Ustream.tv

[NeophobiA 1,503]

Remember the early days of the Internet, when someone would point a webcam at, say, a computer lab and capture a new frame every minute or so, and everyone just had to check it out?

 Ustream.tv 

represents such a quantum leap forward, it's hard to believe we ever thought that was cool. This free service lets anyone with a notebook, webcam, and an Internet connection broadcast live, real-time video from just about anywhere. It's amazingly practical, more than a little fun, and quite possibly a revolution in broadcasting.

It's ridiculously easy, too. After registering, you choose a name for your show, supply a few details (such as tags and a description), and then click Create Show. Ustream provides a show-specific URL you can use to invite viewers, along with embed and WordPress codes so you can add a Ustream player to your site or blog (much as you'd do with a You-Tube video). You can password-protect your show, add a custom background image, and even create a schedule if you plan to make it a recurring show. Alas, Ustream lacks an address book, which would be nice for sending show announcements and/or reminders to a group of friends (or fans).

I tested Ustream with two notebooks: a webcam-equipped Acer Aspire and an older Dell Latitude connected to a Creative Live! Cam Voice. The service promises to work with any webcam, including Apple's iSight. As for connectivity, Ustream recommends a minimum upload speed of 320 Kbps—not a problem if there's an Ethernet connection or a Wi-Fi hotspot in the vicinity but a potential obstacle if you're going the wireless modem route. For that, Ustream suggests using an EV-DO Rev A card (which averages uploads of 500 to 800 Kbps) from Sprint or Verizon. I wasn't able to lay hands on one in time for this review, but I still managed a successful wireless test using a tethered Verizon LG enV phone that is capable of EV-DO performance, but not Rev A.

With your show created and your gear in place, all that's left is to click Go Live. A pop-up window shows the live feed, broadcast status, and number of viewers. It also provides a volume control, start/stop buttons for broadcasting and recording, a real-time poll creator, and various audio/video settings. There's nothing complicated about any of this; even novice users should have an easy time getting "on the air."

By default, Ustream's shows appear in a 416- by 340-pixel window—a decent size if you're shooting a close-up subject (like you yourself, sitting at the laptop with the camera) but definitely a bit small for broadcasting events. Viewers can enlarge the window to almost full-screen, but as with YouTube videos, the scaled pixels result in decidedly blocky images.

During your show, viewers can communicate back to you (and talk to each other) via an optional chat room. This lets you get instant feedback from your audience and field questions in real time. Viewers can also leave comments and rate your show; Ustream notifies you via e-mail when either action occurs. If you want to make your show available for later viewing, all it takes is a click of the Start Recording button. Ustream maintains a public, YouTube-like repository of these recorded shows and can even automatically upload your show to Blip.tv—all you have to do is provide your Blip account ID.

I can think of countless applications for this service. You could conduct live interviews at trade shows or other venues. You could broadcast a wedding or school play for friends or family who can't attend (though, again, the video quality is a little iffy for large-scale events). You could even share a breaking news event with the world. Ustream turns your notebook PC into a mobile TV studio, able to broadcast to tens of thousands of simultaneous viewers.

Just don't expect CNN-quality video. Even if you have a high-end webcam, Ustream delivers sub-VGA resolution and generally grainy images. What's more, even over wired and Wi-Fi connections, frames get dropped, so video is always at least a little bit jerky. Predictably, the worst quality came from my tethered phone, which tops out at 144 Kbps for uploads. But even then, the streaming video was watchable, and audio quality remained consistently good across all connections. Your mileage will almost certainly vary.

Even so, I can't knock Ustream for broadband's inherent limitations (even my otherwise speedy Comcast service barely manages 350 Kbps upstream). Quite the opposite: I think it performs incredibly well overall, especially considering that it doesn't cost a cent to use (or even carries ads). In a matter of minutes, anyone armed with a notebook, a webcam, and a reasonably speedy Internet connection can become a live-TV star. Of course, it's up to you to give the world something worth watching.

 

I am broadcasting live at

http://ustre.am/2ABG

come and check it out!

Not much to see on Mine but Me Modding or getting shit ready to upload, posting etc. when I'm not studying...

Need to have a play with it so I got split screen of My dumb facial expressions and screen view of what I am doing...