The number of services offering Internet-delivered TV content continues to grow.  We’ve previously discussed some of the “new standbys” such as Hulu and Joost, as well as slightly more traditional mechanisms like Netflix.  Now, Sling Media has added browser-based television content to its offerings.

Sling has primarily been behind a series of hardware devices that allow you to extend the viewing of your home audio/video equipment anywhere there is an Internet connection.  This technology is quite impressive, and we’re planning to cover it more extensively in a future article.

The new sling.com portal serves video content through either a standard web browser or any of the company’s hardware devices.  The content is extensive, with current TV content (“24,” “CSI”) as well as classic shows (“Alf,” “Miami Vice”).  Additionally, the portal offers some non-traditional content, including web shorts from the Funny or Die site and meta content such as interviews with the stars of shows.  There are even some movies making their way to the site through various partnerships.

There are a few shortfalls so far, which are to be expected when launching a new product.  One is that live content can only be streamed to Windows users for now, although the Mac community has been promised its fair share soon.  In addition, the live streams require a separate plugin to be installed, which could be an inconvenient step for some.

All in all, Sling seems to have a good portfolio of content, and for anyone that already uses any of their hardware, the service will obviate the need to purchase more equipment to watch Internet TV.  We feel that Sling will need to streamline the deployment for its users, however, because consumers tend to prefer the simplest path to their desired content.

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