 Morac
join:2001-08-30
Riverside, NJ
kudos:1
 ·Comcast
1 edit | Stupid AT&T's statement is just stupid for a number of reasons:
1. Bandwidth is bandwidth. It doesn't matter if you are streaming from Hulu or a Slingbox, especially since the Slingbox app is limits its stream to 500 kbps.
2. Other AT&T supported devices, like the BlackBerry, allow Slingbox to stream via 3G. Also ORB works on the iPhone via 3G.
3. The iPhone works on other networks besides AT&T's. AT&T shouldn't care what anyone does on other networks.
So basically AT&T seems to be discriminating specifically against the iPhone for some reason. I can't figure out why exactly though. Even if AT&T wanted to sell their own video service, that doesn't explain why they allow Sling on Blackberry's.
Note, I don't have an iPhone, I just think it's a dumb move on AT&T's part.
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The Comcast Disney Avatar has been retired. |
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 MattAll noise, no signal.Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
kudos:12 | Well, to address your points:
1) You can't watch Hulu on an iPhone. There is supposedly an app in the works, but I am guessing it will be limited too. Of course, Fox/NBC have their weight to throw behind it. Sling doesn't have 1% of their clout or muscle.
2) You have a 100% valid point here. I'm guessing the amount of data usage for those users is low compared to the average iPhone users though. They likely have research somewhere that iPhone users would actually watch it. After all, TV/Video on a 1" screen is awful.
3) The iPhone isn't supposed to run on other networks. You have to unlock it, so this isn't even a consideration.
As to your final point, I agree. It's a dumb, dumb move for AT&T. |
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Morac
join:2001-08-30
Riverside, NJ
kudos:1 Reviews:
·Comcast
1 edit | 1) I didn't know you can't watch Hulu since I don't have an iPhone. I do know you can watch YouTube, so I'll substitute YouTube for Hulu. I've read that Flash support is coming to the iPhone so when that happens, I'm guessing Hulu will work as well.
3) Not in the U.S., but in other countries AT&T isn't used.
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The Comcast Disney Avatar has been retired. |
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MattAll noise, no signal.Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
kudos:12 | said by Morac:1) I didn't know you can't watch Hulu since I don't have an iPhone. I do know you can watch YouTube, so I'll substitute YouTube for Hulu. I've read that Flash support is coming to the iPhone so when that happens, I'm guessing Hulu will work as well. You have to watch YouTube through an application and yes, Flash has been "coming" to the iPhone since version 1.0. I'm not holding my breath. 
Also, don't be surprised if Hulu switches to Silverlight ... |
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 tiger72SexaT duorPPremium
join:2001-03-28
Saint Louis, MO
kudos:1
 ·T-Mobile US
| reply to Morac
said by Morac:AT&T's statement is just stupid for a number of reasons: 1. Bandwidth is bandwidth. It doesn't matter if you are streaming from Hulu or a Slingbox, especially since the Slingbox app is limits its stream to 500 kbps. 2. Other AT&T supported devices, like the BlackBerry, allow Slingbox to stream via 3G. Also ORB works on the iPhone via 3G. 3. The iPhone works on other networks besides AT&T's. AT&T shouldn't care what anyone does on other networks. So basically AT&T seems to be discriminating specifically against the iPhone for some reason. I can't figure out why exactly though. Even if AT&T wanted to sell their own video service, that doesn't explain why they allow Sling on Blackberry's. Note, I don't have an iPhone, I just think it's a dumb move on AT&T's part. They're not discriminating against the iphone. They're discriminating against slingbox. Unlike ORB, Slingbox is basically plug-and-play, so it's far more likely to get used by a wider audience than ORB does.
ATT's 3g network is already strained. Adding more load to it for something high demand like streaming TV isn't in their interests. Especially since people would notice how oversaturated ATT's network is and call in to complain.
ATT sells TV services, and they're working on their own video system that would work with uverse to compete with slingbox. Has nothing to do with the iphone. If the blackberry app store had a slingbox app, they'd not allow that over 3g either.
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"What makes us omniscient? Have we a record of omniscience? ...If we can't persuade nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we'd better reexamine our reasoning."
-United States Secretary of Defense (1961-1968) Robert S. McNamara |
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Morac
join:2001-08-30
Riverside, NJ
kudos:1 Reviews:
·Comcast
2 edits | said by tiger72:They're not discriminating against the iphone. ... If the blackberry app store had a slingbox app, they'd not allow that over 3g either. There is a blackberry Sling app and it does support 3G. My brother has a BlackBerry Bold and it works on his phone. So AT&T is definitely discriminating against the iPhone here. My only guess as to why is that the iPhone is more popular and that AT&T has more leverage over Apple than Blackberry. |
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MattAll noise, no signal.Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
kudos:12 | said by Morac:said by tiger72:They're not discriminating against the iphone. ... If the blackberry app store had a slingbox app, they'd not allow that over 3g either. There is a blackberry Sling app and it does support 3G. My brother has a BlackBerry Bold and it works on his phone. So AT&T is definitely discriminating against the iPhone here. My only guess as to why is that the iPhone is more popular and that AT&T has more leverage over Apple than Blackberry. I'm also guessing that not as many BB users would care to watch video on a 1.5" screen at a crappy resolution. Most BB users are business-types also who don't care for such things. |
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| reply to Morac
said by Morac:Other AT&T supported devices, like the BlackBerry, allow Slingbox to stream via 3G. Also ORB works on the iPhone via 3G. AT&T is simply exploiting the fact that iPhone is a closed system that requires apps to be approved prior to being installed. That plus Apple is obviously in bed with AT&T, and that is shown by the fact that they did not approve the Sling Player for iPhone until it was modified to only work with WiFi. AFAIK, other platforms (BlackBerry, Windows Mobile) do not require apps to be approved, so AT&T really has no control over how these phones are used, other than to charge a fortune to those who go over the cap limit.
said by Morac:The iPhone works on other networks besides AT&T's. AT&T shouldn't care what anyone does on other networks. Yes, but in the US it is only supported on AT&T. If you unlock it and use it on other GSM network, do not expect any support from Apple or AT&T.
Of course, if you are referring to other countries where other carriers are partnering with Apple to offer iPhone, you are correct, Apple should not be restricting Sling Player to WiFi only just because AT&T does not want slingers on their network. But then again, we do not know specifically how Sling has structured their code to prevent use of their software on cell networks. That plus Apple has regional restrictions on iPhone apps, not all apps are available in all regions where iPhone is.
said by Morac:So basically AT&T seems to be discriminating specifically against the iPhone for some reason. I can't figure out why exactly though. Even if AT&T wanted to sell their own video service, that doesn't explain why they allow Sling on Blackberry's. As I said earlier, they are discriminating just because they can. They are using the fact that everything needs to go through Apple before it ends up on iPhones and the fact that Apple is willing to bow down to their demands. Had Apple allowed anyone to load anything they wished onto iPhones as RIM and Microsoft do, AT&T would not be able to discriminate against iPhones either.
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Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies...
A MESSAGE to the RIAA and the MPAA: You shouldn't wound what you can't kill... |
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| reply to Morac
said by Morac:AT&T's statement is just stupid for a number of reasons: 1. Bandwidth is bandwidth. It doesn't matter if you are streaming from Hulu or a Slingbox, especially since the Slingbox app is limits its stream to 500 kbps. 2. Other AT&T supported devices, like the BlackBerry, allow Slingbox to stream via 3G. Also ORB works on the iPhone via 3G. 3. The iPhone works on other networks besides AT&T's. AT&T shouldn't care what anyone does on other networks. So basically AT&T seems to be discriminating specifically against the iPhone for some reason. I can't figure out why exactly though. Even if AT&T wanted to sell their own video service, that doesn't explain why they allow Sling on Blackberry's.Note, I don't have an iPhone, I just think it's a dumb move on AT&T's part. I think you hit the nail on the head. AT&T is doing this because they can. You wont see them do this for blackberry or WM because the makers of the OS don't care what AT&T wants. AT&T was maximum profits, plan and simple. And since AT&T has an exclusive agreement with the maker of the OS AND phone, its a no brainier for them wanting to throw little hissy fits like this because they can tell the OS maker what to do. |
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 jlanci
join:2005-08-30
Staten Island, NY | reply to Morac
said by Morac:AT&T's statement is just stupid for a number of reasons: 1. Bandwidth is bandwidth. It doesn't matter if you are streaming from Hulu or a Slingbox, especially since the Slingbox app is limits its stream to 500 kbps. 2. Other AT&T supported devices, like the BlackBerry, allow Slingbox to stream via 3G. Also ORB works on the iPhone via 3G. 3. The iPhone works on other networks besides AT&T's. AT&T shouldn't care what anyone does on other networks. So basically AT&T seems to be discriminating specifically against the iPhone for some reason. I can't figure out why exactly though. Even if AT&T wanted to sell their own video service, that doesn't explain why they allow Sling on Blackberry's. Note, I don't have an iPhone, I just think it's a dumb move on AT&T's part. Do you wanna know the real reason?
I believe it is ATT's way of getting back at Apple for not extending their exclusivity deal until 2011. |
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Morac
join:2001-08-30
Riverside, NJ
kudos:1 Reviews:
·Comcast
| said by jlanci:Do you wanna know the real reason? I believe it is ATT's way of getting back at Apple for not extending their exclusivity deal until 2011. That makes no sense since without the exclusivity deal, AT&T has no leverage over Apple. If Apple wanted to they could have told AT&T to along the sling player or they would go with other carriers.
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The Comcast Disney Avatar has been retired. |
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jlanci
join:2005-08-30
Staten Island, NY | Yea but then Apple would be breaking the deal and probably would have to pay ATT alot of money for it. |
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| reply to Matt
said by Matt:said by Morac:said by tiger72:They're not discriminating against the iphone. ... If the blackberry app store had a slingbox app, they'd not allow that over 3g either. There is a blackberry Sling app and it does support 3G. My brother has a BlackBerry Bold and it works on his phone. So AT&T is definitely discriminating against the iPhone here. My only guess as to why is that the iPhone is more popular and that AT&T has more leverage over Apple than Blackberry. I'm also guessing that not as many BB users would care to watch video on a 1.5" screen at a crappy resolution. Most BB users are business-types also who don't care for such things. i do. the Slingplayer on my Bold works phenomenally well. the picture quality is near perfect quality. it may sometimes drop its quality for a few seconds to compensate for latency, but 95% of the time it is near perfect. on wifi, its closer to 100%. i think the most data i have used in a month using my slingplayer is 700 MB - that is watching about an hour a day 5 days a week on my lunch break. |
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MattAll noise, no signal.Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
kudos:12 | This is more of what I am referring to: »www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/07/···t-there/
Look at the first picture in that link. Which do you think would be better to watch movies on? Therefore, more users would watch movies on the iPhone than would on the BB platform, hence AT&T's concern. |
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| well, yes the screen is larger, but the Bold has a better picture quality per pixel. the bold is 480x320 and the iPhone is 320x480, but the iPhone's screen is larger, hence the pixels are "stretched" so to speak. i was simply disputing that point that you stated the Bold had a "crappy" resolution - its actually outstanding.
and while i agree that the slingplayer should NOT be blocked in any way shape or form, its easy to see why the company would want to. anyone who owns a slingbox would need NO need for any video services. i get full frame rate high quality video "slung" from a STB in my house, meaning i have access to DVR functions, OnDemand, hundreds of channels, etc. |
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