Producing a technically good streaming show isn't something we need to do for any reason beyond the difficulty of making it work without spending thousands of dollars on equipment. The challenge has driven us to distraction. We've spent days researching options and talking to developers. We've spent nights dreaming about possible solutions. Streaming doesn't scale like podcasting, but it's a lot of fun to go live whether it's on QIK or On Location or in the studio.
Leo Laporte is doing the best job of anyone. He's got the talent to keep viewers interested for a long period of time and/or keep checking in throughout the day. He also has the foresight to invest in equipment to make his stream look better than any other live show I've seen. That's why he is and pretty much always has been a role model. TWiT is a leader because of talent plus Leo's commitment to making it sound great. TWiT Live will be a leader in streaming for the same reasons.
Leo is using a $10,000 TriCaster for switching and lower thirds. We considered investing in one, but we aren't going to be live every day.
We've researched alternatives and there aren't that many. Sony has it's AnyCast, but it's about $20,000. The Datavideo SE-800 sells for about $5000, but it doesn't really fit the mission.
We started looking into software solutions too. Mike Versteeg's VidBlaster is awesome. He's now working to make it work with streaming services like Ustream.TV, but it's going to take some time. Wirecast would be a great solution too, if it worked with the streaming services. Ustream tells me it will by August.
Tonight we're testing CamTwist Studio on CaliLive.TV at 8PM CDT.
It's almost like this quest has become a massive mountain we have to conquer before we can move on and get back to normal. We want to get to the point where we can produce a live streaming show that looks as good as TV. This Brief is about our streaming quest, but I hope it can result in motivating some hardware developers to consider the emerging demand for an even less expensive solution than Tricaster. Tricaster is awesome and the price is low for what it accomplishes, but churches, community groups and people like me are looking for something that isn't being sold yet. Hopefully someone who watches Geek Brief will take on the challenge and meet the need.
I opened up a topic on GBTVTalk.com to discuss the need Read more
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