As its name suggests, Ustream provides a way for you to record and broadcast your own video. All you need is a broadband internet connection, a microphone and a web cam or video camera to use this free service. Signup takes just seconds and within a couple of minutes more you can have your own show on-the-air. Typically, if you attach your camera to your computer, Ustream will automatically detect it.
At any time, there are hundreds of shows available for viewing, tagged and arranged into different categories and networks. There are also hundreds of thousands of previously recorded videos available for viewing. Ustream also has a social component similar to many other sites. By establishing your own profile, you can find friends, send and receive private messages, subscribe to video feeds, and join in with the community conversation on the Ustream forum.
Practical Uses
- Make recordings of your own commentary or thoughts to build multimedia into your blog
- Share video of your new baby with friends around the world
- Hold live video events and interact with your audience via a real-time chat session
- Broadcast yourself throughout the day to far away friends and family
- Promote your latest book or album with a live show
Insider Tips
- Get a YouTube token so you can upload your videos to YouTube and get double promotional value
- Add text and graphics to your video with Webcammax or Camtwist
- Talk about your upcoming broadcast in the Ustream chatroom to increase your audience
- Use a video camera instead of a computer web cam to produce better audio and video.
What We Liked
- It is truly simple to setup and get started
- Ustream easily links with Twitter
- Employs the use of the universal OpenID login
- The Ustream community is large and very active
What We Didn’t Like
- When making a new show, it wasn’t immediately clear when recording and broadcasting had started which can result in some embarrassing mishaps
Alternatives
Company Info:
- Launched: March, 2007
- Privately Held
- Headquarters: Los Altos, CA
- Founded by Brad Hunstable, John Ham, and Gyula Feher
- Web site: http://www.ustream.tv
Costs:
- Free (funded by advertising)
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