SlingPlayer app not approved due to AT&T?

updated 11:40 am EDT, Thu April 16, 2009

SlingPlayer not approved

Sling Media’s SlingPlayer app for the iPhone has been denied approval into Apple’s App Store, according to an unconfirmed tip from a source close to Apple’s approval processes. Although the program was described as an "impressive" application, the tip said that the media application was not approved due to pressure from AT&T executives concerned about effect of the app on the already-strained AT&T cellular network. According to the tip, which could not be confirmed Wednesday night, Apple executives went around the normal approval process to deny approval for the SlingPlayer app to appease AT&T.

The source said that AT&T was concerned about bandwidth on their network. SlingPlayer for the iPhone was designed to allow users to access television content via their mobile device, and would have streamed video over 3G as well as Wi-Fi. As iPhone users are increasingly common and are more likely to use data than competing platforms, their use of SlingPlayer creates a greater risk of saturating the 3G network.

BGR has since talked to Sling, which says it hasn't received a response from Apple in either direction regarding the app.

At least publicly, AT&T has no explicit bans on streaming video over 3G connections. The company recently called an anti-video terms-of-service agreement an error and currently has multiple phones that are explicitly supported by differing versions of SlingPlayer, including the BlackBerry Bold through the BlackBerry app as well as Windows Mobile devices.

Electronista hopes to hear from AT&T soon for comment.

By Electronista Staff

Post tools:

TAGS :

iPhone, iPod touch, AT&T, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, iPhone apps, Slingbox, Sling Media

testudo

Forum Regular

Joined: Aug 2001

04/16, 11:51am | report spam | close reply

Thank god!

If it weren't for Apple's insistence that every app get pre-approved by them before it can be sold/distributed/installed, we'd be stuck with all these developers creating apps like this.

As long as ATT has no problem with the farting apps, we're golden!

jondesu

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: May 2008

-3

04/16, 12:08pm | report spam | close reply

Makes sense

Annoying for customers I'm sure, and it'd be nice if there was a more specific set of rules, but I can see where AT&T is coming from.

Flying Meat

Junior Member

Joined: Jan 2007

04/16, 12:09pm | report spam | (1 reply) close | reply

Besides,

AT&T probably wants to create a movie service and charge you for that on top of your data plan.

dogzilla

Grizzled Veteran

Joined: Sep 1999

-2

04/16, 12:21pm | report spam | close reply

OMG!!! You're right!

Curse you t*******, and your brilliant, overpowering analysis of all that is wrong with Apple! We can no longer escape your logic. I and all other readers of this blog have finally been converted to your way of thinking.

Fellow readers, onward! We shall raze the offensive Apple headquarters form the face of the earth, their children and women will weep, and a new glorious Apple-less day will dawn. Then we shall look to our newly anointed leader, Testudo the Really Really Clever, for our next target that offends his sense of correctness. I sure hope it's that pesky neighbor of his he's always writing letters to the local paper about - I hate that guy.

Diggory Laycock

Professional Poster

Joined: Oct 2001

AT&T

If this is true (that's a big if) - then why should an American cellular network decide what apps I can use on my phone - I have no connection to them, my carrier is o2.

que_ball

Joined: Aug 2000

04/16, 12:23pm | report spam | close reply

WiFi only like Skype

I expect that if it does get denied that Sling will modify the app to only work over a Wifi connection like Skype did for their phone calls.

It's probably been their strategy from the start to first try to push the app with full streaming support and then try again with 3G streaming removed.

Some day though some developer is going to try and sue Apple to recover their lost time when their app gets denied. That might be an interesting case.

makemineamac

Joined: Mar 2008

04/16, 12:45pm | report spam | close reply

Bad news for Sling...

If this is the case. They sent all of us Slingbox owners $50 off coupons to buy new ones to support the new iPhone App and other upcoming new features. The old boxes they claimed would not support the new App.

The $50 off coupon was only for use through their online store however, and the newer boxes could be found for less elsewhere, but plenty of people did upgrade.

slider

Mac Elite

Joined: Oct 1999

04/16, 12:47pm | report spam | close reply

Sounds Reasonable

With all these lawsuits popping up over the 3G "promise" and not delivering, I can see this being a real concern. But I don't think ATT is "pressuring" Apple, lets face it, at this point, any network would be willing to take the deal Apple gave ATT, even the phone crippling Verizon despite all the noise and spin they pitch.

vasic

Joined: May 2005

04/16, 01:12pm | report spam | close reply

Leverage

Apple should use the leverage have with the exclusive contract soon expiring into pressuring AT&T to drop these types of limitations, even if it did mean putting strains on their 3G networks. Even though majority of iPhone customers are in the US, there is no real reason why AT&T should control what gets installed onto an iPhone sold by a carrier in Botswana (or any other country that sells it).

macnixer

Joined: Mar 2006

04/16, 01:59pm | report spam | close reply

equinux already

has an app for the iPhone which is limited to Wi-Fi and I do not see why Apple rejected it. Obviously ATT and other service providers are playing god like the music industry. Apple has to bear the brunt of the pressures from the business partners.

-5

04/16, 06:29pm | report spam | close reply

Re: Leverage

there is no real reason why AT&T should control what gets installed onto an iPhone sold by a carrier in Botswana (or any other country that sells it).

So is there a 'real' reason why Apple should control what gets installed onto an iPhone?

Of course all this talk is an assumption that it was AT&T who wanted it disapproved and not Apple.

One would have to ask why Apple would care? Being they have their deal with ATT, what's the worst thing that could happen? ATT pulls out of their negotiations and Apple has to look elsewhere?

But Apple might want to nix it because they might be planning a similar feature to work off their AppleTV. Or they're afraid it's going to interfere with their own iTMS services.

Of course, if Apple could spend some of those huge profits they make on a couple of temps that could develop a form used by the appStore reviewers to enter and explain the reason the software was rejected, maybe companies who've spent a good deal of money making an application wouldn't have to wonder what they did wrong.

dimmer

Mac Enthusiast

Joined: Feb 2006

04/16, 08:58pm | report spam | close reply

Yes

"So is there a 'real' reason why Apple should control what gets installed onto an iPhone?"

Absolutely: battery life, system reliability, user satisfaction, interface compatibility, application code quality. All good reasons and not, btw, hidden somewhere in an EULA: iPhone buyers know up-front what they are buying in to, and generally don't seem troubled by it.

Now of course this doesn't work well for Apple vs. Microsoft or whoever: there is no comeback to the latter when a crappy app trashes the phone or it's data: you installed it, it's all your fault!

b9robot

Joined: Feb 2009

04/16, 10:55pm | report spam | close reply

Another reason for

Another reason for Apple to lose the exclusive deal with AT&T and go with all carriers. The iPhone is the best on the market so none of the carriers have any reason to deny the iPhone. Unless they like to lose more money. Sling should be allowed as there is no cap on data and there shouldn't be since AT&T sell unlimited data plans.

-1

04/17, 11:39am | report spam | close reply

Re: Yes

Absolutely: battery life, system reliability, user satisfaction, interface compatibility, application code quality.

None of those are guaranteed with Apple looking at apps.

You can get apps that will chew up your battery life in no time.

User satisfaction isn't solved, as there are lot's of crappy apps out there. In fact, satisfaction would be just as well served with NOT having Apple restrict what users can put on their phones.

System reliability is only a problem if the iPhone OS is a fragile house of cards underneath. Make one false move and blue screen (sound familiar?). Is OS X less reliable because every app doesn't go through an Apple-screening process? No.

As for interface compatibility, I don't know what that means. If you mean they all follow a standard UI guideline, that's handled by the framework (and I've got an app or two that just look like c***, so I don't even know how much of that Apple is concerned with). And what's the worst thing that happens there? Someone draws buttons different than others? Oh, the horrors.

And, finally, 'application code quality'. So Apple requires you send them the source code to your project and they'll validate that it is written "well"? Gee, how nice of them. Except they don't, so there's nothing about code quality.

All good reasons and not, btw, hidden somewhere in an EULA: iPhone buyers know up-front what they are buying in to, and generally don't seem troubled by it.

The problem isn't with the users, its with the developers. They're the ones who have to follow Apple's rules, yet how do they follow the rules without knowing what the rules are? Or having to deal with Apple's.

And why should Apple restrict any other developer from making a mail application? Is Apple so egotistical they think they're the only people capable of developing a decent mail app, or web app, or media player?

And, really, why can't one remove the useless apple applications they install. I have no desire, need, or want, for a stock ticker. Apple's weather widget is a joke. Yet I'm stuck with them on my screens. Oh, the joy.

Now of course this doesn't work well for Apple vs. Microsoft or whoever: there is no comeback to the latter when a crappy app trashes the phone or it's data: you installed it, it's all your fault!

What will happen is people try to blame Apple, and the fanboys will tell you it isn't Apple's fault, they're just the middleman. It's all the developer's fault.

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SlingPlayer app not approved due to AT&T?

updated 11:40 am EDT, Thu April 16, 2009

SlingPlayer not approved

Thank god!

Makes sense

Besides,

OMG!!! You're right!

AT&T

WiFi only like Skype

Bad news for Sling...

Sounds Reasonable

Orb

Leverage

Leverage

equinux already

Re: Leverage

Yes

Another reason for

Re: Yes

Login Here

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SlingPlayer app not approved due to AT&T?

updated 11:40 am EDT, Thu April 16, 2009

SlingPlayer not approved

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Thank god!

Makes sense

Besides,

OMG!!! You're right!

AT&T

WiFi only like Skype

Bad news for Sling...

Sounds Reasonable

Orb

Leverage

Leverage

equinux already

Re: Leverage

Yes

Another reason for

Re: Yes

Login Here

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