DISH Makes offer to buy Sprint (Rescinded)

[GaryPen]

You are way way off on that, sounds good as a throwout line but the facts speak differently.

The facts speak to what I wrote. That is why I wrote it.

Some great things happened since Dish took over Sling. Obviously it's in all the new Dish boxes, but beyond that;

Of course it's in the new Dish receivers. But, they even fudged that up in the 922 for quite some time. Also, it's irrelevant to what Dish has done to Sling as a standalone company.

1. Ended the horrible Slingcatcher, an expensive unit no one really even understood.

It could have been great. Dish purchased Sling during its early development, and appeared to be the cause of its extremely delayed release.

2. Have introduced two new Slingboxes. Both work very well, stream a little better than previous models and have new features for home use. (I do think they made a mistake in not including OTA something I use ALL the time on my older boxes)

Not according to the reviews I have read. Plus, they're odd styling is off-putting at best, and butt-ugly at worst.

3. BIG BIG addition is now having the Slingbox APP in internet streaming devices. Slingbox users have wanted that probably more than anything. Completely updates using a Slingbox.

I have not seen this. So, there is a Sling "channel" for Roku? A Sling app for Samsung, Panasonic, Sony, and Vizio SmarTV devices? If so, great. If it's only on WD, Boxee, or that Netgear thing, it's irrelevant.

4. They have continued to update the mobile Slingbox phone apps, including with new features. (Just to name two - a new faster way to see the guide and more sound options)

For $15 per device. It's better than the $30 they raised it to after acquiring Sling, I suppose.

5. Now Dish has added a Slingbox Tablet APP especially suited to the large size of the screen, including having an actual remote that you use exactly like you would if you had the remote in your hand.

That's typical for apps. Plus, it's also $15.

6. And just added, now you can limit how much bandwidth use to allow when using the Slingbox APP on the cellular system to help not to go over your limit.

A feature for an app. OK.

It has been nothing but great advancements ever since Dish took over. You couldn't be more wrong.

I see zero great advancements. I see a couple of moderate ones. But, those are negated by the $15 cost of the app. I am still quite right.

Plus, customer service has gone to crap since Dish acquired them. That was pretty much expected, sad to say.

 

[GaryPen]

The vision was there, as shown at the press conference. The time was right, and then nothing but a death spiral.

That's kind of Dish's SOP. It has happened with almost every new receiver or product release.

Thankfully, they've been pretty on top of the Hopper. I think it has a lot to do with their reputation of dropping the ball so often on previous products. But, even though it's been their best technology to date, it's still fraught with bugs. And, each new revision doesn't just introduce new bugs, it usually resurrects old ones that were previously fixed. Their engineering team may be better than it was in the 721/921/800/741/922 days. But, it's still not at the level it should be.

Their problem has never been lack of imagination, ideas, or vision. It has always been in the execution.

 

[pedrogarcia]

I'm not trying to be a jerk,just curious.Myself I feel there are too many watered down channels as it is.What is so great about 9 more channels of Nat Geo and Discovery?With AT 250 I currently have at least 11 channels of Discovery and Nat Geo.

Disc
TLC
Vel
Destination Amercia
APL
Sci
ID
Mil
Dis Kids
Nat Geo
Nat Geo Wild

Gee I didn't realize that Discovery Networks also own the HUB and OWN

So that makes 13 channels,could easily be consolidated into 3-5 channels.

In the EU there are 18/19 Nat and Discovery channels of which I like 8. I think you are right especially in the Discovery channels and consolidating would cut down the repeats. The Nat Geo seem to be have more scope and better catagorised. Ideally I wish I could choose the channels I wanted in a subscription package. Sky do this in the UK which is no doubt why they dream up more channels to increase there revenue.

 

[Tampa8]

Gary, you can't possibly have a Slingbox and think that very good advancements have not taken place. Did you have slingbox before Dish and after like I have for years? Do have one now?
When you resort to criticising the look of the new slingboxes, which has zip, zero, nada to do with the performance it makes me think you have never compared the older models to the new ones. I have. The picture is indeed a little smoother, which makes it look a little clearer, most noticeable when a ticker is at the bottom of the screen. Plus they have other new features. (And I was honest in saying I do think they should still have OTA) I get the feeling you don't use the Apps for a Slingbox, they have greatly improved and added features under Dish including the Tablet App which is different than the phone app, it didn't just materialize, they worked on making it really an improvement for Tablet use. The Slingcatcher was never received well, before Dish entered the picture. It was an ill conceived product and Dish was 100% correct to let it die.

 

[GaryPen]

I've been Slinging since before Dish acquired Sling Media. I've had multiple Slingboxes over the years including a couple of Slingbox Pros, a Slingbox AV, and a couple of Pro-HD's. I've used the mobile player since it was available for Windows phone 6. So, yeah, I'm kinda familiar with the Slingbox thing.

And, the SlingCatcher wasn't released until after Dish acquired Sling. It was going to be awesome until Dish got involved, and was eagerly anticipated by most Slingers. It was going to be a HW Slingplayer. That's all we wanted. It ended up being some other bloated thing, which included a HW Slingplayer. But, Dish couldn't have people being able to watch Dish-provided programming in another room without paying that additional receiver fee, could they? That's why you still don't see it on any major streaming device. Boxee and WD Live? Well, for the 42 people who own them, it might be cool. For me to enjoy Sling on my large-screen displays, I use PC's. It sure would be nice to just use my Roku.

BTW, the PQ from the Pro-HD looks awesome, even on a 60", and even all the way across the interwebs from Japan. If the 350 or 500 beats it, great. But, I'm not gonna spend the money to find out. I can read the text just fine. (If I read Japanese, that is.) The SD Slingbox AV, otoh, looked like crapola in that regard.

 

[MikeD-C05]

"where"

 

[MikeD-C05]

I had 3 sling pro hd units and all 3 burnt up within a few months. Thankfully, I bought the warrenty at Bestbuy. I was really interested in the sling catcher but it never made it to market where I live or I would of bought one. It was the reason why I wanted the 922 with sling ,because I thought we would end up using sling catchers for our other rooms ,but DISH or Echostar killed it. I only use the sling adapter now and won't buy any more stand alone sling units.

 

[MikeD-C05]

That's what someone says who's clearly losing an argument....

NO, it means that person is not going to change my mind so I will not waste anymore of my time listening to or arguing with that person. So let me prove my point again by not responding to you either.

 

[Yespage]

NO, it means that person is not going to change my mind so I will not waste anymore of my time listening to or arguing with that person. So let me prove my point again by not responding to you either.

But... you... umm... not responding... but responded... computer error. BSOD

 

[TheKrell]

I was really interested in the sling catcher but it never made it to market where I live or I would of bought one. It was the reason why I wanted the 922 with sling ,because I thought we would end up using sling catchers for our other rooms ,but DISH or Echostar killed it.

That possibility is why I bought a Sling Adapter the day it came out, and thanks to TG42 (?) actually got it working with the discontinued (by Dish) standalone SlingPlayer. I never did got it to display HD, though. And I think you mean the Sling Extender, not the SlingCatcher. See the PDF Scott posted here: http://www.satelliteguys.us/attachment.php?attachmentid=61082&d=1296184444 Obviously it was well along before Dish canned the whole project. :cry: The SlingCatcher was an actual product IIRC released before the buyout, but I'll be darned if i can find evidence of that on Sling Media's website. Here's a listing on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VXD2S8/?tag=satell01-20.

Another nasty behavior of Dish toward their Sling products was the elimination of the standalone SlingPlayer. Having to use a PC browser to get TV2 HD from one room to another sucks, and the browser plug-in sops up computer resources so badly you have to have a pretty racy PC to do it at all. And of course you can't view at all without all that handshaking to Dish servers. It's ponderous at best. Wish I had a Sling Extender that would make my Sling Adapter useful for something (such as room-to-room slinging in HD). As it is, I have given up and just use my Hava Platinum, which does a credible job of video capture and conversion to mpeg2 and network "slinging" to multiple simultaneous clients within my house, without Dish or even Monsoon servers. You can get it going via crossover cable!

 

[GaryPen]

And I think you mean the Sling Extender, not the SlingCatcher. See the PDF Scott posted here: http://www.satelliteguys.us/attachment.php?attachmentid=61082&d=1296184444 Obviously it was well along before Dish canned the whole project. :cry: The SlingCatcher was an actual product IIRC released before the buyout, but I'll be darned if i can find evidence of that on Sling Media's website. Here's a listing on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VXD2S8/?tag=satell01-20.

The SlingCatcher was announced before the acquisition. However, once Dish took over, there were huge delays. It was actually released until well after the acquisition.
I have a feeling Mike was referring to the Extender, as you say. It was supposed to specifically work with the Sling Adapter. Of course, it would have meant lost add'l receiver revenue to Dish, to the tune of $7 or more per month per user. So, that device never saw the light of day.

Another nasty behavior of Dish toward their Sling products was the elimination of the standalone SlingPlayer. Having to use a PC browser to get TV2 HD from one room to another sucks, and the browser plug-in sops up computer resources so badly you have to have a pretty racy PC to do it at all. And of course you can't view at all without all that handshaking to Dish servers. It's ponderous at best. Wish I had a Sling Extender that would make my Sling Adapter useful for something (such as room-to-room slinging in HD). As it is, I have given up and just use my Hava Platinum, which does a credible job of video capture and conversion to mpeg2 and network "slinging" to multiple simultaneous clients within my house, without Dish or even Monsoon servers. You can get it going via crossover cable!

I hated when they went to web-based viewing. However, they've got it working quite well currently. But, going through their servers is a concern. (What if it goes down. What if they decide to charge a fee for usage. What if they drop standalone Slingboxes, and server support for them?)

The Sling I use in Japan, marketed and supported by a Japanese company, has a perfect remote on the web player. On the Windows and Mac standalone players, it displays a generic remote without all of the functions. But, the web player looks and operates most awesomely. And, that is on some pretty underpowered four-plus-years-old netbooks I use as pseudo-HTPC's.

I tried a Monsoon Vulkano. It is probably excellent for domestic use. But, I couldn't set it up for a Japanese DVR, even though the documentation said it had the remote files for it. It has an extremely easy setup routine. Nice product, and dirt cheap compared to equivalent Sling.

 

[GaryPen]

I was really interested in the sling catcher but it never made it to market where I live or I would of bought one.

"Would've". It's a contraction of "would have". There is no such word combination as "would of" in English. At least, none that make sense.

That one drives me crazier than two/too/to, or there/their/they're, etc, as most of the time, those are typos or brain farts. Would of/could of/should of is simply improper use the the language.

Of course, the above has no bearing on meaning of your post(s), which I mostly agree with in this thread.

 

[Tampa8]

I've been Slinging since before Dish acquired Sling Media. I've had multiple Slingboxes over the years including a couple of Slingbox Pros, a Slingbox AV, and a couple of Pro-HD's. I've used the mobile player since it was available for Windows phone 6. So, yeah, I'm kinda familiar with the Slingbox thing.

Ok, actually very familiar.

 

[lucky86]

If you like Slingbox that much you should check out the new 500. I've got one and its pretty slick.

 

[Tampa8]

I'm trying to convey that, not too well I guess. :

 

[MikeD-C05]

"Would've". It's a contraction of "would have". There is no such word combination as "would of" in English. At least, none that make sense.

That one drives me crazier than two/too/to, or there/their/they're, etc, as most of the time, those are typos or brain farts. Would of/could of/should of is simply improper use the the language.

Of course, the above has no bearing on meaning of your post(s), which I mostly agree with in this thread.

Gary, you know I live in Southeast Texas right? You are lucky I can communicate at all in English and not just in Redneck/Cajun which is all around me down here. But then again you are from Brooklyn, New York right? I have heard some northern guys use the term "Use Guys" when they talked to me, when I lived in St.Louis,Missouri for 6 years. It used to drive me crazy to hear that instead of y'all. So I am sure it isn't just a Southern regional thing. But I am curious why anyone has the time to really scrutinize the posts I make for grammatical errors instead of just concentrating on the spirit of my posts instead.

 

[Tyralak]

But I am curious why anyone has the time to really scrutinize the posts I make for grammatical errors instead of just concentrating on the spirit of my posts instead.

For teh lulz, of course.

 

[GaryPen]

For teh lulz, of course.

Badabing.

 

[MikeD-C05]

For teh lulz, of course.

?????

 

[GaryPen]

?????

It's an example of deliberate misspelling to emulate a common internet typo of the word "the", and "lulz" is slang for LOL's.

Personally, I dislike the practice for the same reasons I sited above regarding "would of", maybe more so, as it's deliberate. (I also find the poor spelling of the text in kitten pics to be majorly annoying, as well. It's not cute. It's stupid.)