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Have you begun wondering whether it’s actually feasible anymore to take a wait and see approach when it comes to applying technology to fit your business or personal needs? Sure, you want to be fiscally responsible and do your homework to determine whether your needs dictate purchasing the latest and greatest techno-tool. Unfortunately, though, by the time you’re ready to embrace the current version, the techno-wizards have moved on to something new and improved that can do it bigger, faster, and better. Call it the techno-Olympics if you will. Only it doesn’t happen once every four years. Like it or not, it’s a permanent event in progress.
What’s the latest buzz on the streets? Webcasting and video streaming are two of the technologies that seem to be garnering increased interest among corporations and the entertainment industry. Says Jack English of Internet Broadcast Television Network (ibtv.net), “First, Yahoo bought broadcast.com. Naturally, people wondered why. Then AOL bought Time Warner. People began realizing that while AOL had a great delivery system, they were lacking content. What Time Warner brought to the table was content.”
Ibtv.net can help companies deliver content. In fact, the company believes it offers the perfect collective background to successfully navigate the new webcasting waters. According to Jack English, partner David Stephens was the first to be interested in the technology. “David was into webcasting before webcasting was cool,” English notes. “He used to go to all the conferences and was playing with streaming back when you could only stream audio. He’s our technology guy. Which,” he smiles, “ is why we need to keep him heavily insured.” Both English and partner Russ Jamison, a former Channel 5 reporter, offer a wealth of television production experience. Located in the GPTV building, the company has the equipment and facilities on hand to create programming that can be broadcast live (webcast) via the internet.
Making A Foray Into The Corporate Sector...
One of their first projects was helping Medicare with the organization’s 35th anniversary celebration. “Events were to be taking place in multiple cities,” English cites. “Washington was one city. We were handling the south. We had a health fair in the lobby with a 35 piece orchestra. Then we had a talk show going on here with people discussing various aspects of Medicare. We had big screens as well as links to the White House. People talked via satellite and we sent all the conversations via internet to those who weren’t attending.”
Corporate training sessions and conferences are two arenas where webcasting live or streaming video makes a great deal of sense to ibtv.net. In fact, since the Medicare debut, ibtv.net has produced and delivered a variety of corporate training sessions as well as corporate meetings. “Think about it,” Jamison notes. “Typically, large corporations such as Medicare or Delta Air Lines have to fly their employees in from all over the country to attend centralized meetings, conferences or training sessions. Rather than flying folks in, Delta Air Lines asked us to create a four hour password protected internal program so they could communicate changes to their employees worldwide. We broke it down into four sections and made it available on the web. There’s no doubt the ability to stream media via the internet takes the geography out of doing business.”
Distance learning is another arena ibtv.net believes will be well served by webcasting and streaming. “Think how fast the world is moving,” Jamison notes. “In four years, information we hold as true now will be outdated. And people can’t go to school all the time. The internet, because you can open up a word document and take notes or open up a chat box, becomes a perfect vehicle for learning.”
Initially, what slowed ibtv.net down, was the fact that people wouldn’t download the software necessary to view streamed or webcast video. Ibtv’s Russ Jamison says there are three types of available software. “Quicktime is the least popular,” Jamison notes. “Windows’ Media Player and Real Player are the more popular and commonly used software. Best of all, the software already comes installed in so many computers these days.”
Of course, before downloading software, the first requirement for being able to see streamed or webcast media is the proper amount of bandwidth. “The quality of the picture people see,” notes Shane King of Three Squared is directly related to the amount of bandwidth they have. King, with his two partners, Eric King and Chadd Biehler, left iXL to create the just out of the gate firm, which offers streaming services. “Originally,” Biehler, the technology guru of the three, states, “we were going to do web and video production because we understood the web and production. But that seemed too limited and we realized our experience was ideal for getting involved in media streaming. At this point, there aren’t that many people out there that can do this type of work.”
There also aren’t that many clients that have figured out exactly what they want to do with this new technology, according to King. “Our goal is to get them comfortable first just with video,” he states. “So we’ll take an existing video and show them what happens when it’s streamed on their web site. People think the expense is overwhelming, but that’s simply not the case. Not to mention that… incorporating video with audio on a site makes it more exciting and memorable.” In fact, studies show that web sites with audio and video retain viewers 70% more than those that don’t. Adds Biehler, “The most recent conversations in the entertainment industry are about hot spotting live video broadcasts. For example, if you’re watching a newscaster, there could be a wealth of other information you can link to on the site. Or Monday Night Football, which offers additional stats online.”
Is It Too Early To Buy Into Webcasting?...
Debbie Roseman, who is both a grad student at Georgia Tech and a designer of web based training systems doesn’t doubt the new technology has possibilities. She’s just not sure now is the time to be pulling out all the stops to use it. “Look at George Lucas,” she comments. “He created a webcasting company and was going to mimic television on the internet. It was supposed to be a really cool channel. The problem was, however, that people didn’t have the technology to view it. Companies can’t control that. Consequently, the company went belly up.”
The biggest problem Roseman sees is that programs needs to be produced at different speeds to accommodate users’ varying bandwidth. “You have to ask what speeds people will be connecting at,” she cites. “First you produce for ISDN lines. And then it goes down from there. The question you have to ask is whether or not video adds anything if it’s so slow that people are essentially only seeing a talking head. Will it add to a viewer’s experience?”
With that said, Roseman does see a use for companies, like client MCI, which can control the technology end users work with. “They developed interactive web classes with modules that take advantage of streaming media. What’s great is that there are places on the site where users can look up more information as well as take quizzes that offer immediate feedback. After the quiz is over, users can link up to the areas that offer the correct answers. To me, that makes perfect sense.”
Like Roseman, Missy Bern believes bandwidth stands in the way. The Director of Broadcasting and Media Development at Crawford Communications notes, “Right now we can encode at 900K but no one can see it that way unless we provide them with the bandwidth, which we do in some cases. For example, we provide bandwidth to Latvia. But does a webcast need to be movie quality? In so many cases, I don’t think so.”
Bern believes there are numerous applications. Ad agencies, among other groups, could stream commercial spots to their clients for approval. “No, it doesn’t replace high definition quality but it definitely has a place. And then there’s so much time sensitive information out there which is perfect for webcasting. During March Madness, we streamed press conferences for the Fans Only web site.”
Bern has no doubt that clients who do such things as quarterly speeches will find webcasting a viable medium as well. “Not only can you watch that speech when it’s being given, you can also store it as an archived file, one that can even be edited into various forms for multiple uses. Best of all, with webcasting and streamed media, you can track such information as how many people are watching and how long they stayed on.”
When it comes to getting messages across, Bern thinks that webcasting simply offers another avenue for communicating and increasing viewer response. “Say you did a direct mail piece and it got a small response,” Bern mentions. “ If you had another way to reach an audience, it could only help. This just speaks to the speed at which the world is moving and the fact that everyone is running around on their own crazy schedule. Myteam.com helps grandma, for example, see Johnny hit his first home run.”
Nipping At The Heels of Television?...
While corporate uses seem clear, what about the entertainment industry’s use of webcasting? Will it impact the future of television? George Lucas may have failed but others seem to be finding their way. Three Squared’s Biehler says “video on the internet is much different. With television, you’re trying to appeal to the masses. The internet is more about narrowcasting, focusing on niche groups.”
Ibtv.net’s callers bear Biehler’s statement out. “We keep getting calls to do work on programs for wrestling, music, and even bridge groups,” English cites. “We broadcast a bridge tournament live which was seen as far off as Bhurkina Faso. These are all things that exist just a little outside of the mainstream. They’re television wannabees.”
Three Squared thinks it’s interesting that the music industry jumped on the bandwagon so early. Concerts, they note, are being webcast all the time. Says Three Squared’s Eric King, “Let’s say there’s a group I’m interested in. Will I wait in front of MTV in the hopes that band will play or will I go to their website and watch them?”
Viewers Calling The Shots?...
Another interesting opportunity that webcasting affords is the opportunity for viewers to choose the camera feed they want to see. “We webcast the Holyfield fight for Showtime and took six different feeds,” Crawford’s Bern remarks. “Because there were six different streams, people could direct their own fight, watching from the camera angle they felt was best. If you think about it, that’s pretty neat.”
Bern also believes entertainment webcasting will be even bigger among the younger generation. “They’re used to sitting in front of the computer. They’re definitely a marketable segment. Which is why the Dawson’s Creek concert we webcast could be successful.”
Being Choosy About Your Streaming Partner...
There are those who wonder if the internet streaming industry will mirror the post production industry with boutique firms multiplying like rabbits. Those interviewed believe that won’t be the case. “There’s a lot to streaming,” comments Three Squared’s Biehler. “First you have to capture the images. Then you need to convert them into a digital format. Then you’ve got to squeeze video into the phone or DSL lines. Since the internet wasn’t designed for video, you’ve got to compress it. And then you’ve got to have the servers to deliver and space for storage of the information. In other words, you need to have a lot of technical expertise in this field, which will keep a lot of folks from getting involved.”
The Question for Advertisers...
Can advertisers make money hawking their products on the web? Although no perfect models have been found, area professionals believe the answer is yes. In the concert arena, those interviewed believe advertisers have a great opportunity to sell products directly to listeners. Says Three Squared’s King, “I have no doubt that advertisers will spend money to hit such segmented markets. Because we can track those who are going online, they can be very focused in their efforts.”
What Does The Future Hold...
Ibtv.net believes webcasting and media streaming are well on their way to becoming hot ticket items. “Already in Singapore,” English notes, “ they watch the computer like television. Because they’ve just gotten into the technology, they’re installing the latest and greatest. So much money is driving this thing it’s inevitable where it’s going. This will do nothing but get better. Eventually webcasting will be more common and we’ll do less television production and more live webcasting.
“As more people get broadband, more content will move to the web,” Jamison adds. Crawford’s Bern agrees. “As for me, however, I’ll always opt for the big screen and the popcorn.”