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One of the most important features of the announced X-Series from 3, is the carrier’s partnership with Sling Media to give customers access to their home TV channels on their mobile handsets.
This is the first time that Sling Media has partnered with a major mobile operator and signifies the increasing focus on mobile TV services. The SlingPlayer Mobile service will be exclusive to 3 customers who purchase both an X-Series handset and a Slingbox.
SlingPlayer Mobile delivers the home TV experience on mobile handsets using standard 3G network connections. Any programme that can be watched at home will be viewable through a Slingbox and compatible SlingPlayer Mobile software pre-installed on two new handsets, the Nokia N73 and the Sony Ericsson W950i including support for terrestrial TV, Freeview, cable, and satellite TV. In addition SlingPlayer Mobile lets customers control their TV recorder at home to watch recorded shows, pause and rewind live TV or even queue a recording when away from home using the handset.
The combined mobile TV experience is driven by Sling Media’s breakthrough product, the Slingbox. The Slingbox redirects a single live TV stream from a standard cable connection, cable box, satellite receiver, or PVR to the viewer’s PC – located anywhere in the home or anywhere in the world – or a 3G handset.
Sling Media will provide Slingbox and SlingPlayer Mobile technical support for 3 customers in the UK and Scandinavia through its partner Stream. Additional European country support will be announced in 2007. Sling Media will provide a similar level of support to 3 customers in Hong Kong through its partner Synergy Technologies (Asia) Limited.
About The Author
Stefan Constantinescu
Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.
