream the live content to their HDTV. Sling TV is also available on iOS, but it does not have a native Apple TV channel.
Other channels included in the base package include ESPN, TNT, TBS, CNN, AMC Galavision, HGTV, Food Network, Travel Channel and more.
The enhancement of Sling TV comes on the heels of a new rumor claiming that Apple plans to launch an online TV service this fall with support from major networks like ABC, CBS, and Fox. Absent from the list of networks said to be supporting Apple's efforts is NBC Universal, owned by cable provider Comcast.
Unlike Sling TV, which offers live streams of major cable networks, Apple's talks are said to also include broadcast network channels, which are also available in the U.S. for free over the air. Apple's plans for the service are also said to include a "skinny" bundle of flagship cable channels, debuting at a price between $30 and $40 per month.
It's unknown whether a new Apple service would launch alongside an updated Apple TV. The device hasn't been upgraded to new hardware in years, but did get a price cut last week to $69.
Apple has also been aggressive in courting HBO for its forthcoming HBO Now service, which will debut exclusively on the company's hardware, including the Apple TV, when it debuts in April for $14.99 per month. HBO Now is seen as a major defining moment for the future of cable and content, as previously users were required to have a cable subscription to view HBO, but the new streaming service will be available freely like Netflix or Hulu.
Comments
The problem is: Xbox is a joke, at least the 360 is. You have to fcking sign in MS Gold to access the apps. Guess what: MS server's down, no Netflix or Hulu+ or Sling TV for you. It's a pure crapped implementation of apps.
Now a days millennium people care more about freedom of contents and play where ever they are and Apple provides it. Now Apple needs to come out with the next generation of Apple TV that provides not only ala carta TV channels offer but needs to build Apple-TV with true powerful Home entertaining HUB with Homekit support, decent gaming with 4K output for current 4K TVs. Sony and Microsoft making their game console adding similar functionalities. In a world of interconnected devices, living room hub with consolidated functions is becoming a must where you can control gadgets(security camera, check doors, alarm feed back, on/off devices, temp up/down,etc) from your phone remotely through such HUB..
Be patient, my friend. Apple will do it soon and disrupt the TV service industry: Reinvent the way we watch TV.
HBO is $15 per month, I assume quality non-commercial packed networks will follow like Showtime. If you opt for 2 of these your TV bill is now $30. What will basic networks ABC, CBS and FOX cost, maybe $10 each, maybe less. I still watch some primetime TV on each of those networks so now I'm at $70. If I care about watching sports those networks would add to this amount. I still have to have internet service so my bill will look pretty much the same as it does now. I don't see me cutting of cable just yet if this pricing is what we have to look forward to.
Xbox One is the same as Xbox 360 as it heavily relies on the MS Gold subscription.
Waiting patiently to give my wasted money to Apple so they can do it better. Break the MOLD!
http://www.geekwire.com/2014/xbox-live-gold-free-apps/
It's amazing how something as incredibly cheap as MS Gold is seen as a huge barrier/burden yet the $30 - 40 price touted for Apple TV doesn't even crack a mention.
Apple probably need their own high bandwidth distribution method to do anything meaningful in the TV sphere on a world wide basis as there is just so much fragmentation and vested interests terrestrially. A fleet of geostationary satellites would be a good start.
Entertainment apps on XBOX 360 *do not require* GOLD.
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/entertainment/xbox-360/live-apps
HBO is $15 per month, I assume quality non-commercial packed networks will follow like Showtime. If you opt for 2 of these your TV bill is now $30. What will basic networks ABC, CBS and FOX cost, maybe $10 each, maybe less. I still watch some primetime TV on each of those networks so now I'm at $70. If I care about watching sports those networks would add to this amount. I still have to have internet service so my bill will look pretty much the same as it does now. I don't see me cutting of cable just yet if this pricing is what we have to look forward to.
I don't think you quite understand cord cutting.
I have cut off cable because I don't watch any of that stupid crap on any sort of regular basis.
It would be nice, however, on the off chance that something of value is shown on certain network, that I could pay $4.99 for a month of that network, right through my AppleTV, to get access to whatever it is.
SlingTV will slowly add more channels... and the price will slowly creep up... and it will eventually be a repeat of what happened to cable TV.
And then everyone will get pissed off again and look for the [I]next[/I] thing.
Look... you will never be able to choose just the channels you want. Or in other words... there will always be "bundles" of channels whether you want them or not. Hell... even with the limited 15 channels you get with SlingTV... there are not enough hours in the day to watch them all. So you'll still be paying for stuff you cannot watch.
Don't get me wrong... I think it's cool that SlingTV is offering those 15 channels for $20.
BUT... be conscious of what you're internet-[I]only[/I] bill will be when you cancel the TV package.
The cable company might jack up your internet price so much that you might have been better off sticking with their TV package.
I understand the old argument: "[I]I'm paying for 500 channels I don't want[/I]"
Then again... you don't have to get the 500 channel package. "Basic cable" is around a dozen channels... and "expanded cable" is usually 70 channels. The latter includes what we commonly refer to as "Cable TV"
So why on earth would anyone pay for 500 channels anyway? And then have the nerve to complain about it?
It might just be the crazy text message fees all over again.
For a time, cell phone companies were charging $20/month for unlimited text messaging. iMessage shows up, routes messages as normal data. New cell phone plans don't bother charging extra for text messaging, but the base data fee is higher. End price is exactly the same.
Most people get their internet through cable companies. If enough people cancel the TV service, the data rates will just go up.
Only real way for prices to go down will be ISP competition. Google fiber, etc...
Hopefully, all of these changes are more pressure for more choices. I love Netflix, but it's somewhat limited - Especially the movie selection, and that's putting it mildly. But we are too cheap and don't spent too much time in our home theater to make it worth signing up for something and paying more to subscription services. Too bad that Netflix doesn't have tiers of service where you can pay more for more streaming content, like more movies. We can only hope for the old days when there were a lot more movies (and too bad they penned a deal with Disney - bad for us adults who'd rather they'd inked a deal with another studio for something more than G-rated movies - yes, good for the kids, though.)
Will have to see how the paid Yahoo will turn out to bring us more choice. HBO opening up is a visible crack in the wall for Comcast's control of content.
In this day and age, we should have more access to content - on demand and affordable.
I think this time around competition will prevent prices from getting out of hand.
Why everyone is complaining about Xbox Live Gold is that you had to pay $40 a year for the right to pay for a Netfix, Amazon Prime, etc subscription. We all understand that you still need to pay for the device and subscriptions. They only dropped this requirement last summer.
HBO is $15 per month, I assume quality non-commercial packed networks will follow like Showtime. If you opt for 2 of these your TV bill is now $30. What will basic networks ABC, CBS and FOX cost, maybe $10 each, maybe less. I still watch some primetime TV on each of those networks so now I'm at $70. If I care about watching sports those networks would add to this amount. I still have to have internet service so my bill will look pretty much the same as it does now. I don't see me cutting of cable just yet if this pricing is what we have to look forward to.
Apple will not guarantee this will fit all. In your case, stick with what you have. For most, people like to choose what they want. For me, Sling TV + Life Style add on for $25, HBO Now and Hulu+ are enough and still under $50/mo. I pay for broadband anyway with or without TV service.
First Google Fiber is not the answer, why because Google is only installing places where easy to do so. Example Google fiber is not being put in the north east where the population density is the highest. However, it requires fiber to be installed on a pole above ground and then requires yearly maintenance and weather induced failures.
Next, I happen to live in an area where I have 4 choices for video ( 2 satellite, one cable, one fiber) and 3 choices for interest (one cable, one fiber, one WIMAX). Arguable I should have competitive chooses, but I will tell you they are all the same cost in the end, they all just package up their costs differently to make you think you're getting a deal. Or they give you a one yr deal to suck you in and then pump up the price when it is over. Unless you want to install and rip out equipment every year, you are not getting a deal.
The best cost solution I found so far is Satellite for video, Cable for internet and ooma for home phone, and this beat the after the first year deal of on going service.
You are probably correct if enough people drop video services they will hike the price on internet, even though it far less costly for them to operate their internet service than the video services.