What should have been a fine moment for iPhone owners everywhere turned into a moment of frustration, anger and despair. The reason? SlingPlayer Mobile finally comes to the iPhone – unfortunately, AT&T decided to cripple the app by making it Wi-Fi-only. So you can forget your 3G.

SlingPlayer On iPhone

A lot of people have been waiting a long time for the SlingPlayer Mobile app to come to the iPhone. It’s been available for BlackBerry, Symbian, Windows Smartphone and Pocket PC, and Palm OS amongst others for some time but due to Apple’s vice-like grip over what makes it onto the iTunes App Store, the wait has been long and painful.

At the end of March, Sling Media announced that it had submitted SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone to the iTunes App Store. It made it on there on Wednesday (May 13) but was lumbered with a disability which makes it an altogether less attractive option.

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Mobile TV viewing is growing in popularity by the day, and SlingPlayer Mobile is a big part of that. Already available on many smartphones, SlingPlayer Mobile is now officially on its way to the iPhone, if, of course, Apple gives it the all-clear.

SlingPlayer

For those unaware of Sling Media, the Slingbox, or SlingPlayer Mobile, a quick explanation. The Slingbox is a device which once hooked up to your other equipment and your Broadband router allows you to watch TV anywhere in the world on your computer.

Not only this, but you can also control your TV, cable box, DVR, or whatever from afar. It’s an essential piece of equipment for those people who spend long stretches of time away from home but don’t want to get back to their house with a plethora of television content to catch up on.

Smartphone Mobile App

The Slingbox seems made for interaction with the new breed of smartphones. Combining the two pieces of technology would be a dream for people who want to be able to watch television on the move. Sling Media agrees, and has spent the last few months developing and releasing SlingPlayer Mobile for as many platforms as possible.

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Sling.com, the online video portal from the makers of the Slingbox, is now open to the public, putting it in direct competition with the likes of Hulu and Joost. Unfortunately, like so many other sites, it’s only open to U.S. citizens.

SlingMedia

SlingMedia is the company responsible for the popular Slingbox device which allows you to broadcast a TV signal around your house via the Internet. It’s also recently launched the SlingCatcher, a set-top box to compete with the likes of AppleTV and Roku.

Not content with managing market battles on two fronts, SlingMedia has recently opened its Sling.com video portal up to the public, allowing users to stream movies and TV programs for free in Flash video format.

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Sling Media has finally launched its SlingCatcher set-top box. The question now is do we actually need another device of this type when Apple, Roku, LG, and Vudu already provide a range of alternatives?

Slingbox

Sling Media has long been a player in the world of Internet TV, but until now, that has been only via the Slingbox, a placeshifting device that allows you to stream cable TV to a PC or mobile device.

The Slingbox, originally introduced in 2005, was a simple yet brilliant product allowing you to broadcast your traditional television signal around your house via the Internet. Any Internet-enabled device could receive the signal, allowing you to watch TV on a number of devices.

SlingCatcher

With TVs not generally being Internet-enabled, the big-screen television in your bedroom or whatever wasn’t part of the deal. Until now.

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Steve Jobs spent his day unveiling the new iPhone 2, or 3G iPhone to a packed audience at the WWDC. And over the weekend, Sling Media announced plans for a Sling Player on the iPhone – Coincidence?

The timing is surely not coincidental, but unfortunately the new SlingPlayer Mobile that was announced and demonstrated for the iPhone is only pre-alpha proof-of-concept software.

Not Available Yet

Until Apple officially accepts the company in to the developer program then that is how this piece of software will remain, in limbo, and not available to anyone but the geeks over at Engadget.

It seems that Sling Media is about to be acquired for the princely sum of approximately $380 Million.

Dave Zatz is reporting that Echostar Communications Company, the people known for its Dish Network Satellite TV will be shelling out that amount for the company.

Sling Media is the maker of the Slingbox and Slingplayer which allow you to placeshift your TV programming from your home across the internet to allow you to view that content anywhere there is an internet connection.

Any time an innovative company like Sling Media is purchased by a larger media/distribution company there are concerns about the future path of that innovative company and this will be no exception.  

NFL Football is right around the corner. DirecTV’s Sunday Ticket has always been a popular item with football fans in the U.S. Now subscribers to Sunday Ticket will be able to watch football games over the Internet.

So what do you need to watch streaming football games at your computer? First of all, you need to buy Sunday Ticket satellite package for $269. Then, you need to pay an additional $99 for the right to stream that video. Total price is $368. Ouch!

I can honestly say that I am not going to purchase non-HD streaming video for almost $400. I think a Slingbox is a much better solution if you have to watch football games over the web.

The NFL should take a page from MLB.TV, the great baseball streaming service from Major League Baseball. MLB.TV costs $99 for the entire season. That is 162 games for every team. On the other hand, sixteen football games for almost $400 seems like a bargain, right?