Sling TV review
Our Verdict
Sling Television receiver is an affordable live Telly service that offers flexibility with customization.
For
- Low toll
- Flexible options
- Summit networks including ESPN
Against
- Interface needs improvement (new app is rolling out)
- Express local channels
Tom's Guide Verdict
Sling TV is an affordable live Goggle box service that offers flexibility with customization.
Pros
- +
Low toll
- +
Flexible options
- +
Top networks including ESPN
Cons
- -
Interface needs comeback (new app is rolling out)
- -
Limited local channels
Sling TV is i of the meliorate-known, lower-priced alive TV options these days (plans commencement at $35 per month for 47 channels), which helps it stand out as the market for streaming services has gotten more crowded. The top-tier programme, which costs $50, offers 53 channels including ESPN, is still cheaper than most.
Sling TV specs
Starting price: $35 per month
Supported devices: Roku, Amazon Fire Tv set, Apple TV, Xbox One
Cloud DVR: l hours for free, $5 per calendar month for 200 hours
Simultaneous streams: ane (Sling Orange), up to 3 (Sling Blue), upward to 4 (Sling Orange + Bluish)
Network channels: NBC and Flim-flam in select regions
Sling Tv's interface isn't as slick or piece of cake to use as some of its competitors like YouTube TV or Philo Television set, just it gets the task done (and it is available on every major platform).While the aqueduct selection is decent and the video quality is first-class, where Sling TV lags behind the competition is in its DVR storage.
But if you only desire top cable channels, and the flexibility to add on specific networks co-ordinate to your preferences, Sling Tv set (especially its summit plan) may be the perfect cable Tv alternative.
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Sling Boob tube review: Pricing and availability
Sling TV offers a complimentary, seven-twenty-four hour period trial, but there'southward a sneaky play a joke on to getting it: You can't sign up through the spider web, you accept to sign up through a Sling-compatible device (more on that below). After the trial, Sling offers $10 off the starting time month for all 3 of its plans.
The lower tiers, Sling Orange and Blue, are $xxx for existing subscribers (a rate that will last until at least July 2021), simply $35 per month for new subscribers. The top-tier plan, Sling Orange & Blueish, costs $l per month for new members and $45 for existing accounts. Pricing for new members rose on Jan 27.
Current sales include a buy one month of Sling y'all can get a costless Chromecast with Google Tv set offering.
If you're interested in watching live local programming from broadcast networks, Sling Blueish and Sling Orangish & Blueish provide admission to NBC and Play a trick on in some markets (which you tin bank check here). If you're not in one of those markets or y'all also want ABC and CBS, Sling offers packages that include an HD antenna and AirTV (which integrates the local feeds with the Sling app), but they require you prepay for 3 months of Sling service.
In contrast, YouTube Idiot box costs $64.99 per month for access to upwardly to 70-plus channels. Hulu with Live Television receiver costs $64.99 per month for 85-plus channels. Fubo TV costs $64.99 for 110+ channels. All iii services offer (most) local networks in most areas as part of their plans. Sling's pricing and channel lineup is more than similar to Philo, which costs $xx for 59 channels (no locals and no antenna addition packages).
Every bit far equally availability, Sling TV can be played on many devices, also its own AirTV Mini:
- Web browsers (Chrome, Safari)
- iPhone and iPads (iOS eleven and later)
- Virtually Android phones and tablets (OS KitKat four.4 and after)
- Apple Goggle box (4th gen and later)
- Roku (LT and higher)
- Smart TVs (LG, Samsung, Roku, Fire Tv set, Vizio and select Android TVs)
- Fire Telly (all models)
- Fire tablets (Android Os four.4.2 and subsequently)
- Select Chromebook devices
- All Chromecast devices
- Google Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max
- Oculus Get (3.54 or later)
- Xbox One, Xbox I S and Xbox One 10
- Xfinity X1
That'southward a pretty complete list, but information technology's missing PlayStation 4 (which has simply YouTube TV).
Unlike nearly of its competitors, Sling Tv set users cannot create multiple accounts under ane subscription. Sling Orange users tin can watch on only 1 screen at a time, while Sling Bluish users can stream up to three screens simultaneously. Sling Orange + Blue subscribers can simultaneously watch on 4 screens at a time.
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So while you can share your Sling login with family and friends, yous have to watch out for simultaneous watching. And everyone's viewing preferences and recordings will be tossed together — which makes the extremely limited DVR storage even more of a pain. More on that later.
Sling Tv review: Interface
Possibly considering it'due south been in the live Idiot box streaming market for some fourth dimension, Sling doesn't seem to have made updates to its interface to keep up with competitors. Young man depression-cost alive TV service Philo is much slicker. The big guns, YouTube TV and Hulu With Live TV, both boast deep, rich experiences.
Upon opening Sling, yous commencement see the My Idiot box screen, which is divided into sections: My Channels, Recordings, Recommended For Yous and collections like Elevation News and Hit Movies.
In the navigation, y'all can select On At present, which shows live programming broken downward by genres, such as Kids, Lifestyle and Comedy. This screen is adequately useless, unless you're the blazon of viewer who decides what to watch past maxim, "I'chiliad in the mood for Action and Hazard."
More useful is the Guide screen, which is the typical cable-like grid with a vertical listing of networks and horizontal times. But the networks are not alphabetized, so finding your preferred channels tin exist a bit of a hunt.
The Sports screen is exactly what it sounds like and is divided into segments by the type of sport (i.due east., Pro Basketball, Combat Sports, eSports, Obscure Sports).
On the web and certain devices, in that location is as well a Rentals screen, where you can hire movies, much like yous can practise on Amazon Prime or Apple tree Boob tube. Rental prices are typical, by and large $five.99 for new releases.
A search box lives on the top right in the navigation bar on the web. The search is not equally lightning fast as YouTube TV, nor does it yield as robust results (it doesn't include related videos, for case), merely it works well.
In one case you observe a evidence or movie and click on information technology, a window pops up with such information as a synopsis and bandage listing. Depending on if the show is ambulation live, you can Lookout or Record. Sling gives yous the option to tape only new episodes or all episodes, which gives it the advantage over Philo. And once you get to the playback window, it'due south fairly standard with the usual controls.
Sling Tv set review: Content and channels
Sling'due south channel lineup is decent — non equally robust as its college-priced competitors YouTube TV and Hulu With Live Idiot box, but meliorate than the lower-tier livestreaming services like Philo.
Sling Orangish and Sling Blue's channel offerings largely overlap, only both feature networks that the other doesn't. Orangish includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Disney Channel and Freeform (basically, Disney-endemic networks). Blueish provides admission to more unique networks, such as U.s.a., Bravo, Pull a fast one on News, FX, East!, National Geographic and Syfy.
Of course, if you sign upwardly for Sling Orange + Bluish, you become all of the higher up. And as mentioned, if you lot want local channels, both Blue and Orange & Blue offer NBC and Fox in some regions. Merely if yous continue the road, Sling may lose access to those channels, which don't travel with y'all. Simply otherwise, y'all have to purchase an Hard disk drive Antenna package.
In that location are also a number of add-on packages, which let you select groupings of content to get you closer to a consummate lineup:
- Starz (six channels for $9 per month)
- Showtime (nine channels for $10 per month)
- EPIX (4 channels for $5 per month)
- Sports Extra ($10 per month) — MLB Network, NBA Telly, SEC Network
- Comedy Extra ($5 per month) — MTV, CMT, Idiot box Land
- Kids Extra ($5 per calendar month) — Disney Inferior, Nick Jr., Boomerang
- News Extra ($5 per month) — BBC Earth News, HLN, RT America
- Lifestyle Extra ($5 per month) — Cooking Channel, Authentication Channel, BET
- Hollywood Extra ($five per month) — Sundance TV, TCM, Reelz
- Heartland Actress ($5 per month) — Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Aqueduct, Ride Boob tube
- International ($5 per month) — channels from Europe, Republic of india, China, more
- Espanol ($5 per month) — Azteca, Cine Latino, NBC Universo
- Deportes ($five per calendar month) — LaLiga, Ligue ane, Superliga Argentina, more
Sling too offers the 4 Extras Deal — bundling Kids Extra, Lifestyle Extra, Comedy Actress and News Actress — for $12. For $20 extra, you tin add on the Full Tv set Deal (all Extras and Cloud DVR Plus).
Sling can also users tin can choose from among 22 channels (listed here) to add a la carte, starting at $3, to their plan.
Sling Goggle box review: DVR
The No. 1 downside of Sling is that it gives you simply 50 hours of DVR storage for complimentary with each subscription. Subscribers tin can upgrade to 200 hours for $v a calendar month.
That puts Sling backside some of its competitors in live Tv set streaming. YouTube TV and Philo both offer unlimited DVR. Hulu With Live TV'south Cloud DVR has similar entry-level pricing, with 50 hours costless — merely a pricier upgrade choice with 200 hours costing $15 per calendar month
Sling TV review: Video quality
Sling Television receiver doesn't take detailed data about its streaming resolution, though most of the content I watched looked to be 720p, which is fairly standard among livestreaming services. Only Fubo YouTube Idiot box offers some channels at 1080p; Fubo also offers limited events and some on-need content in 4K.
Programs achieved HD resolution almost instantly or inside two-3 seconds and held steady after stabilizing, both on a fast domicile connection and slower networks.
Sling Idiot box review: Verdict
Sling TV is an attractive option for cord-cutters who want to replace their cablevision-television receiver bundle with a alive TV streaming service. The low cost of the Sling Orange and Sling Bluish plans make them affordable — as long as you like their channel lineups. The top-tier Sling Orangish & Blue is simply slightly more expensive and provides access to virtually tiptop cable channels, including ESPN.
The flexibility to add together a la carte channels and themed extras, as well as premium networks, means Sling users can mix and friction match to see their preferences. The biggest downside nosotros encountered during our Sling Television review is the meager DVR storage, which got amend in 2021's update — simply all the same pales in comparison to YouTube TV.
But if you lot want live Tv set for relatively cheap, Sling TV could be your path to cutting the string for proficient.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/sling-tv
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