How To Use A Sling Weapon

Tom's Guide Verdict

Sling TV is an affordable live Boob tube service that offers flexibility with customization.

Pros

+
Low cost
+
Flexible options
+
Top networks including ESPN

Cons

-
Interface needs improvement (new app is rolling out)
-
Limited local channels

Sling TV is 1 of the ameliorate-known, lower-priced live TV options these days (plans start at $35 per month for 47 channels), which helps it stand up out as the marketplace for streaming services has gotten more crowded. The meridian-tier plan, which costs $fifty, offers 53 channels including ESPN, is still cheaper than almost. Take a look at our Sling Tv promo codes for ways to reduce the price fifty-fifty more than.

Sling TV specs

Starting price: $35 per month
Supported devices: Roku, Amazon Fire Television set, Apple Boob tube, Xbox One
Deject DVR: 50 hours for free, $5 per calendar month for 200 hours
Simultaneous streams: ane (Sling Orange), up to 3 (Sling Blue), up to iv (Sling Orangish + Blueish)
Network channels: NBC and Fox in select regions

Sling TV'southward interface isn't as slick or easy to apply equally some of its competitors similar YouTube TV or Philo TV, but it gets the job washed (and information technology is bachelor on every major platform).While the channel selection is decent and the video quality is excellent, where Sling TV lags backside the competition is in its DVR storage.

But if you lot but want top cable channels, and the flexibility to add on specific networks according to your preferences, Sling Television (especially its top program) may be the perfect cable Telly alternative.

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How to record shows on Sling Television

Sling Telly review: Pricing and availability

Sling TV offers a free, vii-day trial, but there's a sneaky trick to getting it: You can't sign up through the web, you have to sign up through a Sling-uniform device (more on that beneath). After the trial, Sling offers $10 off the showtime month for all iii of its plans.

The lower tiers, Sling Orangish and Blue, are $xxx for existing subscribers (a rate that will terminal until at least July 2021), but $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 January 27.

Current sales include a buy one month of Sling you lot tin can go a free Chromecast with Google TV offer.

If you're interested in watching live local programming from broadcast networks, Sling Blue and Sling Orange & Blue provide access to NBC and Play a trick on in some markets (which you can check here (opens in new tab)). If y'all're not in one of those markets or you besides want ABC and CBS, Sling offers packages that include an HD antenna and AirTV (which integrates the local feeds with the Sling app), only they require you lot prepay for three months of Sling service.

In contrast, YouTube Boob tube costs $64.99 per month for access to up to 70-plus channels. Hulu with Alive TV costs $64.99 per calendar month for 85-plus channels. Fubo TV costs $64.99 for 110+ channels. All 3 services offer (most) local networks in most areas as part of their plans. Sling's pricing and aqueduct lineup is more than similar to Philo, which costs $20 for 59 channels (no locals and no antenna add-on packages).

As far as availability, Sling Television tin be played on many devices, besides its own AirTV Mini:

Web browsers (Chrome, Safari)
iPhone and iPads (iOS xi and subsequently)
Near Android phones and tablets (OS KitKat 4.four and later)
Apple Idiot box (4th gen and subsequently)
Roku (LT and college)
Smart TVs (LG, Samsung, Roku, Fire TV, Vizio and select Android TVs)
Fire TV (all models)
Fire tablets (Android OS 4.four.2 and later)
Select Chromebook devices
All Chromecast devices
Google Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max
Oculus Go (3.54 or later)
Xbox One, Xbox I S and Xbox One X
Xfinity X1

That's a pretty complete list, but it'due south missing PlayStation 4 (which has only YouTube TV).

Unlike most of its competitors, Sling Boob tube users cannot create multiple accounts under one subscription. Sling Orange users can sentinel on but one screen at a fourth dimension, while Sling Blue users can stream up to 3 screens simultaneously. Sling Orange + Bluish subscribers tin simultaneously watch on iv screens at a fourth dimension.

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So while y'all can share your Sling login with family and friends, y'all have to spotter out for simultaneous watching. And everyone's viewing preferences and recordings will be tossed together — which makes the extremely limited DVR storage even more than of a pain. More than on that later.

Sling TV review: Interface

Perhaps because it'due south been in the live Television set streaming market for some time, Sling doesn't seem to have made updates to its interface to go along up with competitors. Beau low-cost alive Television set service Philo is much slicker. The big guns, YouTube Television set and Hulu With Live TV, both boast deep, rich experiences.

Upon opening Sling, you first see the My Tv screen, which is divided into sections: My Channels, Recordings, Recommended For You and collections like Top News and Hit Movies.

In the navigation, you can select On At present, which shows live programming broken down by genres, such as Kids, Lifestyle and Comedy. This screen is fairly useless, unless you're the blazon of viewer who decides what to watch by maxim, "I'chiliad in the mood for Activity and Adventure."

More than useful is the Guide screen, which is the typical cablevision-like grid with a vertical listing of networks and horizontal times. But the networks are not alphabetized, so finding your preferred channels can be a fleck of a hunt.

The Sports screen is exactly what information technology sounds like and is divided into segments by the type of sport (i.e., Pro Basketball, Combat Sports, eSports, Obscure Sports).

On the web and sure devices, there is also a Rentals screen, where you can rent movies, much similar you lot can do on Amazon Prime or Apple Television. Rental prices are typical, more often than not $five.99 for new releases.

A search box lives on the meridian right in the navigation bar on the web. The search is non every bit lightning fast as YouTube TV, nor does information technology yield as robust results (information technology doesn't include related videos, for instance), but it works well.

Once you lot discover a prove or moving-picture show and click on it, a window pops up with such information as a synopsis and cast list. Depending on if the show is airing alive, you tin Watch or Tape. Sling gives you lot the choice to record only new episodes or all episodes, which gives information technology the advantage over Philo. And in one case y'all become to the playback window, it'south adequately standard with the usual controls.

Sling TV review: Content and channels

Sling's channel lineup is decent — not as robust as its higher-priced competitors YouTube Telly and Hulu With Live Goggle box, but better than the lower-tier livestreaming services like Philo.

Sling Orange and Sling Blue'south channel offerings largely overlap, simply both feature networks that the other doesn't. Orangish includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Disney Channel and Freeform (basically, Disney-owned networks). Blue provides admission to more unique networks, such as U.s.a., Bravo, Fox News, FX, Eastward!, National Geographic and Syfy.

Of course, if you sign upward for Sling Orange + Blue, you lot go all of the to a higher place. And equally mentioned, if you want local channels, both Blueish and Orange & Blue offer NBC and Fox in some regions. Simply if you go along the road, Sling may lose access to those channels, which don't travel with you. But otherwise, y'all have to purchase an HD Antenna package.

In that location are also a number of add-on packages, which permit y'all select groupings of content to get you closer to a consummate lineup:

Starz (six channels for $9 per month)
Showtime (nine channels for $x per month)
EPIX (four channels for $v per month)
Sports Extra ($ten per month) — MLB Network, NBA Idiot box, SEC Network
Comedy Extra ($5 per month) — MTV, CMT, TV Land
Kids Extra ($5 per calendar month) — Disney Junior, Nick Jr., Boomerang
News Actress ($5 per month) — BBC World News, HLN, RT America
Lifestyle Extra ($5 per month) — Cooking Aqueduct, Hallmark Channel, BET
Hollywood Extra ($5 per month) — Sundance TV, TCM, Reelz
Heartland Extra ($5 per month) — Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Aqueduct, Ride TV
International ($5 per calendar month) — channels from Europe, India, Prc, more
Espanol ($five per month) — Azteca, Cinematics Latino, NBC Universo
Deportes ($five per month) — LaLiga, Ligue one, Superliga Argentina, more than

Sling also offers the 4 Extras Deal — bundling Kids Extra, Lifestyle Actress, Comedy Extra and News Actress — for $12. For $20 extra, y'all can add on the Total Television Bargain (all Extras and Cloud DVR Plus).

Sling can also users can cull from among 22 channels (listed here (opens in new tab)) to add a la carte du jour, starting at $3, to their plan.

Sling Telly review: DVR

The No. 1 downside of Sling is that it gives you only 50 hours of DVR storage for free with each subscription. Subscribers tin can upgrade to 200 hours for $5 a month.

That puts Sling behind some of its competitors in live Television set streaming. YouTube Tv set and Philo both offer unlimited DVR. Hulu With Alive TV'south Deject DVR has similar entry-level pricing, with fifty hours free — merely a pricier upgrade option with 200 hours costing $fifteen per month

Sling TV review: Video quality

Sling Goggle box doesn't have detailed data virtually its streaming resolution, though most of the content I watched looked to exist 720p, which is fairly standard among livestreaming services. Only Fubo YouTube Television offers some channels at 1080p; Fubo as well offers limited events and some on-demand content in 4K.

Programs achieved HD resolution nearly instantly or within 2-iii seconds and held steady later stabilizing, both on a fast home connection and slower networks.

Sling Goggle box review: Verdict

Sling TV is an attractive option for cord-cutters who want to replace their cable-television package with a alive TV streaming service. The depression cost of the Sling Orangish and Sling Blue plans make them affordable — as long as you lot like their channel lineups. The top-tier Sling Orangish & Blueish is only slightly more expensive and provides access to most superlative cable channels, including ESPN.

The flexibility to add a la carte channels and themed extras, likewise as premium networks, means Sling users tin can mix and match to meet their preferences. The biggest downside nosotros encountered during our Sling Tv set review is the meager DVR storage, which got meliorate in 2021'south update — merely still pales in comparison to YouTube TV.

But if you want live TV for relatively cheap, Sling Television set could be your path to cutting the cord for good.

Kelly is a senior writer covering streaming media for Tom'southward Guide, so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance entertainment writer for Yahoo, Vulture, Goggle box Guide and other outlets. When she'south non watching TV and movies for work, she's watching them for fun, seeing live music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.