Sling.com Enables OS X Slingbox Streaming

slingbox-mac

While there seems to be a resurgence of Slingbox haterade, EchoStar isn’t sitting by idly. A SlingCatcher software & firmware update was pushed out a few days ago, a Palm Pre mobile client is in the works, and we recently covered that unfortunate WiFi-only iPhone Slingplayer. Now, as promised back at Macworld, Sling.com has enabled OS X Slingbox streaming… via Safari 3 and Firefox 3 web browsers using a lightweight Java plugin. (As opposed to the full-on desktop client.)

The new Sling.com functionality is described as a “beta, sneak peek.” And I’m not quite sure if true HD streaming is possible yet (from a Slingbox PRO-HD). However, we do know that the plugin is limited to Intel-based Macs and the Slingbox SOLO, PRO or PRO-HD models. Is this an(other) arbitrary delineation or does the plugin request H.264-encoded video versus WMV?

Click to enlarge:

Thanks for the tip, Jacob!

14 thoughts on “Sling.com Enables OS X Slingbox Streaming”

  1. I can’t do any comprehensive testing at the moment. My PRO-HD is in the closet at home and I’m on the road in a small hotel in Wyoming. Some brief streaming @ ~500Mbps from a SOLO is the best I can do tonight on some free WiFi. Feel free to share your own results.

  2. Also worth noting for those running Safari 4 Beta, they are excluding Safari 4 Beta from the Sling.com Mac Beta. In order to get around that, I went to Safaria, Preferences, Advanced, and checked the Show Develop menu in menu bar, and then on the new Develop menu, choose User Agent, Safari 3.2.1 – Mac. Then go back to Sling.com. This time the plugin will install, at which point you can change the User Agent back to Default (automatically chosen), and then remove the Develop menu from the menu bar.

  3. yeah, allz I get are CRASHES with either FF or Safari 4, even using the dev agent switcher.

    Hmm, maybe it should be called alpha.

  4. i was loving this until i deduced that my poor little slingbox AV doesn’t isn’t worthy of the new sling.com functionality…

  5. Thanks for that Dave. I have a Slingbox Solo and I set the beta up with Safari on my iMac 24″ Aluminum and it works okay. As long as the picture is in the little box it’s acceptable. Full screen is pretty ugly though. I also noticed a slight audio echo when I set up the provider element.

    SD worked fairly well. However there was marked audio delay and additional loss of video smoothness with HD (live or recorded).

    I’ll have to put it on my Macbook and give it a shot on the road. So far the regular Sling Player much better. Perhaps that’s apples and oranges though.

  6. richsadams, I noticed some audio/video sync issues at well. Wasn’t sure if it was my DVR, Comcast, or the Sling client – since I’m not at home to troubleshoot, I refrained from throwing stones. ;)

  7. just to clarify something here, sling has always had mac os x support (i’ve been running it for years) What’s new is that now you can watch in a browser, with a plugin. Which seems kinda, well, pointless. if you have to install a plugin anyway, I’d rather just use the standalone app…

  8. Dave, At CES and Macworld, Sling didn’t tell me anything about PRO-HD high definition slinging coming to the Mac except as the browser plugin. So it could mean they’re done with the desktop client or it’s taken a back seat to Sling.com.

    MZ, They’re tight with Palm, but we both know how glacially slow Sling’s dev process is. Not to mention it wouldn’t surprise me if Charlie pulled some massive reorg and/or reduction in force which changes the gameplan.

  9. I’m getting a Pre tomorrow and i will deff be among the first ones to buy that sling client the day it hits the app store!

  10. It is arbitrary nonsense like this that makes Hava more attractive (the $60 Hava on woot today especially).

    My SlingBox AV can sling via Sling.com just fine in Firefox for Windows. No reason it shouldn’t work just as well on a Mac.

    This forced obsolenscance is not impressive.

    It is too bad that Hava has not leveraged Sling’s stumbles.

  11. Has HAVA said they will make a webos client?? Ps this pre is the best phone I’ve ever used…I’m in love

  12. Upgraded to Safari 4 today (no longer BETA), and I am seeing very strange behavior. The video is showing in really tiny (maybe 25px x 25px), up wear the tabs for Safari are. Bummer…

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