streamingsphere

You read the introduction and it left you hanging. Clearing up just a little, I will first present some posts on their way, and secondly my intended procedure for the analysis.

There will be a post that looks at some relevant literature and theory behind streaming as a new media. An interpretation of the history leading up to live streaming. A post defining some terms that are central to my project. Post(s) comparing live streaming solutions and an analysis.

Intended Investigation
There are a number of live streaming solutions on the web. I intend to compare a couple of these free solutions that require no additional software than an internet browser with Adobe Flash Reader and a webcam. (Currently I am considering JustinTV, Ustream, Veodia, Yahoo!Live, blogtv and Mogulus. I may limit or expand this pool, so suggestions are welcomed.)

With a DV-PAL tape played by a VTR-device connected to the computer, the same footage can be streamed live on each of the services. By feeding the exact same test video to each of the sites I hope to be able to compare the sites’ live capabilities through visual and listening observation. I will repeat the live stream at least twice to ensure that any traffic surges or abnormalities do not largely skew the results. The live stream will be viewed on a different computer, connected to the internet with a different internet provider than the one streaming. This will spread the load and provide a more valid result.
A qualitative comparison will be performed.

Lastly I intend to cover some of the building blocks I used to be able to create a live streaming interface (with paramterers) and live stream watching for Streaming Sphere . com .

Streaming Quality
Is the quality good or bad? In most cases this will be a subjective evaluation.

How does the streamed video quality compare to the original? Visually: Is the streamed picture distorted, blocky, smooth or sharp? Audio: Any noticeable differences, compressed or other distortion? There is a balance choice between the video quality and the amount of bit rate (the quantity of data to represent the video and audio per unit of time) or file size.
What sort of video resolution are they operating with?
How is the system controlled, the user interface? How can the user give input, how is the result output? Is it a simple, intuitive or complex interaction?
What cost is involved to be able to stream live, is the service limited, made available at a price or for free?