CES: Slingmedia content now on iPhone and Blackberry

Sling Media's Award-Winning SlingPlayer Mobile Now Available for BlackBerry Smartphones

The same functionality available to Windows Mobile enabled smartphones is now available on Blackberry phones and iPhones, as announced at CES this weekend (iPhone support has been available a while longer).  The slingmedia line of products itself has also been updated to include an HD version which can distribute up to 1080i content over the network.

If you're not familiar with Slingmedia and what they do, here's a brief explanation.  Essentially the Slingbox connects to your Cablebox, Tivo, or any other device which has component output, and delivers the signal generated onto any ethernet enabled network.  Once you've set up the Slingbox, you can connect to the device using a PC, for example.  On your PC, you can then view live programming directly from the cable set top box the slingbox is connected to, or, in the case of a slingbox connected to a Tivo, you can actually control the Tivo's navigation to get to content the Tivo has recorded.

Since the "client" is essentially just software, you can connect to your slingbox using any platform for which slingbox has produced software.  In other words, that currently ranges from your PC, to other TV-connected devices ( the Slingcatcher), or handheld devices like Windows Mobile, Blackberry, and the iPhone.

Sling Media's Award-Winning SlingPlayer Mobile Now Available for BlackBerry Smartphones

Las Vegas — International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) — January 8, 2009 — Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), is pleased to announce that a beta release of SlingPlayer Mobile is now available for select BlackBerry® smartphones from Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM). SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry smartphones is available to Slingbox customers in the U.S., Canada and the UK and is available as a free download during the public beta period.

"I am very pleased to be announcing SlingPlayer Mobile is now available on a wide variety of BlackBerry smartphones. This has been a top customer request since we launched the original Slingbox Classic in 2005 and it gives me great pleasure to say it is now here!" said Blake Krikorian, co-founder and CEO of Sling Media. "Combining the best of breed smartphone with the ability to watch and control your living room TV remotely is a killer combo."

SlingPlayer Mobile gives consumers their entire home TV experience, including local channels, local sports teams, video on demand, pay per view, etc. Any program that you can watch on your sofa back home, you can now watch via your BlackBerry smartphone using a standard network connection (3G Cellular, Wi-Fi®). In addition, SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry smartphone users can also control their home digital video recorder (DVR) to watch recorded shows, pause, rewind, and fast forward live TV, or even queue new recordings while on the road.

"We are thrilled that SlingPlayer Mobile is now available on BlackBerry smartphones," said Jeff McDowell, Vice President, Global Alliances at Research In Motion. "SlingPlayer Mobile gives customers an amazing degree of control over their TV programming and significantly enhances their mobile entertainment options in a wide variety of settings."

The following is a list of BlackBerry smartphones that are currently supported in the public beta.*

• BlackBerry® Bold™
• BlackBerry® Curve™ 8900
• BlackBerry® 8820
• BlackBerry® Curve 8320
• BlackBerry® Pearl® Flip 8220
• BlackBerry® Pearl 8120

SlingPlayer Mobile requires BlackBerry® Device Software 4.5 or greater. To see if your phone meets the minimum requirements, please visit the following URL using your BlackBerry smartphone's browser: http://mobile.slingmedia.com/. We will check your BlackBerry smartphone and let you know if it is currently supported or needs a software update (available from your carrier).

SlingPlayer Mobile does not require a monthly fee or other recurring charges**. During the public beta period the software is free. SlingPlayer Mobile is available for BlackBerry smartphone customers as an over the air download by simply going to http://mobile.slingmedia.com from your BlackBerry web browser.

Sling Media will be demonstrating SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry smartphones at their own booth at CES, Central Hall, #14438, as well as at Research in Motion's Booth, South Hall, #36206.

*Sling Media continues to work with Research In Motion, to bring SlingPlayer Mobile to additional BlackBerry smartphones. In addition, device support is dependent on your location and carrier. Please reference http://www.slingmedia.com/go/blackberry for more information and specific device and carrier support.