In my previous post I’ve discussed Ustream as broadcasting democratizer.
But, in order to create a real alternative to live TV shows, we need several features that are missing in that platform today. I like Ustream, but like in any other web based business, if someone else will provide these features, I will switch without hesitation.
Having said that, we might be able to find hacks that will enable us to do these things without modifying their system.
And please, don’t suggest solutions that cost zillion dollars – we are trying to find cheap ways to look like the big guys.
This is what I am missing:
1. Use green screen on the fly – I have a boring wall in my home studio. If I can green screen it and add a picture of Tel Aviv, it will look much more professional
2. Add video clips on the fly – I want to add, while in a live broadcast, external clips. For example, do a news show, and add a related pre-produced news clip.
3 . Add cameras, and switch between them on the fly – can be useful for both studio shooting and cooperating with other producers and reporters around the globe
4. Add soundtrack and call-in capabilities – so we can have a proper talk show, with professional soundtrack.
If Ustream execs are reading this blog – I’d love to hear your plans about these features. If any of their competitors has a better solution – let’s hear about it.
The rest of us – let’s see how we can do it on our own. If you have ideas on how to solve these problems, feel free to comment or contact me directly.
UPDATE: Chris Yeh from Ustream just left a comment below. Highlights: They are working on it, going to offer 3rd party plug-ins, there is no time frame yet for the features, but they see feature 3 on my list as top priority. Thanks Chris, I appreciate the quick response.
But let’s keep looking for ways to these things.
Let’s do all of the above – with one PC
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Perhaps Ustream will enable a new armada of “sister” programs, like Twitter has with Twitteriffic, Tweetbar, Twitter Search, etc.
Ustream built it, we will come… Unless someone else does it better…
Kfir:
Ask, and ye shall receive.
Here at Ustream, we know that it’s critical that we provide tools that let our broadcasters shine. We definitely intend to offer an entire studio suite. Some of these products will be plug-ins from partners, others we will build ourselves.
Our goal is to let you kick ass so that we all succeed. No timeframe yet on your specific features, but the ability to switch cameras/streams on the fly is a top priority.
–Chris Yeh (Ustream investor)
i suggest you try operator11.com, its got the features you want, like broadcasting clips live & switching cameras, plus it all gets recorded in a single show. I’ve seen shows using green screen too, though i don’t know how they do it.