Sling TV has been beta testing a DVR feature for a few months now, which has been great news for customers on Android and Roku devices. Now, customers with Amazon Fire boxes, sticks and tablets can join the time-shifting party.
Sling TV has made its First Look program available on Amazon Fire devices, although there’s a catch. Even though the program is still in beta, Sling TV will still be charging users $5 per month for the privilege of using it.
Sling TV announced the Cloud DVR’s Amazon availability today (Mar. 9), and in theory, the DVR feature is ready to go right now. As long as your Amazon gadget and the Sling TV app are up to date, you can add DVR support just by opening it up and following the prompts. You can also access your account at sling.com and select “Add Cloud DVR” to your account.
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The DVR functionality sounds pretty straightforward as well. Five dollars per month will net you 50 hours of recording time. Recording is available whether you subscribe to Sling Orange or Sling Blue, recordings don’t expire, and you can record multiple programs at the same time (at least on Sling Blue, which is a multi-stream service). Sling TV will also automatically delete your oldest recordings to make room for new ones, so episode hoarders should beware.
Not every channel will be compatible with the DVR service, though. Sling says that DVR functionality isn't currently available on Disney networks, which includes ABC and ESPN. Some Fox channels also don't have DVR functionality, though Sling says FS2 and Fox regional sports networks are recordable. "We continue to work toward making DVR functionality available across our services, and customers can expect the Cloud DVR functionality to continue evolving," a spokesperson told us via email. Still, some may want to hold off on signing up until Sling implements DVR functionality in full.
Sling TV is not the only cable replacement to offer DVR service. PlayStation Vue has an even more comprehensive DVR platform. However, since PlayStation Vue is also more expensive and less customizable, there are tradeoffs.