SlingPlayer Mobile has been released for PocketPC 2003 and Windows Mobile 5 devices with a touch screen. A version for non-touch screen phones should be available within a month, which works out well as I’m considering the T-Mo SDA. As promised the software was released in Q1, though the current edition is a public beta.

While the Sling folks didn’t entirely take my advice in giving away the software, they are grandfathering anyone who purchases their Slingbox by April 26 and providing the software for free — after that, it’ll cost you $29.99. This is one of those rare cosmic events when us early adopters aren’t penalized in the wallet.

Sling Media says: A trial version of SlingPlayer Mobile is available today as a free download from Sling Media’s web site, www.slingmedia.com, as part of the public beta program. Beginning April 26th, SlingPlayer Mobile will be available for $29.99 and includes a free 30-day trial. Slingbox owners who purchase and register their Slingbox prior to April 26th will receive a free license for SlingPlayer Mobile. There are no monthly or recurring charges for the use of the software.

“SlingPlayer Mobile has arrived and we are thrilled to offer this amazing new piece of software to our loyal customer base,” said Blake Krikorian, co-founder and CEO of Sling Media. “SlingPlayer Mobile delivers the complete home TV experience on any compatible Windows Mobile device and works with your existing Slingbox. Best of all, we are making it available for free for a limited time so if you are thinking about becoming a Slingbox owner, now is the perfect time.”

“This is an exciting time for people who want a single mobile device that does more than email,” said Scott Horn, general manager, Mobile and Embedded Devices Division at Microsoft Corp. “While Windows Mobile enables people to stay on top of their job and connected to the people they care about, the platform also supports solutions such as SlingPlayer Mobile that give users the freedom to watch their favorite television content while on-the-go.”

Ah, March Madness… definitely amongst the top sporting events. The first two days are especially exciting, each consisting of about 12 hours of competition and, if we’re lucky, some amazing upsets. I have no idea who Northwestern State is, but they sure were dramatic in sending Iowa home.

As I mentioned last week, CBS is webcasting games for free via March Madness on Demand. So I decided to check it out and compare the service to Slingbox.

My CBS SportLine experience didn’t get off to a good start with a 10 minute wait (see image below) followed by a Marriott commercial before I could access the feeds. Once in, I had several games to choose from — though one was blacked out due to regional restrictions. I’m not certain if that was determined by my IP address and/or the information in my profile. The CBS SportsLine site had banner ads as promised, but what I hadn’t realized is that they’d also be serving commercials during time outs. Though, they must not have sold all their ad space as static “Stay Tuned” graphics often replaced commercials.
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It won’t be long now… The Slingbox portable player is on the way. If you recall, this will let you access your Sling stream via recent Microsoft PDAs and phones (PPC 2003, WM5) using WiFi or your cellular carrier. You can sign up to receive an email when the mobile player is ready for public consumption — or just keep reading the blog.

Still no word on the possibility of a licensing fee. I vote for free… The goodwill and marketing opportunity trump the few bucks Sling would make selling it. Some retailers have been experimenting with the lower $199 unit price. So instead of officially dropping down from $249 now, how about waiting a little longer until after both the PPC and Mac software has been released to capitalize on additional sales which could offset development costs. Or just write it off entirely since the investments are rolling in.

I’m about ready to trade in my current phone and EVDO card for a 6700 PDA phone which will also act as a tethered highspeed modem for my laptop. So, hopefully I’ll be ready to report on the SlingPlayer Mobile when it drops. (Or before… you feelin’ me, Sling? ;))

The Sling folks have announced a custom Slingplayer for Microsoft’s new Ultra-Mobile PC platform, aka the Origami. The refreshed application is designed to accommodate the touch screen and unique resolutions of UMPC devices. No specific delivery dates for UMPC or Slingbox software have been announced.

Hmmm… these midget tablets might actually be useful.

Sling Media says: “The Ultra-Mobile PC represents an exciting new category of mobile devices and we are thrilled to be working with Microsoft to support this new product line,” said Blake Krikorian, co-founder and CEO of Sling Media, Inc. “Consumers are looking for differentiated, highly mobile product solutions as part of the digital lifestyle, and the combination of Slingbox and Ultra-Mobile PC delivers a portable and affordable solution to meet their entertainment needs.”

“We’re very pleased Sling Media has designed their SlingPlayer software to take advantage of this unique and highly mobile new PC category,” said Bill Mitchell, vice president of the Mobile Platforms Division at Microsoft Corp. “Ultra-Mobile PCs give consumers one more way to take their TV with them wherever they go, and Sling Media is helping more of our customers experience the freedom and flexibility this device offers.”

So I was in the Best Buy today looking for a new wireless bridge with multiple network jacks. The first thing I discovered is that no one has any idea what a wireless bridge is… apparantly the vogue terms are wireless ethernet converter or wireless game adapter, despite the fact this project has nothing to do with my gaming console. (I’m probably also the only one using PCMCIA to describe my EVDO card.) The second thing I discovered that Buffalo pitches their wireless ethernet converter as a Slingbox networking solution which I thought was both interesting and pretty cool.

Looks like Slingbox SlingPlayer software version 1.0.5 is pretty close to being finalized. If you can’t wait, go download Friday’s beta. Major enhancements and fixes over 1.0.4 are noted below.

• Brand, new officially-approved TiVo remote control.
• The Video Tuning Wizard assists you in selecting the video settings that work best for your system without navigating the video options directly. Works even better now!
• Better connectivity so that EVDO users and VPN users will see fewer dropped Slingbox connections.
• Several bug fixes in the Installer for a smoother upgrade from 1.0.4.
• More complete remote control mappings for popular set-top boxes, including more keyboard shortcuts as well as additional remote control commands.
• Five new customized remote controls for DirecTV, Comcast Motorola, ReplayTV, UltimateTV, and Echo/DISH Network receivers.
• Improved remote control functionality for many devices, including but not limited to CyberHome DVD players, Moxi, SA Explorer 8600, and Toshiba DVRs.
• Easier & more straightforward device selection during the setup process.
• Updated support documents for this release. Both the User Guide as well as the Windows help file have been updated.
• Improved SlingPlayer for non-US locations. Now you can select your NTSC country from the menu during setup, and 4-digit channels are also accepted.
• A plethora of under-the-hood enhancements that fix bugs and concerns reported by our community in both the software and firmware.

Update 3/8: The official 1.0.5 Sling software build has been released.

Looks like Sling Media is trying to partner with cellphone carriers to host or market Slingbox feeds, but they’re not getting anywhere fast. With or without their cooperation, a Microsoft Mobile Slingplayer will be available in the near future. Buried within the article is an interesting stat… 100,000 Slingboxes sold.

Forbes says: “We have no immediate plans to run that service,” says Jeffrey Nelson, spokesman for Verizon Wireless, the country’s second-largest carrier. “What runs on our network are our services.” So why aren’t they rushing to hop on? Likely, because they’ve got their own video services to peddle.

Sling Media’s executives insist that the carriers will come along, soon. “We’re open to finding ways to partner with them,” says Sling Media Chief Executive Blake Krikorian. “This is a fantastic offering for them, it will drive sales of devices and high-speed services.”

Blake Krikorian, co-founder and CEO of Sling Media, wrote a response to yesterday’s Marketwatch summary. As with my prior interactions with the father of Slingbox, I get the sense Blake is a stand-up guy in touch with both his customers and the market. Kudos for conversing directly with us in forums (AVS, TCF) and the blogosphere.

Blake says: hey dave,

saying that we fear commoditization is a bit much’the most critical thing for us is to stay very focused on delivering great experiences to consumers’that’s what is in our control. in terms of predicting the future, we all know that’s futile�along the way of executing to the best of your abilities, you hope to also get some breaks and make some good decisions�and if you are lucky, you come out on the winning end over the course of years�simple as that.

can we continue to the improve the slingbox? can we continue to make it easier and easier to set up? can we create additional products that consumers love and find entertaining and/or useful?�these are the things that we �worry� about.

it is semi-amusing to get hypothetical / speculative questions like �how long until you are a feature in something else? or how long until you are commoditized?��how the heck is someone supposed to answer that? i think i gave a stupid answer�but that’s the type of answer that is deserving of that type of question. at least that’s my $.02

one other thing�i just read that interview in it’s entirety.

since you and i have talked before, you know that i have nothing but the utmost respect for what tivo has done�my quote that �tivo had religious issues� was taken a bit out of context�and to say that tivo or timeshifting is a �mere add-on� to set top boxes is one of the largest understatements i have heard in long time. that certainly didn’t come from my mouth.

the quote was taken while i was explaining my *general* belief that in the �convergence space�, products over time trend towards consolidation. i also made the point that is NOT always the case�for example, my desktop pc can act as a router, but do i use it that way? of course not�my netgear router does the job wonderfully (well, usually) and is at the right price point / value ratio to justify it’s stand alone existence.

should tivo have embraced licensing their technology on more attractive terms earlier on? perhaps�did they let �religious issues� get in the way of making some of those decisions? perhaps�but i wasn’t there and i don’t know for sure�and as we all know, hindsight is 20/20.

the last time i checked, tivo was still in business, so that story aint over yet either