Free Live Internet Broadcasting from Ustream

Have you ever wanted to have your own TV channel? Or at least wanted the ability to broadcast your own programming live to many people at once?

If so, the future is here now thanks to live interactive video broadcast technology on the internet (if not, the future is still here now).

Recently, your pals here at Communicate or Die noticed that Jason Lefkowitz and other techies at the head office of the Change to Win labor federation had done a live stream of a panel they did at the recent Netroots Nation confab for progressive bloggers.

They used a free (ad-supported) new online service called Ustream to create the live stream - which, while still shaking some bugs out, is definitely worth a look for anyone who has some good events they'd like to broadcast live to the internet.

The basics of Ustream are as simple as posting a video to an online video hosting service like YouTube. First you create a free Ustream account. Then you plug a digital video camera into your computer (or even use a built-in webcam), log into Ustream and select "My Shows" from the top menu on their interface. Then type in the name of your show, click the big "Broadcast Now" button, and clock "allow" when the Ustream broadcast widget asks to access your video camera or webcam. Click the "Start Broadcast" button that appears and that's it. You're broadcasting live TV.

Of course, the faster your upload stream, the better it will look to whatever viewers you scare up via whatever public relations you do for the event in advance. Ustream recommends that you have access to upload connection of at least 300 kbps (kilobytes per second) from a DSL, Cable or T1 line.

But regardless, Ustream allows you to record your live broadcast - which you can then link to from any website you run. For example, the CtW Netroots Nation event recording is now available here if you want to take a look. It gives you a good idea of the kind of functionality you can expect.

However, considering that live internet broadcasts from events have heretofore been a complicated and rather expensive endeavor, Ustream has great potential, and will soon doubtless have many competitors.

One interesting side effect of this new internet application is the possibility of taking "lifecasting" mainstream. Lifecasting, according to Wikipedia, is the continual broadcast of events in person's life through digital media.

Live video microblogging services like Seesmic (a topic for another day) already make this possible via cell phones with decent video cameras and internet connections, but their video quality is still low. Ustream, with its ability to broadcast live fees from regular video cameras raises the quality bar for free video streaming services, and makes it possible to lifecast about oneself or one's organization in a more easily viewable format that will be more likely to attract regular viewers.

For unions, the attraction of live broadcasting technology is obvious. So folks should consider taking Ustream out for a test drive sometime soon. If you do, please let us know. We love to get user reports on this kind of technology.

Steve Dondley wrote a brief post on this application a year ago, click here to check it out.