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(Mis)Uses of Technology

by Joseph Weisenthal

Thu, Jul 20th 2006 10:27am





Sling Takes Notes From Content Industry On Making Content Less Useful

from the a-taste-of-their-own-medicine dept

Since the inception of the Sling Media's Slingbox, the company has been at odds with content owners who aren't comfortable with flexibility that place shifting offers consumers. Now Sling Media has found itself in the position of battling with another company selling a product that extends the functionality of the Slingbox. A company called Applian Technologies released its own device that allowed Slingbox users to make recordings of television content. In response, Sling Media has started encrypting its data, which not only blocks out Applian's device, but also disables some functionality to its users, such as the ability to use a Slingbox along with file-sharing apps. Sling claims that decision had nothing to do with Applian, though a Sling spokesman asked, "Does Applian have rights to content?", which sounds like the kind of nonsense argument content owners have used against Sling. Sling has every right to block out Applian if they want to, but shutting out a product that makes the SlingBox better and using the same specious logic as rights holders do, doesn't do much for Sling's image.

11 Comments | Leave a Comment

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  1.  
    identicon
    Rational Beaver, Jul 20th, 2006 @ 10:43am

    If you can record TV, and you can place-shift TV, why shouldn't you be able to record place-shifted TV?

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    identicon
    Greg, Jul 20th, 2006 @ 11:03am

    This sounds like a CYA move on their part - if they keep the content from being recorded or shared, they can avoid liability and maybe get the content providers to back off.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  
    identicon
    RobG, Jul 20th, 2006 @ 11:19am

    Who needs Sling? Orb streams like Sling plus it lets you record TV and it's free!

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    identicon
    nVidiaFan, Jul 20th, 2006 @ 11:40am

    Just get a graphics card with a built in tv-tuner for your desktop... :P

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Jul 20th, 2006 @ 12:08pm

    Considering you can MultiCast Sling, maybe this is just a way to keep another industry from filing a lawsuit against them.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  
    identicon
    Mikester, Jul 20th, 2006 @ 1:09pm

    Sooo...?

    Pot. Kettle. Black.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  
    identicon
    Eric, Jul 20th, 2006 @ 1:16pm

    Re: Built-In TV-Tuner

    The problem with this advice is that with the SlingBox I can access the premium channels my parents at my house pay for from Cablevision all the way from my dorm room in Boston, which is a Comcast zone.

    Learn your hardware uses before spewing "advice".

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  8.  
    identicon
    RobG, Jul 20th, 2006 @ 1:52pm

    Re: Re: Built-In TV-Tuner

    And with Orb, I can watch HBO away from home too. Why is that spewing bad advice?

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  9.  
    identicon
    Mikester, Jul 20th, 2006 @ 2:01pm

    Re: Re: Re: Built-In TV-Tuner

    He was replying to the person suggesting to just get a TV-Tuner, duh.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  10.  
    identicon
    Larry, Jul 20th, 2006 @ 5:50pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Built-In TV-Tuner

    Im horny.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  11.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Jul 20th, 2006 @ 7:27pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Built-In TV-Tuner

    wow this got off track fast...

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


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