Sling Media and 3 to Deliver New Mobile TV Service

Sling Media and the 3 Group announced a partnership to give customers access to their home TV channels on mobile handsets. The announcement was made as part of Hutchison Whampoa's global launch of the X-Series from 3.

The X-Series from 3 will provide 3 customers with Internet access using the latest mobile broadband handsets and, with the Slingbox device, customers will be able to watch on their mobiles anything they are able to watch on their own TV. The SlingPlayer Mobile service will be exclusive to 3 customers who purchase both an X-Series handset and a Slingbox. The X-Series from 3 will be available in the UK from the 1st December 2006 and in 3's other markets around the world in early 2007.

SlingPlayer Mobile delivers the home TV experience on mobile handsets using standard 3G network connections. Any program that can be watched at home will be viewable through a Slingbox and compatible SlingPlayer Mobile software pre-installed on two new handsets, the Nokia N73 and the Sony Ericsson W950i. SlingPlayer Mobile lets customers control their TV recorder at home to watch recorded shows, pause and rewind live TV and even queue a recording when away from home using the handset.

The mobile TV experience is powered by Sling Media's Slingbox device. The Slingbox redirects a single live TV stream from a standard cable connection, cable box, satellite receiver, or personal video recorder to the viewer's PC or 3G handset.