PocketCaster is apparently the world’s first live video broadcast solution which will allow you to stream video from a Windows Smartphone to your own personal video page.
It says: “With the push of a button on a camera phone bloggers, citizen reporters, family members, friends and corporate professionals can broadcast live events to their communities – simply and inexpensively.”
By what I understand, it’s slightly similar to a moblog service (E.g. TextAmerica & MoblogUK). However, instead of using photographs, it uses video which can either be streamed live to an audience over the Internet or stored for later viewing on your personal video page. You have control over who’s allowed to watch your video and if you’re bothered about numbers, you can control the quantity of viewers who get to see it too. There’s even a pay-per-view option. Sweet!
Not only this, but subscribers to your videocast will be notified by sms text message to their mobile phone whenever there’s new content. So here’s the (perfect) scenario: You have 100 people subscribed to your mobile video cast. You see something that know your subscribers will be interested in and it’s something that they need to know quickly so you begin to film. 60 of your subscribers are by their computers so they watch it over the Internet live. 20 aren’t at their computer but they get the text alert and thus watch it via their phone also live. The remaining 20 who aren’t by their computer or with their phone, well it’s tough! But at least they can watch it later.
The company behind PocketCaster is ComVu who is headquatered in Vancouver Canada. The team involved seem to have quite an expertise and proficiency in webcasting and streaming video and have worked with some well-known names.
I think this is great! In terms of citizen journalism and certain segments of PR it has a lot of potential as it effectively makes the public video broadcasters. I’ve just signed up for the free service but unfortunately the mobile software is only compatible with Windows Mobile 5, whereas I have Windows Mobile 2003. Doh! Once my contract runs out, I’m upgrading!
To see a video of PocketCaster in action there’s one available from the 2005 DEMOfall.
Via my trusty del.icio.us tag feeds.
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comvu, pocketcaster,
Stephen is a communications consultant based out of the UK. You can connect with him on Twitter or check out his LinkedIn profile. | Email Stephen
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