You're here to learn about Sling TV, however, so I won't dwell on those other services too much. Here's everything you need to know.
Sling TV
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The basics
What is Sling TV?
Sling TV is service that allows subscribers to watch a collection of live and on-demand TV channels on their TVs, computers or mobile devices. This is live TV, just like a cable or satellite TV service, except it's delivered over the internet.
Although Sling TV is a subsidiary of Dish Network, the satellite provider, it's operated as an entirely separate service. You do not need a Dish subscription (or a satellite dish) to get Sling TV.
Where is Sling TV available?
For now and the foreseeable future, it's only available to people who live in the United States.
How is it different from my cable or satellite provider?
Depending on how much you pay for TV service, it's probably cheaper. To use it you'll need a good internet connection and a compatible device to run the Sling TV app, which takes the place of a cable or satellite box and connects to a TV. You can also watch on your phone, tablet or computer, either at home or away.
The best part? Unlike cable or satellite, there are no contracts and you can cancel or resume service anytime, with no penalties. One way to think of it is Netflix, but with live TV.
Sling TV
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What does Sling TV cost and what does it include?
As with cable, there's a set fee for a certain package of live and on-demand TV channels.
The cheapest base package, called "Sling Orange," is $20 per month. Another base package is called "Sling Blue," which costs $25 per month. Each offers slightly different channel lineups. You can also get all of the channels in both packages with "Sling Orange + Blue" for $40 per month.
The basic difference between Orange and Blue channels? Orange has ESPN and Disney channels, while Blue has Fox and NBC channels.
Here's a look at all of the channels offered by Sling TV's base packages as of December 6, 2016.
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What about other channels?
Only the channels listed above, and others for an extra fee (see below) are available on Sling TV.
For Orange customers, major broadcast networks, namely CBS, ABC, Fox and NBC, not to mention PBS, are not included. (And let us note, for the record, that CNET is published by CBS Interactive, a division of CBS.) The exception is ABC, which is available to subscribers in select cities for $5 per month.
As mentioned on the chart above, Blue customers in some cities can watch local Fox and NBC broadcast networks (and regional sports channels) in select markets only.
A few other cable channels (like other regional sports, Fox News, PBS, Discovery channels, Nickelodeon and OWN), as well as premium channel Showtime, aren't available at all on Sling TV.
If you don't want to pay for cable TV, many of those absences can be addressed separately from Sling TV. The broadcast networks can be had for free (in some areas) with an over-the-air antenna. You can also get TV programming via broadcaster web sites or services like Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, CBS All Access or Showtime. And many individual TV programs are available within 24 hours of airing on services like iTunes and Amazon, if you're willing to pay by the episode or by the season.
Sarah Tew/CNET
How can I watch Sling TV?
You'll need to subscribe at Sling.com and set up an account, then install the app on a supported device.
Sling TV is currently available (or not) on the following devices.
SLING TV DEVICES
TV devicesRoku (TVs, boxes and streaming stick), Apple TV (2015 only), Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Xbox One, Android TV, Channel Master
Mobile devicesAndroid phones and tablets, iOS phones and tablets (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch), PC and Mac computers
Not availablePlayStation (3 or 4), Xbox 360, Apple TV (pre-2015 versions)
Once you have the device and app installed, you'll be able to sign in and start watching anywhere in the US that has stable internet connection, whether wired, Wi-Fi or cellular data.
The devil's in the detail
Can I watch Sling TV on more than one TV (or other device) at the same time?
Depends. If you're an Orange subscriber, you cannot watch Sling TV on more than one device -- TV or mobile -- at the same time. The service is restricted to one stream at a time.
You can have more than one device registered to the same account, but if you're watching one and then begin streaming on another, the service makes you choose which single device to continue streaming.
If you're a Blue subscriber, you can watch Sling TV on up to three devices at the same time.
If you're an Orange + Blue customer you also get three simultaneous streams, but some channels are single-stream only.
Does Sling TV have commercials?
Yes. It has the same commercial breaks and national ads as the standard TV channels delivered via cable or satellite TV service.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Can I pause live TV or skip commercials?
Not on many channels. The pause, rewind and fast-forward commands don't work at all when watching many of the ESPN channels (including the SEC Network), AMC, TNT, TBS, CNN, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim, any of the Disney channels, ABC Family, Boomerang, HLN, IFC or Sundance TV.
What about the other channels?
On some other channels the pause, rewind and fast-forward buttons work as expected. You can pause a current show and rewind all the way to the beginning. You can also fast-forward, even through commercials, to catch back up to live time.
Can I record shows for later or watch shows on-demand?
No and yes. Sling TV lacks a DVR function, so you can't record shows to watch later on your own time (or skip commercials). If you want that, check out PlayStation Vue.
On the other hand nearly every channel has shows you can watch on-demand, instantly. Most of channels feature "3 Day Replay," allowing you to watch any show aired within the past three days. You can't easily skip commercials on those past shows, however. Some even allow you to watch any show or movie that aired in the past 7 days.
Can I use my Sling TV account to sign in to other TV apps, like Watch ESPN and FX Now?
Yes, but with only a handful of apps.
Sling Orange subscribers get Watch ESPN app access if they authenticate using their Sling TV log-in credentials. They can watch live streams of ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN3. Even subscribers to the Sports Extra pack cannot get those extra channels live via Watch ESPN.
Watch ESPN is still subject to the single-stream restriction, so you can't watch live TV via the Watch ESPN app on one device at the same time as you watch any live TV via the Sling TV app on a second device. And Sling Blue customers can't authenticate Watch ESPN at all.
Other apps like FX Now and Bravo allow you full access if you authenticate with Sling TV credentials, as long as the app is part of your Sling package. Here's more info.
How fast an internet connection do I need?
Sling TV did not answer this question directly when we asked, instead referring us to the answer on its FAQ: "The same Internet speed is required to watch Sling TV that is needed to watch similar content on platforms like Netflix and Hulu."
Does the picture look as good as cable?
Not quite, but it's still very good. In our testing Sling TV came close to Verizon Fios' HD channel quality at its best, but did look slightly softer. It did briefly drop in quality when moving to a new channel, and there were other occasional picture quality drops, but on our high-speed connection it was mostly delivered at the highest quality with excellent stability. Picture quality on smaller screen devices was also very good.
What about sound?
Although Sling originally said the TV channels would be available in 5.1 surround sound where available, it now says 5.1 is restricted to video-on-demand (VOD) content. Live TV is stereo-only.
Sling TV
Is it easy to find stuff to watch?
Much easier than cable, in our book. Sling TV's app has a user interface that's more like Netflix than the traditional cable TV grid guide. It features thumbnail images of shows and easy access to on-demand content, and the interface focuses on individual channels and genres in an easy-to use way.
The main My TV page lets you choose your favorite channels and shows, as well as continue watching on-demand content where you left off. The On Now section lists currently airing shows in categories like Sports, Kids and Lifestyle. There's a full guide too, but without a grid, just all of the channels you subscribe to, sub-divided again into categories. You also get an easy to use search function to find specific shows.
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