These days, all the different streaming options and add-ons are starting to feel a lot like cable. The prices keep going up, and that’s also true for Sling TV. So, whether you have Sling Blue, Sling Orange, or both, here are a few tips to get the most out of your money.
1 Record and Watch Your Favorites With Cloud DVR
Sling TV’s DVR feature is similar to most DVR systems from the past, making it easier than ever to record and watch sports, movies, TV series, and more. While the base packages only come with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage, you can upgrade to 200 hours for an extra $5 per month.
You can easily record anything with Cloud DVR and then watch it back later, including skipping over most commercials. Better yet, if you upgrade to Cloud DVR Plus (for the 200 hours of storage), you also get “Auto Record,” a feature most people don’t take advantage of.
Opt-in and set up Sling’s Auto Record, which will automatically record top college and pro sporting events in your package. The Auto Record feature will save those games for three days after airing live, and it doesn’t take up any DVR storage. So, while Sling TV doesn’t offer unlimited storage like YouTube TV, recording your favorite sports is fast, easy, and doesn’t take up space. Just make sure you watch it within three days.
Everything else you record on Cloud DVR stays as long as you want. However, once you run out of space, it’ll start deleting the oldest content to make room for new recordings.
2 Use Catch-Up TV Mode to Watch Live Content Later
Formerly known as “8-Day Replay,” Sling TV now offers a nifty feature called Catch-Up TV for select channels. Basically, this lets you rewatch live content up to 8 days after the broadcast.
Go to the Sling TV guide and find the channel you want to watch. Click on the channel logo and scroll down to “Channel Schedule” to start scrolling (to the left) through the previously aired shows, movies, or episodes. If you can’t scroll to the left on a specific channel, it means Catch-Up TV isn’t available for that particular channel. Find another one, scroll to the left, and enjoy shows for up to eight days.
3 Streamline Your Subscriptions With Add-ons
We’re at a point where there are endless streaming services, apps, and subscriptions to keep track of. Jumping back and forth between different apps is frustrating, but you can streamline things with Sling TV premium add-ons.
Instead of downloading another app and subscribing to Starz, Showtime, Paramount+, and others, you can simply add them to your Sling TV package. Then, they’ll appear right in the TV guide for easy viewing. Sling TV offers a wide selection of premium content, from AMC+ to Sundance and more. Unfortunately, certain services like HBO’s “Max” are no longer available as an add-on.
4 Get Live Sports Scores and Updates (Or Hide Them)
You can get live sports scores and information right from the Sling TV home screen or main menu, which sports fanatics will appreciate. Quickly glance at other scores while your game is on a commercial break, or you can favorite and follow specific teams to stay up-to-date. Another benefit of the live scores section is you can scroll over to any score, hit select, and jump to that channel and see the action yourself.
I love checking sports scores on Sling TV, but if you don’t want spoilers ruining the big game, feel free to turn off the live scores in settings.
5 Elevate Your View With Free 4K Streaming
After trailing behind much of the competition, in July 2024, Sling TV announced an upgrade to 4K streaming on select content, and it’s completely free. That’s a pretty big deal, considering other services charge additional fees, often upwards of $10 per month, to access 4K streams.
It’s worth noting that only select content (at least right now) is available in 4K, and the availability varies by channel, provider, or event. We’ve seen a lot of sports and the Paris Olympics in 4K, and hopefully, more will be coming soon.
However, Sling TV’s 4K support page has all but disappeared. The original announcement suggested you’ll need an internet connection of at least 20 Mbps, and a smart TV or streaming device that supports 4K. Sling TV currently allows 4K playback on the Roku 4K, Roku Stream Bar, Roku Ultra, Roku Express 4K+ / Streaming Stick 4K+, 4K Roku TV, Fire TV Stick 4K, 4K Max, and the Fire TV Cube. That initial list left out the Xbox, Chromecast devices, and other consoles, so we’ll have to wait and see.
6 Play Games While You Watch (Or During Commercials)
Did you know you could get more out of your Sling TV subscription by playing fun arcade games while you watch your favorite movies, sports, or shows? Better yet, you can play games during commercials or go into full-screen mode and enjoy Tetris instead of watching a show.
It’s called Sling Arcade, and currently, ten fun titles are available to play, with more on the way. The Arcade offers nearly a dozen classic or contemporary titles, as long as you’re using a Fire TV or Android/Google TV. While watching a movie, sports, or a show, tap “Down” on the remote and navigate to “Interactive Features.” Next to the option for Sports Scores, you’ll see Arcade. Fire it up, find a game, and start playing.
Take advantage of Wheel of Fortune, Tetris, Doodle Jump, Solitaire Clash, and more. We’re hopeful Sling will figure out how to bring its arcade games to more platforms and expand the catalog to keep everyone busy during those boring commercials.
7 Get Even More With Sling “Freestream”
And finally, while not technically part of your Sling TV subscription as it’s available to anyone, those looking to get even more bang for their buck can try Sling Freestream. So, what is that? Freestream is a free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) platform similar to PlutoTV.
With Sling Freestream, you’ll get access to an additional 335+ channels to enjoy live TV, shows, movies, news, and more, completely free with no subscription. The catch, obviously, is you’ll have to sit through additional ads. The service even offers 10 hours of Cloud DVR, which is rare in the free TV streaming space.
Combining your Sling TV subscription with Freestream will give you a massive catalog of content to enjoy.
The current streaming landscape is convoluted, with endless options, constant price increases, and different bundles trying to earn your eyeballs. It’s feeling more and more like cable packages. That said, Sling TV is still one of the most affordable options around and has plenty to offer.
