M+E Connections

Sling TV Expands Cloud DVR to Amazon Fire Devices; Apple TV Up Next

After launching Cloud DVR exclusively on Roku devices late last year, Dish Network’s Sling TV has now expanded availability of the service to consumers using Amazon Fire TVs, Fire TV Sticks and Fire tablets as part of a new “First Look” early access program, it said March 9.

“We’ll continue to expand Cloud DVR ‘First Look’ to additional customers and devices in the coming months, starting with Apple TV,” Ben Weinberger, Sling TV chief product officer, said in a company blog post. Sling TV didn’t specify what month we can expect to see the service on Apple TV or name the other devices that support is planned for.

Only select users of Roku TVs and streaming players initially had access to Cloud DVR when Sling TV launched a free beta program for those devices in December.

Cloud DVR “First Look” costs $5 a month for 50 hours of storage on the Amazon devices, Sling TV said. With the launch of the “First Look” program, Sling TV “will no longer add additional beta testers” on the Roku devices, a Sling TV spokeswoman told the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA). She added that although the beta program has now concluded, “current Cloud DVR beta users will not be charged and will keep the 100 hours of Cloud DVR storage allotted to them during the beta period.”

“First Look” customers will be among the first to get new Cloud DVR features and functionality, including setting recordings on-the-go and coming enhancements that Sling TV said include the ability to record more channels, protect recordings and group recorded series into folders.

“Many customers have requested Cloud DVR since our launch, and as more consumers cut the cord, we know Cloud DVR is a must-have feature for many consumers,” Weinberger said in a news release March 9. “We also know some customers prefer to watch our 30,000 on-demand titles, and we don’t want to make them pay for a feature they won’t use,” he said, adding that although rival over-the-top (OTT) providers “force everyone to take Cloud DVR at a higher price, Sling TV continues to give our customers choice and control over their entertainment experience.”

Eligible Sling TV customers who created their account through Amazon may add Cloud DVR through the Sling TV app on their Fire TV or Fire tablet, Sling TV said, adding all other eligible customers can add Cloud DVR by signing in to their account on sling.com and selecting “Add Cloud DVR.”

Additional Sling TV Cloud DVR features include the ability to keep recordings as long as customers subscribe to Cloud DVR; pausing, rewinding and fast-forwarding of recorded programs; the ability to record multiple programs at the same time; and space management in which the oldest viewed recording is deleted to make room for new programs when full capacity is reached.

Cloud DVR functionality, however, is still “not available on all channels,” Sling TV said in the news release. As of Nov. 29, Disney’s ABC, Disney and ESPN TV networks didn’t allow Cloud DVR customers to record programming on their networks, the Sling TV spokeswoman had told MESA last year. In addition, some Fox networks would not be available at launch for the Roku beta program, she said at the time. But she added that, “as the beta program develops, participants will be able to record additional Fox networks, including Fox, FS1, FX and Nat Geo.”

She told us March 9 that Roku beta testers and “First Look” customers are now able to record FS2 and Fox Regional Sports Networks, but Cloud DVR functionality is “not currently available on the ABC/Disney/ESPN networks and some FOX networks.” She added: “Customers can expect the Cloud DVR functionality to continue evolving and we continue to work toward making Cloud DVR functionality available across our services.”