Videostreaming - fieldtesting

[AlasdairMoons]

o.k.,

I did a videostream with my synths last year via ustream.tv for the OpenSourceMusicians and found the idea so interesting for musicians that I wanted to explore this stuff more.
A couple of days ago Les Hall tried a videostream, which inspired me to reactivate the research and fieldtesting.

Explored so far with my little knowledge:

ustream.tv:

- nice online player with VU-Meter
- not that easy to setup before first start
- lots af additional apps (for Windows and Mac) mostly payware to enhance streaming
- the new player is more blogtv-style but didn't work on my system
- nice integration with autoupload to youtube and facebook ....
- offers some apps 'producer' (free) and producer pro' (about 200 USD) to give external interfaces
- offers apps for iPhone and Android
- if you wanna get professional you gotta pay a lot of cheese here (starting 99 USD/month)

blogtv.com:

- easy to setup an get started
- a LOOOOT of advertisement around
- nice palyer with chat and stuff but less options than ustream
- harder to test audio before going online
- better community (I went online without telling anyone and had about 10 visitors in 5min., since yesterday I have 2 subscribers without any vid online <=> on ustream I have no subscriber since last year - yes, it might be my music )
- some hint in the web say you can upload your vids to youtube after recording them, but I didn't find how
- offers apps for iPhone and Android
- to go without ads and for some more extras you gotta pay someting arround 25 USD a year

stickam:

- Les tested this a couple of days ago and the quality is ... boooooohhhh
- review finished

justin.tv:

- didn't find my webcam (Logitech C250) ... boooooohhhh
- review finished

The biggest problem I had was, that all my streams where mono ....
I first thought it only would be cause I use linux, but I co-tested it on windows (that was the ugliest part of the testing for me) and had the same thing.
This seems to be, cause all of the above use the flashplayer to stream video (this keeps audio and video nicely intime) and for the searches for microphones that are normaly mono .... but there seem to be a couple of tricks to set this stereo (hijack pro for mac f.e.)

To be tested:
NSV:
- NSV is a videostreamer to be integrated with shoutcast, last source-update is from 2004, so development is not really active.
- good thing is, that it would integrate seamless with the e-m radio-show[/b]

red5:
- flashstreaming with shoutcast-plugin

qik
- untested

more coming soon

If you have any experiences yourself, please post them here (linux, mac and ..... o.k. windows too)

[mosc]

Thanks for this post. We need to get some semi-standard methodology for live video streams here.

I'm going to try NSV, but I'm heading out on a trip and will not have a chance right away.

[onewayness]

I've had some friends have good results with UStream, and I do like their mobile (Android) app, though most of my experience with it has been with people streaming from either webcams or mobile devices; so, mono. But if there's a stereo workaround, it seems a fairly robust platform...

Cheers,
Adam

[AlasdairMoons]

Fun weekend will start ..

I received an answer to my request to the LinuxOutlaws [url]linuxoutlaws.com[/url]

Dan Lynch gave me the url to the poscast on their hard- and software installation for the show.
http://old.linuxoutlaws.com/podcast/200

So streaming in stereo to icecast/shoutcast and ustream @the same time IS possibel.

I will report and test..


btw. for all the linux caster, you might have a look to darksnow
http://darksnow.radiolivre.org
and maybe webcamstudio (wich did not work with my USB webcam)
that posts a link to stream FME via ffmeg to ustream via rtmp
(short => videostream with ffmpeg to ustream)
http://www.ws4gl.org/broadcasts/fme-broadcasts

[onewayness]

I'm a fellow Linux user... Darksnow looks pretty promising, I'll have to try that out. Gave you tried it? What distro are you using?

Cheers,
Adam