The Daily App: Sling Player for Android, Kindle

A bit pricey as most apps go, but the picture and sound punched out by the SlingPlayer for Android are almost too good to believe. Today's daily app works with the SlingBox from IP-based television pioneer Sling Media, which offers clients for Android smartphones and tablets, BlackBerry, iPhone/iPad, Mac OS X, Windows, Web browsers and many other platforms. And now there's a Sling Player for Kindle. The Sling Player lists for $29.95.

Once it connects to a SlingBox, which can be behind a firewall and located anywhere in the world, the Sling Player displays high definition picture and sound from as many as three separate devices, including cable and satellite set-top boxes, DVRs, home security systems and Blu-ray and DVD players. It works over WiFi or 3G/4G and even mimics the look and function of slung device's remote control for changing channels and controlling playback.

To bring up a remote device's controls, simply tap on the Android screen. Channel and volume up/down appear along with a numerical keypad button for direct access to channels, and other buttons depending on the device and/or cable system. Read the CRN Test Center's review of Sling Player for Android posted after its 2010 release.