Sling Media was one of the many companies making big product announcements at CES 2007 in Las Vegas. Among them was Clip + Sling, a video uploading and sharing application intended to rival popular video-sharing sites.
Clip + Sling lets users take a clip from a TV show, select a section and share it with friends or other users. Though it's still in beta testing, Sling Media expects the technology to be ready for widespread use by the second quarter of 2007.
Media giant CBS has joined the Clip + Sling movement, which hopes to build a community like that on YouTube, but without the copyright issues and with a focus on content with high production value.
Sling Media says it has engaged in a partnership with Microsoft in an effort to provide a seamless interface with the SlingPlayer.
The remote feature has a three-dimensional look and feel, and the channels are displayed on the bottom of the screen for easy navigation -- both viewed as overlays on top of a full-screen video. From the desktop, the user can watch TV in a small screen on the sidebar and run many streams simultaneously.
Set to be available in mid-2007, the SlingCatcher has two features, SlingPlayer and SlingProjector. The SlingPlayer for TV lets users watch and share their programme picks with another TV, and to 'placeshift' DVR, cable or satellite to a remote location from their SlingBox.
The SlingProjector, bundled with all SlingCatchers, allows consumers to project content from their PC to a TV. An additional feature is the external hard drive (the white platform on the bottom), details about which Sling Media says it will announce soon.
Sling Media has added Palm Treo support to its mobile player lineup. With Sling's new software, SlingPlayer Mobile for Palm OS, Treo users can take their media where they go and watch their favourite full-length TV shows on their PDA. The technology will now work with Palm's Treo 700 series and the 750.
Considered the top-of-the-line SlingBox, the Pro model allows control of up to four separate AV devices, up to 1080i on the optional HD component, a built-in cable tuner and 8Mbps on a user's home network.
Sling Media's CES booth was located in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
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