The good news is that if you have a computer, smartphone, or streaming set-top box, you probably already have a device that works with Sling TV. You can even cast shows from your phone or tablet to your television, or watch Sling TV directly on your smart television if it’s compatible.
Sling TV Competitors
In addition to offering an alternative to cable and satellite television providers, Sling TV has a number of direct competitors that also stream live television. Hulu with Live TV, YouTube TV, and DirecTV Now all provide access to multiple live television stations, just like Sling TV. Paramount+ (formerly CBS All-Access) is a similar service whose focus is live CBS and CBSN content.
How to Sign up for Sling TV
Signing up for Sling TV is a very easy process, and it includes a free trial. The trial is free even if you choose multiple à la carte options, but you do have to provide a valid credit card.
Choosing a Sling TV Plan
There are two main Sling TV plans, and you can also combine them together to save a little money:
Sling Orange: 30+ channels, including many popular basic cable channels like ESPN, Disney Channel, and AMC.Sling Blue: 40+ channels, including some networks like Fox and NBC, regional sports, and NFL Network.Sling Orange+Blue: 50+ channels, including everything from both Sling Orange and Sling Blue.
If you’re able to watch local broadcast television with an HD antenna, then Sling Orange is a great low-cost alternative to cable. It doesn’t provide access to any local stations, but it does feature the most popular basic cable channels, including sports from ESPN and kids shows from Disney and Cartoon Network. Sling Blue costs a little more than Sling Orange, but it’s a good alternative if you haven’t had any luck receiving broadcast television with an antenna. This plan doesn’t include ESPN or Disney Channel, but it does add both NBC and Fox in addition to a number of basic cable channels like USA and FX. Sling Orange+Blue costs a little more than Sling Blue, but it includes everything, and it also allows you to watch more shows at once than either of the other plans.
How Many Shows Can You Watch at Once With Sling TV?
Services like Sling TV limit the number of shows, or streams, that you can watch at once. That means, depending on the plan you choose, your kids may be able to watch Disney Channel on your iPad while you’re watching NFL Network on your TV. The number of streams you can watch at once with Sling TV is based on the plan you choose:
Sling Orange: Limited to one stream at a time.Sling Blue: Limited to three streams at a time.Sling Orange+Blue: Limited to four streams at a time (one Sling Orange channel and three Sling Blue channels.)
What Internet Speed Is Required for Sling TV?
Before you choose a plan and sign up, it’s also important to make sure your internet speed is up to par. The picture quality you experience from Sling is directly related to your connection speed, so don’t expect a high definition picture quality on a low speed cellular data connection. According to Sling TV, you need:
3+ Mbps to stream a lower quality picture to portable devices like your phone or tablet.5+ Mbps for a single stream to a television or computer.25+ Mbps to take full advantage of the multiple streams offered by Sling Blue or Sling Orange+Blue.
Sling TV à la Carte Options
One of the main selling points of Sling TV is that it provides more options than you get from either cable or satellite television providers. In addition to the main Sling Orange and Sling Blue packages, you also have the option of signing up for additional channel packages. À la carte packages include about five to twelve additional channels and are based on themes like comedy, sports, and kids. Multiple packages can also be combined together to save more money. Premium channels like HBO, Showtime, and Starz are also available. While no DVR functionality is included in the basic Sling TV plans, Cloud DVR is available as an add-on option. It doesn’t work with every single channel available from Sling TV, but it does work across multiple different devices. So if you set it to record something on your computer, you can access that recording later via your smartphone or other compatible device.
How to Watch Live Television With Sling TV
The main point of Sling TV is that it allows you to watch live television, so it works a lot more like cable than streaming services like Hulu or Netflix. That means when you open Sling TV on your computer, phone or television, it presents you with a list of everything that’s currently on the air. It also means that when you watch a show on Sling TV, it includes commercials just like cable television. Watching live television with Sling TV is a very easy process.
How to Watch On-Demand Content on Sling TV
While Sling TV is primarily designed to provide live television to cord-cutters, it does include some on-demand content in a similar vein to what you get from cable television.
Renting Movies From Sling TV
Watching movies on Sling TV works in much the same way as watching movies through a cable television service. In addition to movies that are available on live television channels, Sling TV also offers movie rentals. Renting movies on Sling TV incurs an extra cost above and beyond your monthly subscription charge, just like renting movies through a cable television set top box. If you locate a movie you want to rent from Sling, you can choose whether to rent it in standard or high-definition format. The standard definition format is less expensive, and it’s a good choice if you’re watching on a small screen like a phone or tablet. After you pay for a movie rental, you have a limited amount of time to start watching. And after you start watching, you have a limited amount of time to finish. The limits are pretty generous, but they do exist.
