To use the iPhone as a remote and to schedule on your DVR you go to the Sling Guide website on the Safari browser. It is not an iPhone app. The title of this thread is in reference to a app that has been submitted to Apple that will enable an iPhone to run a version of Sling Player which will allow you to watch live/recorded shows (provided you have a Sling Box connected at home).
I can't imagine a software that is capable of turning the iPhone into a DISH remote both in look and functions, is not some kind of special iPhone app. Maybe it is not the same Slingplayer iPhone app, but definitely an iPhone app of its own.
All DirecTV did was allowing the iPhone users to go to their site, login and the DirecTV subs can schedule DVR recordings on the iPhone, according to Scott, the schedule functions are not even as good as this DISH iPhone scheduling because the DISH one is two way communication, the DirecTV one is only one way.
But DirecTV has no problem calling theirs an iPhone app.