CES 2007 Slingbox maker Sling Media is to turn its internet TV box into a content sharing platform, the company said this week. It announced Clip+Sling, a feature that will allow Slingbox owners to share short segments of TV shows with anyone connected to the net. Watching Sling get this one past the broadcasters may well prove compulsive viewing.

The key word here is 'clip', which we guess is how Sling will pitch the system to the TV industry. Clip+Sling isn't about posting recorded programmes, it will undoubtedly say, it's about letter consumers share key telly moments.

Sling didn't say how long clips can be, or how it will prevent or at least discourage folk from sharing TV shows wholesale.

We should find out soon. The Clip+Sling software is currently in the testing phase, but Sling subsidiary Sling Media Entertainment Group - a business with the unfortunate abbreviation 'Smeg', which will prompt giggles among the mucky-minded and Red Dwarf fans - is planning to allow the public to download the pre-release code. Interested parties can apply to participate here (http://www.lebowski37.com?www.reghardware.co.uk). ®

Related reviews

Sling Media Slingbox networkable TV tuner (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/09/29/review_sling_media_slingbox/)
Netgear Digital Entertainer EVA700 (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/04/review_netgear_digital_eva700/)

CES 2007 stories

Sling unveils 1080i-streaming Slingbox ahead of CES (4 January 2008)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/01/04/ces_slingbox_pro_hd_unwrapped/
Sling Media intros simplified Slingbox (27 September 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/09/27/sling_unveils_slingbox_solo/
Sling states SlingCatcher release plan (27 September 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/09/27/sling_names_slingcatcher_release_date/
Slingbox snapped up by satellite TV company (25 September 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/09/25/echostar_buys_sling1/
EchoStar to buy Slingbox maker for $380m (25 September 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/25/echostar_buys_sling/
Unannounced Slingbox surfaces on the web (14 August 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/08/14/slingbox_3_surfaces/
Sling tosses in Windows Mobile 6 player app (22 June 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/06/22/slingplayer_goes_wm6/
Orb turns MySpace into personal radio station (28 February 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/28/orb_jacks_myspace/
Slingbox shrugs off video on demand (14 February 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/14/sling_sings/
Sling seeks SlingPlayer Palm testers (2 February 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/02/sling_seeks_slingplayer_palm_testers/
LG pulls TV-PDA-GPS combo gadget out of pocket (31 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/31/lg_unveils_n1_pda_tv_gps/
Honda unleashes stair-climbing 'droid (11 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/11/honda_sends_asimo_upstairs/
Creative rolls out X-Fi audio booster kit for iPod (11 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/11/creative_unveils_xdock/
Shure readies three-driver in-the-ear 'phones (11 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/11/shure_updates_earphone_line/
Sony develops little'n'large OLED TV panels (11 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/11/sony_develops_oled_tvs/
HP demos touchy-feely, finger-friendly Vista media PC (11 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/11/hp_demos_touchsmart_vista_pc/
Dell calls on customers to contribute to carbon-neutral computing (10 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/10/dell_plant_a_tree_scheme/
Griffin to make second-gen iPod Shuffle dockable - universally (10 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/10/griffin_shows_dockable_shuffe/
Warner pitches adhesive to bring HD DVD, Blu-ray Disc together (10 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/10/warner_launches_total_hd_disc/
Xbox 360 to become internet TV (9 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/09/gates_demos_xbox_360_iptv/
Nokia revamps Internet Tablet as 'multimedia computer' (9 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/09/nokia_revamps_internet_tablet/
Flash firm campaigns to connect USB keys to TVs (9 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/09/sandisk_touts_usbtv/
Sling shows SlingPlayer-for-TV gadget (8 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/08/sling_launches_slingbox-for-tv/
TDK touts compact Blu-ray Disc format (8 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/08/tdk_mini_bd/