Sling TV to start beta-testing cloud DVR functions in December
Starting sometime in December, Dish-owned Sling TV will begin beta-testing cloud DVR functions, closing an important gap with its main competitor in internet TV, Sony's PlayStation Vue.
During the beta, the technology will initially be available only to subscribers using Roku devices -- including TVs with Roku built in, Sling said. People who meet this criteria can apply for a beta invite.
Test accounts will support to 100 hours of recording with no expiration date. Instead, Sling servers will automatically delete the oldest recordings as needed. Multiple shows and movies will be recordable simultaneously, and saved material will automatically appear in the Roku interface's "My TV" screen.
Sling said that it's working on more DVR options, including storage upgrades, but cautioned that for now recording won't be available on all channels. There's no indication of when the technology might come to other platforms like the Apple TV.
PlayStation Vue watchers have long enjoyed DVR functions, but with a 28-day limit on all recordings.
During the beta, the technology will initially be available only to subscribers using Roku devices -- including TVs with Roku built in, Sling said. People who meet this criteria can apply for a beta invite.
Test accounts will support to 100 hours of recording with no expiration date. Instead, Sling servers will automatically delete the oldest recordings as needed. Multiple shows and movies will be recordable simultaneously, and saved material will automatically appear in the Roku interface's "My TV" screen.
Sling said that it's working on more DVR options, including storage upgrades, but cautioned that for now recording won't be available on all channels. There's no indication of when the technology might come to other platforms like the Apple TV.
PlayStation Vue watchers have long enjoyed DVR functions, but with a 28-day limit on all recordings.
Comments
EDIT: It's on Apple TV. AT&T will give you a free Apple TV if you commit to 3 months of service at $35/month. The $35 is actually grandfathered so you can keep that price as long as you subscribe. Hard to judge since the channel list won't be out until tomorrow. HBO for $5 more a month is pretty good.
...it is simply a 21st century cable company?
prices look similar, but rather than (for instance) Comcast's starting as a cable company & building a hosted time-shifting platform (X1) Sony started as a tech company, and added in a TV subscription services.
yeah?
I still just want a simple DVR for my OTA broadcast. that is all the TV i can handle.
throw in netflix or hulu, and i have far more content than i can deal with. for about $15 a month.
That's a big plus for internet TV streamers. Drop 'em when I don't particularly use them and sign up again when the season changes. Mix and match services as they benefit me. Screw NBA League Pass BTW. WAAAAY too expensive. Sling Orange will give me every game played by my local NBA team (FoxSports Florida) when I decide it's worth the time, probably by mid-January. I do the same with HBO. Binge watch the programming I like for two months and then drop it till the next year. So I'm a little behind on Westworld. No biggie, I'll catch up.