Sling TV's new redesigned app is a huge upgrade — we went hands-on

Sling TV'south new redesigned app is a huge upgrade — we went hands-on

(Image credit: Henry T. Casey)

Sling Television set is redesigning its app — finally — and nosotros got to see information technology for ourselves. While this app isn't out on devices at the time of publishing, I got to give it a exam drive on a Fire Idiot box stick that Sling sent over.

Overall, the new Sling TV just looks a lot cleaner and fresher than before, with bigger fine art and less empty infinite between buttons. It delivers some large changes to the Guide and DVR interfaces that were long overdue, plenty to proceed information technology in our best streaming services list, but Sling has all the same left out 1 characteristic that I hope to see in the future.

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Sling TV app: What'south new

Sling TV new app - search — (Paradigm credit: Sling Television receiver)

Of form, the new Sling Television receiver app's biggest changes come with its new dwelling screen. The "MY Television set" screen (a filigree with your channels, recordings, recommended content and popular content) is gone, and in its place is a screen that promotes a "Top Channel Pick." In my case, it was pulling from TBS, recommending the shows that were on at the time: Friends and (later) American Dad.

Up next, more Acme Aqueduct Picks, showing what's on popular networks. Outset, information technology's The Spring on ESPN, then CNN Newsroom, Chicago P.D. on USA, Return to Amish on TLC and Chopped on Nutrient Network. This row had xv recommendations in total, and I eventually landed on a S Park episode.

The almost interesting change so far comes in the adjacent row, which displays your most watched channels. Of the home screen sections so far, this is probably the best way to find something you might actually desire to scout. And so, you go content past category (sports, news, shows, movies and kids), your recent recordings and a Continue Watching department. If I had to make any changes hither, I'd movement Continue Watching upwardly a little bit, since it'due south a piddling more than personalized than the Top Channel Picks.

Sling fixes the Guide screen

Sling TV new app guide — (Image credit: Sling Goggle box)

But the best change, if y'all enquire me, is on the Guide screen. Now, it'south super easy to mark a aqueduct as a favorite, every bit at that place's a little heart on the far left column of each channel row.

Filtering down to just your selected favorites is piece of cake, considering there's a Favorites tab right at the summit. It would be great if yous could manually sort your favorites, as the just available option is to let Sling sort them alphabetically. "But what if I picket more than on USA than AMC?" I wondered to myself during testing. Guide has other tabs: A-Z, Recents, Sports, News, Movies and Kids.

DVR gets its own tab

Sling TV new app DVR — (Image credit: Sling TV)

This is one of those "no brainer" changes. Over the concluding few years, Sling has been integrating DVR capability to its organisation, expanding how much space y'all get, and catching up to anybody else.

And so, at present that DVR is where it should be on the service, information technology makes sense that Sling has a unified DVR section. It's correct below Guide on the left rail, and has a little bar graphic for how much space you're using, followed by art for each of your DVR'd programs.

This is the kind of change yous wish didn't wait for a big update, merely it's welcome nonetheless.

What's left for the Sling TV app?

While user profiles may not sound like an app feature — and more similar a service feature — the lack of multiple user profiles ways that Sling can still go more than cluttered than it should. This could allow y'all to have a more than personal DVR or Favorite Channels list, and enable more personal recommendations.

This is annoying peculiarly for Sling Bluish and Sling Orange + Blueish subscribers, as they become three and four (respectively) simultaneous streams, but everyone still uses the same DVR and list of favorite channels.

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Henry is a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past six-plus years. Prior to joining Tom'southward Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's too covered the wild earth of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.