The AirTV Player was first previewed or rather appeared on Sling TV’s website late last year. At CES 2017, AirTV launched as a company and just unveiled a streaming player that might solve a major problem. Many of these cord cutting platforms, like Sling TV, don’t offer every single local channel. But the AirTV Player can have an antenna hook into it, which then gives you access to all of those channels in one guide. Sounds like a good idea right?
And it is a good idea, one that cord-cutters have been waiting for. By using an antenna to access to the free OTA channels which are broadcasted in HD. You get access to ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. All of this comes together with the AirTV Player, which is a streaming player that gives you access to several services and over the air channels through an antenna.
It is based on Android, so you can access any service that has an application in the Google Play Store. Out of the box, you will find Netflix, Sling TV, and YouTube already there. The AirTV Player supports up to 4K resolution, which means 4K titles from YouTube and Netflix can be watched in their highest quality. The included Bluetooth remote has dedicated buttons for Sling TV, Netflix, and Google. It also has voice controls built-in which is a plus.
To get those over the air channels, you need to get an antenna and the AirTV Adapter. This allows the antenna to be plugged into the AirTV Player and will configure it correctly. The magic here is that all of those channels will show up in the Sling TV guide, which gives you a full cord cutting solution.
The AirTV lineup of products is launching today- The AirTV Player is $99.99, the AirTV Adapter is $39.99, and both of these together is available for $129.99. If you purchase the AirTV Player or the bundle, you will get a $50 credit for Sling TV, which can be used for current or new users.
AirTV is also offering installation through an AirTV Pro Install service. This will help customers figure out the best antenna for their home or apartment– outdoor or indoor. An indoor antenna and installation come in at $99, while an outdoor one will cost $149. The service is available in 48 markets at launch, and it should grow in the coming weeks.
I should note that AirTV is owned by Dish which owns Sling TV, so it seems this has been a very well thought out system. I for one am eagerly waiting to play around with AirTV.
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