I have used and reviewed many apps in Apple’s App Store, but I have never seen an app like this. Its unique features are so great that AT&T tried to get rid of it! Sling Player by Slingmedia lets you watch TV on your iPhone over the internet via your home SlingBox, with no monthly charge.

This app is very well done and stylish. To use it you must have a SlingBox set up in your home and connected to the internet. These start at $179, more for an HD version. At first Slingmedia intended to stream the video over 3G, but AT&T stepped in and said no. This is confusing, as Blackberries on AT&T are allowed to use 3G. So you must have a wireless signal to use it.

When you first launch the app it says "SlingPlayer Mobile Connecting”. This can take up to a minute, and if it doesn't get a connection you have to try again. Once it loads you can watch TV immediately, on any of the channels you get at home. This is great when you're waiting at an airport, killing time at a Starbucks, or anywhere you have a wireless connection and want to watch TV.

The picture quality on an iPhone or iPod Touch is pretty good. Unfortunately there is a black line on each side of the screen image, which is bigger on an HD channel. There is also a very tiny lag that is hard to detect unless you are trying to look for it.

The guide is a little confusing to get through, so I set up my favorites to navigate much more easily. When you switch channels there is also a lag. Frequently I get an alert that says it can't find the SlingBox, even though it is in the same wireless network as my iPhone.

This app does come at a big price, $30, but if you have already paid for a SlingBox it is only a little more. I would give this app a 75. If it could use 3G it would be higher.