[Rumor] SlingBox's SlingPlayer Rejected From App Store by AT&T

[Cody Overcash]

It seems like forever since SlingBox announced that they had submitted their SlingPlayer application (which we checked out at MacWorld) to the App Store. Weeks later we are left here wondering where is SlingPlayer at?

If Fudzilla's sources are to be believed we may not get the pleasure of streaming our home TV connection to the iPhone. The sources say that the reason it has been rejected is because AT&T has requested that it not be allowed into the App Store. Why? Because AT&T is afraid of how much bandwidth the app will take up.

Hopefully this is nothing more than a rumor and we'll see SlingPlayer very soon. Poetic_folly can't wait to watch Lost on his iPhone . According to the BGR SlingBox has said that they have heard no word from Apple yet so odds look good that this is just a bad rumor -- at least we hope so.

thanks JazJon for the tip

[nrowensby]

I was wondering where this went... been checking on it every other day or so, just waiting for it to appear.

[sziklassy]

This wouldn't surprise me if it were true. How come this is one of the only things I have ever seen tagged as rumor. There are PLENTY of more bogus "news" article that I see here not tagged as a rumor.

[s4mb4]

i wish it were not true, but i am sure it is.

[mombopete]

If this is true, I will be devastated.

[chris4851]

Next stop Cydia store! Really screw AT&T over with the bandwidth.

[mombopete]

AT&T should allow it only over WiFi and we could use VoIP over 3G to use it. I wish.

[wildturkey]

WTF if this is true im done with AT&T.....I hope Apple doesn't work out an extension with At&t SCREW THEM.....They rejected two of the apps i was really looking forward to Starplayr and now Slingbox. The only reason I bought a slingbox was for the iphone now Im out like $250. Anyone want to buy slingbox solo PM me please. I know sirius radio works through pocket tunes but this is BULL ****!!!!!!

[coachballfirm]

this makes no freakin sence.. i have a bold and am on att. i have slingplayer and play my tv on my bold thru att. sooooo what the deal with that. ATT ARE IPHONE HATERS......

[commanderspike]

This is a stupid rumour.

Slingbox really needs Wifi and home broadband. It has nothing to do with traffic being sent over the mobile networks via 3G. 3G just isn't fast enough for streaming high quality video.

If the rumour is indeed true, it won't take long for Slingbox to have the WiFi-only version approved. But I still don't think a company of this size didn't first speak to AT&T regarding 3G video streaming and the demands on it's network before submitting the app.

And what about the UK store? Just because AT&T don't like it (which I very much doubt), doesn't mean to say O2 will also ban it.

[fletch33]

ATT already has plenty of slingbox users with their WM phones and they cant stop it there. this is really a shot at the phone that has had more market share gain for them then anything they could imagine. you would think that they would want to have as many apps like this as possible as you know there are a lot of slingbox users out there that would finally take the iPhone plunge if they could use their slingbox on it.

you would think that if they spent the time developing it and ATT says no that they would then put in on sale on the Cydia store.

Slingbox really needs Wifi and home broadband. It has nothing to do with traffic being sent over the mobile networks via 3G. 3G just isn't fast enough for streaming high quality video.

i was perfectly content with my slingbox on 3G. it could be better sure but when i am watching my recorded shows off my DVR or a football game that i would have been missing i found my WM phone on 3G to be better than not being able to watch it at all.

also i often used it over 3G to set my DVR for something i forgot to program.

[thetoothfairy]

Oh my god..... we pay for 3G and many of us don't get it.... so att you owe us! You are getting money for bandwidth that is not even being used by many people! I don't get 3G and I pay for it... I only get edge and don't use it hardly at all because I want to throw my phone because its so slow.....

I only use my phone on wifi and edge only only when I need to..... so the way I see it they owe be tons of bandwidth....

[ripmatek]

word is...

UPDATE: Sling says that they “have had no word from Apple.” Yay!

[lillewis51]

why wasent orb rejected then?

[kingmofo]

Maybe Slingbox didn't even submit the app yet. Because they promised to have it submitted in the first quarter, they know the public would be all over them if no news had come out. Think about it, they announced it in the final days of march.

[midimaxi]

Apple offers Orb application through App store that streams video over 3G (same as slingbox but using your computer as server)
so i don't think AT&T would be the only show stopper.

[elsgk2]

If Fudzilla's sources are to be believed we may not get the pleasure of streaming our home TV connection to the iPhone. The sources say that the reason it has been rejected is because AT&T has requested that it not be allowed into the App Store. Why? Because AT&T is afraid of how much bandwidth the app will take up.

Orb was approved and I'm sure that its streaming tons of TV and music across the networks. They didn't have a problem with that.
I'm sure this is ONLY a rumor.

[JazJon]

word is...

UPDATE: Sling says that they “have had no word from Apple.” Yay!

"Despite the fact that the Sling folks are saying that they don’t have a final word from Apple yet on acceptance of the SlingPlayer for iPhone, our sources suggest that the decision has been made and Sling is, in fact, buying time to see how they want to spin the rejection of the SlingPlayer for iPhone."

PC World put up an article as well:

SlingPlayer for iPhone: Another One Bites The Dust? - PC World

[Bradda]

I believe it's a rumor. If At&t believes that the Sling App will take up to much bandwidth on the Iphone. Then why do they (At&t) allow the Sling apps on other phone they sale like the Samsung BlackJack and the Motorola Q? I thinks it's only a bad rumor...

[fletch33]

I believe it's a rumor. If At&t believes that the Sling App will take up to much bandwidth on the Iphone. Then why do they (At&t) allow the Sling apps on other phone they sale like the Samsung BlackJack and the Motorola Q? I thinks it's only a bad rumor...

well actually they cant control the apps on those WM phones. i have Q and can put on it whatever i want and ATT has no idea. the difference here is that they can work together and decide what we can get and what we cant.

i have a few apps on my Q that were just written by some guy on a site to do a simple task or whatever and nobody had to approve his app or even look at it. you just write it and put it out there and people can install and run it if they want to.

jailbreaking our iPhones is the closest we can come to this freedom but it is not nearly as open as we have to battle the manufacturer that is constantly fighting to stop the non-approved apps from working properly.

unfortunately it will be up to slingbox to let us use our slingboxes either with or without apple/att permission since there is not another software option to watch a slingbox with.

if you really want to get around this and you have a pc then get a Hava and use Orb on your iPhone to watch it and dont worry about slingbox getting approved.

if you have a mac then there is also good news as Orb is already in beta2 info here.

there is almost always a work around and no slingbox means we could move to Orb.

i have a slingbox and want it to work but i am not going to cry about but figure out another suitable way around it.

hopefully ATT does NOT get an extended exclusivity contract and we can start to get some competition and maybe just maybe i can have my iPhone and the great service i miss from verizon at the same time