Dish Network subscribers will soon have free access on mobile devices to live television streams and content recorded on their digital video recorders.
The satellite TV company will release a new mobile app for Apple’s iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and BlackBerry phones in September, and on Google Android devices in October.
Subscribers will need to either purchase a Slingbox device — which lets users view video content from anywhere with an Internet connection — for $180 to $300, or upgrade to Dish’s high-definition DVR with Slingbox capabilities for $200 to $400 (and an extra $10-a-month for multiple DVR service). Beyond that, the company has no plans to charge extra for the service.
The standard Slingbox application doesn’t yet support the iPad, though Dish’s app does. The live streaming feature will come as an update to Dish’s existing iPhone app — which lets subscribers program their Dish DVRs — and will be integrated with Android and BlackBerry apps upon their release.
Dish’s new apps will allow subscribers to switch channels remotely, but if someone is viewing Dish TV at their home, they will need a dual-tuner DVR to access a different channel. Single-tuner DVRs will only be able to broadcast the same channel across home TVs and mobile devices.
EchoStar bought Sling in 2007, and CEO Charles Ergen runs both companies.
