Pioneering Internet streaming service Sling TV has unveiled their upcoming interface refresh from CES. And our pal Brad Linder went hands on. Beyond recent guide presentation updates, the thrust of this transition is functional — with personalization taking center stage.
A new MyTV dashboard collates content you’ve previously flagged as Favorites, Recommended content based on viewership, and any On Demand programming you may have left in progress – so you can pick it up at another time or from another device. Further, On Now is a new customized guide presentation based on what you generally watch and when you watch it. Beyond these changes, Sling has also realized the UI does not need to be consistent amongst devices — what works on a touchscreen up close may not be suitable from a leanback experience. Not to mention navigation conventions vary by platform, say Xbox One versus Roku.
While the new approach does seem compelling and more interactive, at least in regards to Sling’s target millennial audience, it’s likely too visually rich and complex for my mom… who owns two Roku TVs and doesn’t particularly care for Comcast. Perhaps a future update could incorporate a slimmed down, “lite” mode with a more traditional presentation to expand Sling TV’s demographic to include seniors. In any event, Sling expects the multi-platform rollout to commence later this quarter.
“While the new approach does seem compelling and more interactive, at least in regards to Sling’s target millennial audience, it’s likely too visually rich and complex for my mom”
I keep trying to say: they literally can’t market to your mom. Would violate their model and contracts. UI is a feature, not bug. Snake people only.
Read the news.
Now all they need to do is get TiVo to support Sling like ChannelMaster DVR+ announced today.
Chucky, I’ll handle the marketing if they handle the UI…
Lee, “announced” last May. ;) But finally live this week. But, yeah, I hear ya – would be a great collaboration, especially with whatever OTA-only box TiVo is working on.
https://zatznotfunny.com/2015-05/channel-master-dvr-to-launch-sling-tv/
“Chucky, I’ll handle the marketing, if they handle the UI…”
Assume just a good joke on your part. But seriously, they can’t ‘fix’ the UI. I really believe the UI is a feature, not a bug, designed to keep most everyone but broke millennials away. Rationing by UI.
They’d have to restructure their contracts if they want to attract a broader audience, and I find it quite difficult to believe the content companies would be willing to go in that direction.
I wish they’d support multiple simultaneous streams like Amazon or Netflix. I don’t mind pay a bit extra, but paying double to watch on two tvs in the same household is kind of steep.
“paying double to watch on two tvs in the same household is kind of steep”
Another feature, not bug, no? Very limited QoS in exchange for ‘cord cutting+’.
In other words, ‘they’ want you to upgrade to a cable sub if you want proper QoS…
(It’s all very clever, imho.)
I think Janko had reported something like a 50% price hike to cover multiple streams for the International package and it was being looked at for Sling TV proper? Something like that. But I’m with Chucky on the whys of this particular point – it won’t be super favorable if/when they enable multiple streams.