Today's Show:
With the digital switch taking place right in the middle of Hurricane and Tornado season many of our listeners wonder what will replace the trusty old portable analog TV in emergencies. Apparently a lot of people have been thinking about this. In Amazon.com's list of popular TVs there are two portable digital models. So for today's show we thought we'd rundown your options.
Slingplayer for the iPhone is now available
So Ara has been playing with the Slingplayer for the iPhone. Here are his initial impressions.
The Good
Works well via wifi
Image quality pretty good
Nice interface
Like the favorites selection
Like the way you can flip to change channels
The Bad
No 3G support
Reduced frame rate
No full 16:9 support
No Slide show mode
No way to turn your DVR on and off via a power button.
Cost
Lip sync is decent but you can see issues
Slow
If it were a free app, you should jump in and deal with the issues. There should be updates coming to improve the experience. But at $30, you can probably wait until it improves. Not sure why they don't display full screen 16:9. That one issue alone makes it less enjoyable to use. The other deal breaker is not Slingmedia's fault but rather AT&T's limitation of the application that prevents usage via their 3G network.
This is the number one best selling TV at Amazon right now. It finally pushed Samsung out of that position. Its rated 4 out of 5 stars by 116 customers
Features:
7-Inch widescreen LCD portable handheld TV
Built-in NTSC/ATSC tuner for both analog and digital channels - so it WILL work after Feb 19, 2009
Built-in antenna allows for easy repositioning for better reception
A/V input for external audio/video sources
Includes AC adaptor, instruction manual, remote control, external antenna, car adaptor and A/V cables
This is an interesting take on the portable digital TV. When you are not in need of an emergency device it is your digital picture frame. In an emergency unplug it from the wall and away you go. This device has no star rating.
Features:
Digital photo frame + ATSC TV tuner
MP3/MP4 player
For Office, Kitchen, Bathroom
Remote control
A/C adaptor
Other Options:
You can use your cell phone if you have VCast from Version or AT&T's Mobile TV. To a lesser degree you can use the Slingplayer for mobile devices. The issue here is that you need a TV with power connected to it. It might work on a national level if your Slingbox is located outside the affected area or you still have power.
