Our own Vincent Lam reviewed the Sling TV service when it launched earlier this year. The service offers a number of different Pay TV channels, delivered over the internet for a flat $20/month with no contract or commitment. Channels include ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, ABC Family and CNN. Vince used a Roku 3 streaming media box to tune into the service, but earlier this month Sling TV launched its app for Amazon's Fire TV and Fire TV Stick so this is now a supported viewing platform.
Per Vincent, "As expected, the user experience on Amazon's Fire TV is nearly identical to the Roku 3 in terms of picture quality and user interface. But Fire TV has the same rental experience and limitations as the Sling TV app on iOS."
In other words, you cannot rent movies directly from the Fire TV unit but have to complete the rental transaction on the Sling TV web site (or on a Roku). Rented movies then show up in your Sling TV account for viewing on your device of choice. We expect this is due to Amazon wanting to own the movie purchase and rental experience on their own branded devices, just as Apple does with iTunes. Sling TV has also promised that the app will be available directly on select LG and Samsung Smart TVs in the near future.
In addition to the above mentioned channel line-up, Sling recently added AMC and IFC to the basic package. They've also launched a new bonus pack for movie-lovers called "Hollywood Extra" for an additional $5/month. This add-on pack includes access to live and Video-On-Demand content on EPIX, EPIX2, EPIX3, EPIX Drive-In, and Sundance TV. Sling TV's Replay feature allows customers to watch content that has aired up to seven days prior without a DVR on channels in the Hollywood Extra package.
Sling and Amazon have partnered to offer $50 off the Fire TV device or a free Fire TV Stick for those who sign up for a new Sling TV account. See this link for more details:
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