You can watch Sling TV away from home, in different locations, and even in different homes at the same time. Although, this does depend on how many streams your Sling TV plan provides.
As long as you understand how Sling TV’s simultaneous streams policy works, then there should be no issues with watching Sling TV away from home.
In this guide, we’ll briefly explain the different device support Sling TV offers before focusing on how the different Sling TV plans (and their associated number of streams) affect streaming live TV while away from home, and in different locations.
Sling TV device support
Sling TV is fairly accommodating when it comes to device support. The service is available on a variety of platforms, making it easy to access live TV on many different devices.
Sling TV can be accessed on mobile phones and tablets, as well as on a Windows computer or Mac. In addition, Sling TV can also be accessed on various set-top boxes, players, and smart TVs.
Sling TV supported smart TVs and players list:
- Samsung smart TVs: 2016-2019
- LG smart TVs: WebOS 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 and 4.5 and select 2016-2019 models
- AirTV
- Apple TV
- Amazon Fire TV
- Android TV
- Chromecast
- Roku
Unlike other live TV streaming services, Sling TV does not impose any major restrictions on accessing the service on multiple ‘living room’ devices at the same time. This is a major difference compared to Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV who both place a home area restriction on access.
As a result, Sling TV is a much better option for those who want to access a live TV service in multiple locations, including different homes.
That’s not to say the service will be better for everyone, or in all instances, as Sling TV does impose stream limitations and these can greatly affect the ability to watch content on different devices, let alone at different locations.
Read more: Simultaneous streams comparison
Understanding Sling TV’s approach to streams
Understanding Sling TV’s approach to simultaneous streams is crucial to making sure this is a service that will be able to accommodate your travel or different location requirements.
Essentially, the number of live TV streams a Sling TV subscriber gets is dependent on the plan they are signed up to. At present, Sling TV offers two main plans: Sling Orange and Sling Blue. While these plans are priced the same, they come with access to different live TV channel lineups. In addition, they also come with different simultaneous streams support.
Sling Orange and Sling Blue streams comparison:
- Sling Orange comes with 1 stream
- Sling Blue comes with 3 streams
Sling TV also offers a Sling ‘Orange + Blue’ package which combines the channel lineups of both plans. This package also combines streams, although that doesn’t necessarily mean you get more streams.
For example, Sling Orange + Blue is not technically a third plan. Instead, it provides access to both plans, but at a reduced cost than paying for both plans separately. However, outside of the price difference, the access to the two plans remains separate.
In other words, a Sling Orange + Blue subscriber does not get access to four simultaneous streams, but access to the stream allowance for both plans.
Sling Orange + Blue simultaneous streams comparison:
- Sling Orange comes with 1 stream
- Sling Blue comes with 3 streams
- Sling Orange + Blue comes with 1 Orange stream and 3 Blue streams.
The reason this is important is that the level of access on different devices, and especially at the same time, is less dependent on the device, or even the location, but the channel. Specifically, what plan the channel is linked to.
How Sling’s streams affect different locations
Regardless of where you are at the time, or on what supported device you are watching on, if you are a Sling Orange subscriber then you only get access to one stream at a time. In terms of other locations, that single stream can be accessed anywhere and on any supported device. However, as it is a single stream, no other family or household member can access a different channel on another device at the same time.
Sling Blue works exactly the same way other than the allowance is boosted to three streams. Therefore, any Blue subscriber can steam on three different devices, even in three different locations, at the same time without issue.
While Sling Blue + Orange subscribers technically have access to four streams, the same stream distribution is in effect. In other words, Sling Orange + Blue subscribers are still bound by the single stream associated with Orange.
The easiest way to understand this point, is regardless of the combined allowance, if a Orange + Blue subscriber is accessing a channel included with the Orange plan, then any other family or household member will be locked out of watching any of the other Orange channels at the same time. This is regardless of whether they are in the same house or in different locations.
If a channel linked to the Blue plan is accessed, then other family or household members will also be able to access a Blue or Orange plan channel at the same time. However, this does mean different family and household members need to be consciously aware of the difference in plans and choose a stream carefully.
Using Sling TV in different locations summary
There are no fundamental issues with accessing Sling TV in different locations as long as they are accessed via a supported device. However, the plan chosen will dictate whether multiple people can access the service at the same time.
- Sling Orange subscribers will only ever be able to watch Sling TV on one device at a time, regardless of location.
- Sling Blue subscribers are able to watch on three different screens at the same time, regardless of location.
- Sling Orange + Blue subscribers can only watch one Orange channel at a time, but can watch three Blue streams at the same time. This is irrespective of the supported device used, or the location.
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