Filed under: Internet, Video, Beta

It looks like Sling Media, makers of the Slingbox place-shifting hardware and software are finally preparing to launch Sling.com, a new online video portal first announced in January, 2007.

TechCrunch reports that Sling Media is sending out emails to some beta testers letting them know how to request an invitation to the new site, which will be launching in private beta soon.

So what exactly is Sling.com? In one sense, it will be an online video portal like Hulu or Joost, with content from partner sites including CBS and about 60 other content providers. But Sling.com will also let users with Slingbox hardware record short clips of television broadcasts and upload them to the site to share with others using a new Clip+Sling feature.

The site will also have a “preview of the web-based SlingPlayer software” which will let users watch live TV. I’m guessing this will be a limited feature. If you could actually watch unlimited live TV streams at Sling.com without buying a Slingbox, the company would be shooting itself in the foot.

Sling.com will only be available to US testers at first.

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