Sling TV Rolls More Cloud DVR Capabilities

Sling TV, Dish Network’s OTT TV service, said it has expanded the number of networks and devices that support a Cloud DVR service that it’s selling to subscribers under its “First Look” program.

Those customers, who get access to 50 hours of DVR storage, can now record shows on several Fox  channels, including local Fox broadcast feeds, FS1, Nat Geo and FX. The caveat is that if the program being recorded is offered from Fox on-demand, the customer will be automatically redirected to the VOD asset. YouTube TV has a similar limitation in place for its cloud DVR, whereby subs can’t fast-forward through ads when they are viewing the VOD version of a show.

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Sling TV, which introduced its Cloud DVR trial late last year, previously confirmed that some channels, including ABC, Disney and ESPN networks, will not support the cloud DVR, and that it was working toward enabling the feature for all programming offered on the service.

Sling TV said it has also extended Cloud DVR support for its service on Xbox One consoles, complementing existing access on Amazon Fire TV boxes and Fire tablets, Android mobile devices, Android TV-powered devices, Apple TV boxes, and Roku players and integrated Roku TVs.

Cloud DVR support for Windows 10, the new AirTV Player, and iOS devices will be added in the “coming weeks,” Sling TV said.

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Sling TV said it has also added a “Protect” feature that lets customers retain recorded programs for as long as they are a subscriber, as well as a DVR folder that helps subs organize their recordings, and a “Record from Franchise” component that lets subs record a show or series from its franchise screen.

Among virtual MVPDs, YouTube TV, now available in five markets, fuboTV and PlayStation Vue all offer cloud DVR options with different capabilities and limitations.  DirecTV Now has a cloud DVR on its roadmap.

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