I would like to provide a brief review of my experience with the SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry application.  This review consists of the following components:

1. BlackBerry Bold v4.6.0.167 (Platform 4.0.0.157)
2. SlingPlayer Mobile  for BlackBerry (US) Version 1.0.0.2
3. Slingbox Solo
4. Dish Networks VIP722 DVR with the HD package
5. AT&T 3G network and local WiFi (802.11g) network

I have used the SlingPlayer software on others devices in the past, including the Plam Treo Pro.  I have been using the Slingbox Solo for a couple of years with laptops and desktop PCs.  I have also started to use Sling.com to access my Slingbox from other PCs without having the SlingPlayer software loaded.

My previous device was the Sony Xperia X1, which ran SlingPlayer alongside other mobile video sources, like MobiTV and Hulu. I recently started to use MobiTV on the BlackBerry and even tried Hulu from my older Xperia X1. I'll give a brief comparison of each, and to round things out, I'll also compare the experience for all of these like apps and services to the Sony Xperia X1.

Like many folks in the SlingCommunity, I have been waiting for the release of a BlackBerry SlingPlayer to use on my BlackBerry Bold.  Even though the screen on the Xperia X1 is a higher resolution, I find the viewing experience to be better on the Bold.  The controls are also much easier to use on the Bold (once you get the hang of it).  The X1 has a touchscreen, but you still need to use the stylus most of the time because of the small control buttons. 

Getting Started

I was able to download SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry and install it directly on the Bold without any issues, which I expected after successful installtions on the Sony Xperia X1 and Palm Treo Pro. 

Once installed, you need to start up the SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry app. Below is a run through on how to do this:

This is the home screen on my Bold.

Next I hit the extended menu button and I have a list of the rest of the menu options.

Under the Downloads folder I have the SlingPlayer Mobile app.

Once I select the SlingPlayer app, there is a nice SlingPlayer Mobile splash screen. This looks very clean especially on the Bold.

It checks for the registration and asks if you want to register at this point.  You can just select No, which is the default and continue loading the app.

Next it checks for any available Slingboxes, and in my case seemed to have auto-discovered my mine; an improvement over the Windows Mobile version.  On my Sony X1, I remember having to manually enter the Finder ID, which was a bit tedious due to the small keyboard on the X1 and the long Finder ID.

Once it discovered my Slingbox, it waits for you to select Connect or to choose a different Slingbox.

I have noticed a few people on the SlingCommunity Forums have had problems connecting to a Slingbox with their Bold with the beta version of the BlackBerry player.  I only noticed this on a few occasions, and a simple restart of the app was all I needed to do to resolve it.  I am not sure why it would not connect consistently at the beginning, but I am now able to connect consistently. More importantly, I maintain a pretty stable connection that results in a very good image. 

Video Quality

I have tested the performance with mostly my 3G connection.  I have attached several screenshots of the actual video.  It was not that easy to get screenshot captures of the actual video with the software that I was using.  While it may not appear so in the stills below, the video did look very good and was very stable.

Vs. MobiTV

The next app that I want to discuss is MobiTV, which carries a subscribtion of $10/month.  It has a nice channel lineup and some recorded shows like the Office and 30 Rock, but the stability was not that good and became annoying when trying to watch a complete show.  Even on WiFi (802.11g) the video was not smooth. 

I compared watching an episode of the Office from my Dish DVR on the SlingPlayer against the recorded version from MobiTV. Suffice it to say, the experience using SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry was so much better.  I really couldn’t watch it for very long on MobiTV. 

I think MobiTV it is a nice concept, but needs work in the streaming optimization department.  You can see several screenshots below of MobiTV.  Unfortunately I could not capture any video images.

Conclusion

In summary, SlingPlayer Mobile for the BlackBerry (at least on the Bold) by far offers the best experience I've had for viewing live TV and recorded shows. The only real alternative to SlingPlayer on the BlackBerry is MobiTV, but it just didn't provide a stable enough video stream to even compete.