It’s easy to say we want everything with a screen and an Internet connection to be graced by a version of SlingPlayer. However, it’s much harder to determine which devices are most important. Sure, anyone that actually uses a currently unsupported device on a regular basis will proclaim it to be most important, but step back for a moment and look at the grand scheme.

We have support for nearly all flavors of Windows, mobile or otherwise, and Mac support (though still in beta form). Considering the vast majority of computers are covered (yes, I know Linux exists. It’s on the list.), all that’s really left to be conquered are the less obvious personal entertainment devices that don’t find themselves in the hands of every consumer on the planet.

So that begs the question… Where should SlingPlayer go next? There’s no definitive answer here, and I have no doubt we will all disagree to some extent. That’s okay! I’ve taken a look at the majority of currently unsupported candidates and tried to rank them in order of importance based on what I feel will make the most impact with consumers, fill holes for the most popular mobile devices, and ultimately make the Slingbox even more enticing than it already is.

Keep in mind, I’m leaving out platforms that have already been announced (even if they’re not available yet for use) like Symbian, Palm, and Windows Mobile 6. No reason to say how bad we want something when we already know it’s coming.

Without further adieu, here are my picks in ranking order:

Number 1 - Nintendo DS

For those of you who think the DS is just for kids… think again. Games like Brian Age and WarioWare: Touched! have shoved this portable wonder well into the hands of Slingbox fairing adults. It’s got all the makings of a super SlingPlayer platform: Small form factor, Wi-Fi, 256x192 color LCD screen, and most importantly, a second LCD screen that’s touch capable. Put it all together and you’re talking a fantastic mobile TV solution with a touch screen remote control! Did I also mention that Nintendo has sold over 10 million of these babies in the United States ALONE?

Coolness factor aside, there could be some pretty big problems developing SlingPlayer for the DS. It’s very possible the DS isn’t powerful enough to support mobile video in this way. That could mean the performance would need to be scaled back to accommodate the DS hardware, or that supporting hardware would need to be built into a cartridge along with the player… making the cart a little bulky (not to mention more expensive). The other drawback is you’re only talking support from Wi-Fi hot spots, and it seems unlikely there will be integrated Bluetooth support in the cartridge to connect through Bluetooth enabled phones.

The two small issues aside, a relationship with Nintendo would do a lot for Sling Media and the Slingbox. Not only would it bring SlingPlayer to a very popular entertainment device in the hands of new consumers, but it would also give Sony’s Location Free/PSP combo some stiff competition.

Number 2 – Blackberry

Nintendo DS seemed pretty obvious to me as a number 1, but I had a real tough time coming up with number 2. There’s so many popular platforms out there, but Blackberry seems like an obvious omission in the mobile phone sector. Millions of business users are never without these things (hence why they’re called Crackberrys), and I’d be willing to bet many of them travel on a regular basis. If the traveling consumer is high on the priority list (and it should be for obvious reasons), then the Blackberrys out there capable of supporting video need to have SlingPlayer.

Yes, I almost put it lower on the list. I do want to see the Blackberry addicts of the world get some Slingbox love, but let’s look at the Blackberry closely… One, only the latest models of Blackberry are (probably) capable of supporting SlingPlayer. Two, Windows Mobile is gaining ground quickly in the business market. Does that mean Blackberry is going away? No, but the more people that jump to Windows Mobile, the less appealing this platform becomes. Even so, it’s not enough to knock it down from number 2.

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