Video placeshifting outfit Sling Media has announced Clip+Sling, a new technology enabling users of the desktop and mobile versionf os the the company’s SlingPlayer software to share live and recorded video with friends and the larger digital community.
“How many times have you been watching one of your favorite shows or a big sporting event and couldn’t believe what you had just seen and wished there was a way to share that moment with others? With Clip+Sling you now can do just that,” said Blake Krikorian, Sling Media’s co-Founder, chairman, and CEO. “Clip+Sling makes it extremely easy for Slingbox customers to share that priceless moment, and at the same time helps networks and content owners build communities around their content. We look forward to delivering tremendous value for both groups.”
The basic idea behind Clip+Sling is that users will easily be able to record a portion of video content and share it with others via an Internet-based portal site. Users will need a Slingbox to publish video clips, although once they’re posted, the clips will be accesible to anyone. Sling Media says Clip+Sling is the firt of a line of interactive services designed to build “community experiences” around the Slingbox.
Although Sling expresses its excitment at partnering with content providers and others, it’s not yet clear how Clip+Sling will be greeted by video broadcasters and distributors, who have frowned on sites like YouTube offering portions of copyrighted video programming. Clip+Sling’s functionality may fall under fair use provisions of U.S. copyright law, but given that the SlingPlayer can view content covered by the DMCA, Sling Media may have to be careful about what sorts of content it permits to be accessible to anyone, both in terms of the video source, the length and quality of the selections, and their availability.
Clip+Sling is currently in private beta; Slingbox aficionados can apply for participation at www.lebowski37.com.
