
Echostar-owned streaming television service Sling TV has debuted an unlimited cloud DVR feature that allows users to record and save as many TV shows and movies as they want — provided they are willing to pay extra for the privilege.
On Wednesday, Sling TV said customers of its premium cable TV-like service can pay an extra $5 per month to add unlimited DVR capabilities to their plan. The perk was previously called “DVR Plus” and was capped at 200 hours of content.
“With Unlimited DVR and our exclusive Auto Record, Sling TV continues to redefine what value and convenience look like for streaming customers,” Seth Van Sickel, the Senior Vice President of Product and Operations at Dish Video Services, said in a statement. “This enhancement ensures that our subscribers can capture and enjoy their favorite shows, movies, and events on their terms, anytime and anywhere.”
Customers who add Unlimited DVR to their subscription will be able to save recorded shows and movies for up to nine months after they last aired on the channels carried by Sling TV. Those channels include ESPN (in Sling Orange), Fox Sports 1 (in Sling Blue), TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel (in Sling Orange), FX (in Sling Blue) and National Geographic (in Sling Blue).
Sling Freestream users will still be offered 10 hours of cloud DVR space for free, while Sling TV’s premium subscribers will still have 50 hours of free cloud DVR space.
Sling customers can tack on the Unlimited DVR plan by logging into their account, then clicking or tapping “Edit Subscription” and scrolling down to the DVR section.
Sling TV competes in the streaming pay TV space with Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, DirecTV Stream and YouTube TV, each of which offer their own version of unlimited cloud DVR storage. None of the services charge anything extra for access to unlimited cloud DVR storage. Philo, a streaming service that offers entertainment-based cable networks, also offers an unlimited cloud DVR feature as part of their subscription, with no extra fees.