You TV?

[tutusue]

Re: You TV?

Whee! That was fun. [...]Yeah, Tutusue, you'd have to trust that guy to get the chat to work. It's an applet written by an independent developer and I guess he's not certified or expired or something. That's the difference between most folks and total geeks, I guess... We click "OK" and damn the torpedos! (And sometimes regret it.)[...]

Aha! That's what the applet's for...to chat! I like your phone feature better! The delay was interesting, tho'. I could hear myself! Kinda weird!

Just when I think technology has outdone itself, it outdoes itself again! Ooooh, to have the time to learn and play with it! I'm still looking forward to my first YouTube upload...if it's still around by the time I'm able to give it a try!

[mel]

Re: You TV?

I joined Ryan and his family for a morning near the beach, a drive through Waikiki and into McCully and a stop and lunch at Stadium Park though the virtual Ustream "broadcast". I also experienced some of the problems with the chat feature on Ustream.... and I did click "yes" for the certificate verification thing.... Without downloading a new java update, the Ustream managed to work in chat mode about halfway through the time I watched, though there was a lag in typing stuff in...and once my Firefox crashed.

And while the Ustream live broadcasts or "lifecast" as Ryan has termed them in his blog, there will be ethical and privacy issues that will prevail as the technology becomes adopted by more people.

[pzarquon]

Re: You TV?

Oh, definitely things will get hairy quickly. Justin has already been thrown out of the GAP, has had encounters with people who don't want to be filmed, and can't do everyday things like watch TV or go to the movies (at least not without making lawyers nervous). I'm cautious enough, being up front about the camera and sticking to largely public spaces, but not everyone will be. Wait 'til high school kids start doing this from classrooms... or bathrooms.

With dozens of people walking around with cameras, streaming live, it's only a matter of time before a crime is committed in front of or involving them, or when a litigious-minded stranger finds a good excuse for a lawsuit. But, this early on the curve, it's all experimental and crazy and learn as you go. And I'm having a blast.

I have no doubt the lawyers will ruin the fun, just as they have for other spectacular evolutionary steps in the history of the Internet... so I'm going to have my fun right now!

For those that missed today's Haleiwa sunset, here's a video clip recorded by a viewer on the Mainland:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa5M6XDsRQ0

Here's a clip from earlier in the day, when we were using an alternate service (it was awful) as we drove down Kalakaua Avenue, again recorded by a friend thousands of miles away:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7SAAro4q5E

[scrivener]

Re: You TV?

I'm interested in some of the educational applications a thing like this might have, but while the portability is certainly cool, it's the immediacy that makes it what it is, and I'm wondering how that might be of use.

During the sunset chat, Tutusue brought up the possibility of doing casting calls this way, setting up for clients on the mainland and parading auditioners through the video screen.

I'm interested in playing around with it, hoping some practical application will reveal itself. I'm not optimistic, but yeah. I'll play around with it too.

I don't like the idea of paying fifty bucks a month for EVDO service, especially when I'm paying forty bucks a month already for the 3G data service on my cell phone (that's in addition to the forty bucks a month for the phone service).

[tutusue]

Re: You TV?

I'd be thrilled at learning how to stream a Makaha sunset!

Heck...I have old-fashion miniDV video of Christa and Jacquie creating Starbuck's palm trees on my office door. I'd be thrilled to have the time to edit the footage, add music and learn how to upload to YouTube!

[pzarquon]

Re: You TV?

There are all kinds of practical applications for this. I used to do conference planning, and we used to pay six figures to have live streaming video from our various panels around the Pacific Rim... and it wasn't the whole Internet on the other end, just other remote offices. I can see smaller outfits finally being able to make their presentations available to the world at reasonable cost.

Yes, some conferences will have to specifically ban cameras if they want to enforce exclusivity of attendance... but most forward-thinking gatherings will go for something like this.

Like all great technologies, this stuff will provide immense amounts of entertainment, education, commerce, and yes, trouble. I can't wait to see it all.

By the way, Ustream also has its "official" video archive of part of yesterday's sunset. You can hear some of the conversation and watch the insanity.

http://www.ustream.tv/mystuff/NURNLnr1PsaZ3NEKaTNn1A

Whee!

[pzarquon]

Re: You TV?

By the way, I'm going to be turning on the camera randomly, so tune in if you're bored and you might catch me out and about. Like now, heading into rush hour traffic. May have something for you for lunch, too...

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/hawaii

[christa]

Re: You TV?

...AND people who twitter will get to know as it happens.


(yes i finally got onboard with the the twit!)

[pzarquon]

Re: You TV?

Man. If there was anyone in Hawaii whose life should be broadcast live over the internet, it's Christa's. I mean... how much fun would all this be to watch as it happens?

I feel like going someplace scenic for lunch. Kakaako Waterfront Park? Ala Moana Beach Park? Tune in 'round noon Hawaii time. I'll try not to chew too loud.

[scrivener]

Re: You TV?

Pz made a comment during his driving-around Waikiki stream about how his interest in podcasting has chillede a bit since his discovery of video casting and live video streaming. I found this very interesting.

As has been discussed, one of the beauties of podcasting is the I'll-listen-when-I-have-time feature. If you subscribe to a cast, iTunes sucks it down to your computer when a new episode is available, and if you sync your iPod regularly, it sucks it down to your iPod and you just sorta discover it there. When you're ready.

While I can't say I didn't enjoy the live video stream, I found myself resenting having to watch it at that moment if I wanted to watch it at all. So the big difference here is the immediacy of steaming vs. the delayability of podcasting, and the reason I'm musing about all this here and now is I'm wondering about the future of podcasting, which was supposed to be the Next Big Thing. The 'Net changes so quickly, of course, that it's hard to even say if the Next Big Thing exists.

[jkpescador]

Re: You TV?

What happens if you go to a concert?

Can you walk through an airport like that?

Would this hurt your security clearance if you had one?

Just throwing this out for discussion.

pzarquon will you stream yourself watching Lost? Your reactions would be interesting.

What about streaming kids activities? Now the whole family can watch.

[pzarquon]

Re: You TV?

So the big difference here is the immediacy of steaming vs. the delayability of podcasting, and the reason I'm musing about all this here and now is I'm wondering about the future of podcasting, which was supposed to be the Next Big Thing.

I'm a TiVo fanatic, and a podcast lover, so you bet your sweet bippy I love all that delicious time-shiftiness. I don't want to watch a TV show or listen to a radio show when the network deigns to air it, or sit through ads I don't have to. I want to have it all on-demand, neatly organized, and easily manipulated.

So I don't see "live" as a replacement for "walkaway content," as one podcaster likes to say. In my head it is, at the moment, as the current obsession, but that hardly means I think it's The Next Big Thing or even along the same spectrum as podcasts.

But "live" offers that little bit of magic that live radio and live TV has, and that's interactivity. As a content creator, it's much more gratifying in many ways to be able to interact with the audience. I'm not bundling something up and sending it out, waiting for it to be digested before getting a response (if at all). I'm right there with listeners and viewers, and they're contributing just as much as I am, helping steer the conversation, making for a richer experience for everyone. Listeners and viewers certainly feel that.

And again, it's not an either-or proposition. Produced content, edited and prepared content, is just a different beast entirely. Some things benefit from the editing process. Some content requires the uninterrupted, first-person voice. And live podcasts can be recorded, edited, archived and shared. I never make it to my favorite podcasts' live calls, but I still like listening to them.

So I certainly wouldn't "resent" being forced to tune in at a given time or date. If I can make it, I will. But smart content creators know that there's still a place for produced stuff, archived stuff, and if not, there's plenty of other podcasts, vlogs, and streaming video channels in the sea.

Besides. A "show" doesn't have to be a "show" in the conventional sense of the word. At the moment, I'm finishing up my lunch while parked under a tree at Ala Moana Park. I'm not saying anything, but there are 13 people quietly enjoying the scene (and the passing surfer girls and guys) with me.

Just throwing this out for discussion.

These are all discussions we're having, to be sure. See earlier in this thread. Private facilities have differing policies on photography, let alone live video. Some conferences would welcome open access, others will fear it. There are already issues with watching TV, listening to the radio, or going to the movies... as you'd be "rebroadcasting" copyrighted content. I can't wait for the first lifecaster to try to get into a MLB or NFL game. They probably won't.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: You TV?

A recent conversation I had:

there are young, talented people in Hawaii who want to get their little tv shows on tv™. Before, the playing field meant that they had to knock on the local networks, public access or OC16 and play the game to get airtime and then push press releases to get buzz going and drive viewership.

Nowadays, tinkering with going straight to $1.99 downloads per episode on iTunes is a viable option. iTunes already respects the Hawaiian music market, so looking to pitch through iTunes is a way to get it out now and drive some capital doing it.

With the playing field leveling off like this, particularly when creating programming aimed at the young and the geeky, it is going to be quite interesting watching our local dinosaur affiliates think out of the box to keep relevant.

In due time...

[mel]

Re: You TV?

What happens if you go to a concert?

They probably won't let you in. Also how clunky are these set-ups? You have to take a laptop computer, a camera and hope the internet connection works. The other day I watched Ryan's camera take a few spills in his car... and he admitted sand may have gotten onto his MacBook. This stuff is certainly risky for your expensive gear.

Can you walk through an airport like that?

Probably not through security for sure... should not be allowed to use on the plane during the take-off and landing sections of the flight, though I have seen a lot of videos of inside the plane take-offs and landings on YouTube. Aren't all electronic devices supposed to be turned off during this time as they supposedly interfere with navigation and safety?

Would this hurt your security clearance if you had one?

This probably would not be allowed in the Federal Building and other government installations... not to mention many private corporations and workplaces.

pzarquon will you stream yourself watching Lost?

I don't see much problem if a private individual want to show the world how he and his family spends a day at the beach, eating lunch or watching TV. That is harmless entertainment.

I just hope people who are doing this are mindful of other people in the area who may not want to be photographed, much less videotaped and streamed live.

Lifecasting definitely has its applications where you want to share a sunset, a moment, a public event like a parade, or a private event (with permission) such as a seminar or class lecture. Scrivener's intention on broadcasting how something like "remote teaching" certainly has possibilities.

[scrivener]

Re: You TV?

I don't see much problem if a private individual want to show the world how he and his family spends a day at the beach, eating lunch or watching TV. That is harmless entertainment.

If the sound or images of the TV show are picked up, it is a rebroadcast, and probably illegal. Businesses who stream live radio through their phone systems ("hold music") are usually guilty of rebroadcasting, too, if they haven't paid someone for a license or gotten some other kind of permission. This didn't prevent Ryan from having the radio turned up in his car!