It is now possible to have your own television show, live on the Internet. Maybe it is time to put live video in the PR plan for your employer or clients!
A Brainstrorm
What if you have an expert in your organization that can “teach” an interested audience in real time when travel is an issue.? How about running a live video meeting with far-flung employees or stakeholders? Do you have a local celebrity willing to broadcast live for your cause? Are you a politician that can hold a town hall meeting live in both a local venue and in streaming video on the Internet?
Technology is Here
The technology is here to make it happen, and while not cheap, it has finally become accessible to most companies and organizations. You can see live streaming TV in action at ManiaTV, which I have embedded here for your viewing pleasure. The comedian Tom Green hosts has one of the many shows from his living room. (I have also embedded the station in this post).
The San Antonio Express News reported that ManiaTV is uses a pretty inexpensive technology (by the usual standards for live broadcast), made here in San Antonio, called the TriCaster. The box runs right at $5,000. Apparantly, our local school district uses it, and it’s only a matter of time before it multiplies to more organizations and individuals who want to create their own programming.
Add to that a good software package such as Pinnacle Studio, which Shel Holtz recommended at his seminar in San Antonio last week, and a decent digital camera, and you have everything you need for live television under $7,000.
Live Video Affordable for Organizations
Now, by consumer standards, this isn’t exactly cheap (I for one don’t expect to run out and invest in this setup), but for an organization this is very affordable and for a group of people it is achievable too. It is definitely something that I will keep in my bag of tools to recommend to my clients whenever it makes sense.
Of course, all of this live video can be captured and played over again for the asynchronous audience. I am not sure this will work, but see the live TV below, if you can see it, go to ManiaTV and watch it there.
[Update: Removed the embed as this irritatingly autoloads, and I don't know enough code to stop it ;-)]
Video camera Photo Credit: michael gallacher
Update: Jeff Pulver has a list of Internet television shows. Most of them were taped then streamed, but in his list inludes one one more live Intnernet television show.
