SlingPlayer Mobile is one of my favorite pieces of mobile entertainment technology, that when combined with the place-shifting Slingbox allows you to stream your home’s cable, satellite, or broadcast channels to an equipped smartphone or laptop with the SlingPlayer software installed. The company has long supported Windows Mobile, BlackBerry Palm OS, and select Symbian smartphones, and has been seen more recently on iPhone without any restrictions to watching your streams over the mobile 3G broadband connection. Now, Sling Media, the company behind Slingbox and SlingPlayer, is bringing the SlingPlayer software to Android. The Android version, previously rumored to be a Flash 10.1-based version that would probably work in-browser, appears to be an unfinished native player for Android, which is nice. The UI, when completed, is expected to resemble that on the iPhone and the recent Windows Mobile refresh, to support touch and optimized for your grubby fingers.

The ETA for Android is this summer though no exact date is given, but it’s nice to see the proof of concept running on the Motorola Droid and the Google Nexus One. On iPhone, Windows Mobile, Palm OS, BlackBerry, and Symbian, SlingPlayer Mobile costs $30 in addition to the cost of Slingbox.

Currently, to run SlingPlayer, you’ll need a Slingbox, cable or satellite or other broadcast signal, fast home internet connection, and a compatible phone or laptop and WiFi or mobile broadband connection. No subscription is required, though you’ll have to pay an up-front cost for the Slingbox hardware as well as use WiFi or have an unlimited mobile data plan.

(via: Android and Me)