Sling TV Is Here to Stay: Cut the Cord to Cable TV and Save

When Sling TV was launched back in February, it showed exciting promise for those who wanted instant access to live TV without the cost and without a contract. It looked like the new DISH service would be a winner. Well, the stats are now in and our expectations have not disappointed us.

By the end of its very first month, it was announced that Sling TV had already signed up 100,000 customers. Now, according to a new report dated June 5, the number of subscribers has more than doubled to 250,000.

Is It Just the Newness of Sling TV or Is It Really That Special?

Well, the answer is both. To be sure whenever something that is in demand (live TV), is easily accessible without special equipment, and cuts out-of-pocket expenses (Sling TV basic is only $20 a month), people will tend to try it. So there you have a major asset to a Sling TV subscription. But, at present the lineup for Sling TV programming is still somewhat limited. For the basic $20 a month you will receive access to only about 40 channels. There are currently 7 add-on packages available for an additional $5 apiece however. As time goes on, Sling TV is planning to add more options (at additional costs of course).

The Connectivity of Sling TV

One of the things that attracted people to cable in the first place was the speed and quality of the connectivity. So far the final ruling is out as far as connectivity is concerned with Sling TV.

According to a review by Nick Pino on Techradar.com:

“Depending on your connection speed, Sling TV is either a dream or a nightmare.”

He has done tests watching Sling TV on various devices. Here are his comments on his viewing experience using an iPhone:

“Using an iPhone 5S for testing, I took Sling TV with me for a gauntlet of daily errands. As you might expect, over LTE the stream was nearly flawless. Dropping down to 3G, however, presented real problems as seconds slipped away to buffering screens.”

He did mention that one thing that will probably keep many subscribers connected to Sling TV:

“Being able to take TV figuratively anywhere is an appealing, practical proposition for morning commuters or long-distance travelers.”

Although Sling TV is a US-only service, it does seem that you can watch Sling TV anywhere in the world, but you must be able to “establish and maintain a bitrate of about 1.5 Mbps for high-quality streams, 0.8Mbps for medium resolution, and 0.5 Mbps for low-quality.”

Also, Sling TV won’t allow more than one device to run on the same account at the same time. As technology advances and Sling TV adds more options, you can expect more customers signing up with DISH Sling TV. It is a technological advance that is here to stay!