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View Full Version : Best Live Streaming Service ?



andrewzarian
03-26-2012, 02:01 PM
Which one of these streaming sites do you think work the best at getting your content seen

UPDATE:

Since creating this thread many things have changed

Stickam and BlogTV are no longer in business
Livestream has become available only to its hardware users
Bambuser has gone to a pay model
Youtube live has opened up its limitations to a 100 subscribers
Dailymotion has added live streaming

joedemax
03-27-2012, 10:22 AM
I'd ad an option for Bambuser. No pre roll over there. BlogTV STILL doesn't support 16:9 so not a fan of them. It won't even letterbox a 16:9 stream, it just stretches it.

andrewzarian
03-27-2012, 10:28 AM
Do you know how many users Bambuser has?

joedemax
03-27-2012, 10:29 AM
No idea how many users it has, but it's definitely great as a free cdn with no ads.

andrewzarian
03-27-2012, 10:44 AM
I have been looking for another streaming site for some time. I thought it was going to be livestream but they have way too many restrictions for free users

JakeKettle
03-27-2012, 11:23 AM
i love Justin.tv I think they're great. There's another website called Vaughn Live which opened up not to long ago. They're not horribly popular yet, but the owner of the site runs it like his personal playground instead of a like a business, so I see no future there. Justin is my primary broadcasting site, I think it offers the best features and is easiest to use, but then again I'm biased, I've been on there since 2008 (as a viewer).

andrewzarian
03-27-2012, 02:37 PM
We have tried nearly every service out there and my top 3 are Stickam , Ustream and JTV. I dont think anyone else has the audience that these 3 are able to pull

JakeKettle
03-28-2012, 01:08 PM
We have tried nearly every service out there and my top 3 are Stickam , Ustream and JTV. I dont think anyone else has the audience that these 3 are able to pull

I agree, I haven't really seen any that are able to stand up to those 3. I've never been a big fan of Ustream or Stickam, I haven't gotten a lot of viewers on either of those sites, but Justin.tv has gotten me quite a few views, which makes me quite happy.

Spencer Kobren
04-09-2012, 04:01 PM
Stickam has been great for The Bald Truth! They’re very open to featuring unique programming that other streaming sites might not think fit their demographic. The truth is, I’m probably one of the oldest guys on stickam.com, but that doesn't seem to matter to the young people who watch my show and write us to express their support every week. Stickam has made my live streaming experience a great one, and has done a tremendous service for all the young hair loss sufferers who found us through their site.

JakeKettle
04-10-2012, 04:20 AM
Stickam has been great for The Bald Truth! They’re very open to featuring unique programming that other streaming sites might not think fit their demographic. The truth is, I’m probably one of the oldest guys on stickam.com, but that doesn't seem to matter to the young people who watch my show and write us to express their support every week. Stickam has made my live streaming experience a great one, and has done a tremendous service for all the young hair loss sufferers who found us through their site.

The only beef I really had with stickcam is that I couldn't figure out how to use their services, bias I know haha. I'll have to look into it again!

Spencer Kobren
04-10-2012, 02:05 PM
The only beef I really had with stickcam is that I couldn't figure out how to use their services, bias I know haha. I'll have to look into it again!

Have to have an open mind!:)

mcphillips
04-10-2012, 02:14 PM
I'm with @joedemax. Bambuser is the hands-down winner for bandwidth only. Based on my observations, justin.tv has the most curious built-in audience, but we haven't tried it yet. We embed the Bambuser player on our website so that we can switch CDNs, if necessary, like we did when we dumped Ustream.

andrewzarian
04-10-2012, 07:08 PM
It seems to change every 6 months. For a while I would of swore that Ustream was the dominant streaming service but that has changed. They are putting way too many Ads during the broadcast. Even though we broadcast on Ustream, JTV and Stickam my loyalty is with Stickam

mcphillips
04-10-2012, 07:46 PM
A guy I know was using Ustream to broadcast his kid's soccer games. The team was in a championship game. It was a critical, final moment. Ustream ran a mid-roll ad. The parents missed the final seconds of the game.

andrewzarian
04-10-2012, 07:48 PM
Ohh man that must have been extremely ANNOYING

Spino
04-22-2012, 09:54 AM
I love and use Bambuser too.

cseeman
04-22-2012, 12:05 PM
I don't think there's a "best." It depends on the feature set you need and whether you're using free or paid service and why.
I use Livestream as their studio features are critical for me.
I'm often streaming with producers/camera people from around the country. Sometimes I bring them in through Skype and sometimes several of us are sending to Livestream Studio and I'm switching.
In addition the ability to use their lower thirds and crawls help and that you can embed hyperlinked URLs, is important to me.
I also use their playlist feature when I'm off air so visitors see the most recent cast.

andrewzarian
04-22-2012, 12:08 PM
I really like what livestream has done with the Studio interface they have. We recently had to stop using livestream due to the limits they put on the "free" accounts.

cseeman
04-22-2012, 12:25 PM
I really like what livestream has done with the Studio interface they have. We recently had to stop using livestream due to the limits they put on the "free" accounts.

Which limits? They have many (unfortunately). One limit is 500kbps up unless you use their Procaster. Another is limited storage. Anything else?

Amnon
04-23-2012, 07:00 AM
We use Bambuser. We used to use Ustream but their untimely mid roll ads makes it unusable. yesterday was the first time that I saw a pre roll ad on Bambuser though, so things may change. Trying to figure out how to use Veetle.

Amnon
04-23-2012, 07:05 AM
With Bambuser we get upwords of 4000 viewers when we are live. I am sure many of these are just 'drive by' Bambuser traffic.

William Thomas
04-23-2012, 09:22 AM
Has anyone used Dacast as i just joined them and they seem great to work with although i have not used their services yet but they have lots of different plans. Such as ppv at .50 cents a person.

andrewzarian
04-24-2012, 11:30 AM
I have never used the site but it looks pretty interesting

Formulatech
05-13-2012, 02:12 PM
Im looking for a site to stream to on special events but I would love a site that I can inbed thats viewable on iOS and on the desktop if there is one that uses HTML5 for both that would be much better any suggestions?

Spino
05-14-2012, 12:33 AM
Bambuser for me.

andrewzarian
05-22-2012, 06:44 AM
I noticed that Bambuser is now putting ads on videos. Anyone know how long this has been going on ?

Amnon
05-22-2012, 08:22 AM
I noticed that Bambuser is now putting ads on videos. Anyone know how long this has been going on ?
A couple of months now.

cseeman
05-22-2012, 08:26 AM
I tested Google OnAir to YouTube yesterday. It's still very rough around the edges. No ads though just like any other none partner account.

TomSinclair
05-27-2012, 12:00 AM
I used Ustream, JustinTV, LiveStream and other minor free CDNs over the years and have finally decided that a paid CDN is best... for me.

I want no ads. I want PPV. I want VOD. Basically, I'm a control freak and want to call all the shots. I've tried some paid CDNs (that shall remain nameless) and found them to be... not ready for prime time. Currently I'm using DaCast (www.DaCast.com (http://www.DaCast.com)) and am pleased with the service. It's fairly inexpensive and their support is responsive. One thumb up from me.

Formulatech
05-27-2012, 01:51 PM
I used Ustream, JustinTV, LiveStream and other minor free CDNs over the years and have finally decided that a paid CDN is best... for me.

I want no ads. I want PPV. I want VOD. Basically, I'm a control freak and want to call all the shots. I've tried some paid CDNs (that shall remain nameless) and found them to be... not ready for prime time. Currently I'm using DaCast (www.DaCast.com (http://www.DaCast.com)) and am pleased with the service. It's fairly inexpensive and their support is responsive. One thumb up from me.

Have u tried BitGravity for ad free streaming?

Donovan
05-27-2012, 04:43 PM
I used Ustream, JustinTV, LiveStream and other minor free CDNs over the years and have finally decided that a paid CDN is best... for me.

I want no ads. I want PPV. I want VOD. Basically, I'm a control freak and want to call all the shots. I've tried some paid CDNs (that shall remain nameless) and found them to be... not ready for prime time. Currently I'm using DaCast (www.DaCast.com (http://www.DaCast.com)) and am pleased with the service. It's fairly inexpensive and their support is responsive. One thumb up from me.

I'm going to test DaCast for our next live show this coming Wednesday. Signed up for their free account and the stats and information they provide really make this look like a class act operation.

RichardCleveland
05-31-2012, 01:02 PM
As a new internet broadcaster I have found Justin.TV to be the most stable of the big 3. I have not yet tried YouTube as a streaming service nor have I had a go at Google+. I use the Justin, Stickam and Ustream every week but I realy have a hard time with the preroll.

cseeman
05-31-2012, 01:12 PM
Justin stable in what way by comparison?
I haven't had any stability issues with any of them. I certainly have UI and feature preferences.

Hard time with preroll? That it exists or something else?

I remember having issues with ads on Livestream. Strange things like the stream going to black afterwards or the audio not coming back. I haven't heard of those issues in some time though.

Curious to hear what you're bumping into and where?

RichardCleveland
05-31-2012, 01:22 PM
Justin stable in what way by comparison?
I haven't had any stability issues with any of them. I certainly have UI and feature preferences.

Hard time with preroll? That it exists or something else?

I remember having issues with ads on Livestream. Strange things like the stream going to black afterwards or the audio not coming back. I haven't heard of those issues in some time though.

Curious to hear what you're bumping into and where?

In response Ustream has run up to 5 ads during my live stream. Stickam has had a number of issues over the past months including but not limited to dropping the feed, audio is not the best it can intermittently cause echo among other issues. As far as pre-roll ads I just find them an annoyance. I have not had a black out issue after pre-roll however.

cseeman
05-31-2012, 05:57 PM
The thing is, as they look at monitizing free services, the advertising might get more intrusive.

The "new Livestream" (like New Coke?) doesn't have a free service at all. They once told me that they could drop the free service entirely and it would have no impact on their revenue.

andrewzarian
10-28-2013, 05:37 PM
Boy has a lot changed in a few months. Stickam and Blog TV are no longer around and Livestream is only open to its hardware. Only Ustream and Justin.tv remain from this list we started. the good news is other services like Vaughnlive and Dailymotion have entered the game of live streaming

cseeman
10-28-2013, 06:13 PM
I think these changes are going to continue to happen as companies work out business models. Many of these streaming services were funded by venture capital so they have to rethink how they are supposed to make revenue.

Bambuser has been heavily invested in by Associated Press so they can have access to Citizen Journalists.

joedemax
10-28-2013, 06:37 PM
Boy has a lot changed in a few months. Stickam and Blog TV are no longer around and Livestream is only open to its hardware. Only Ustream and Justin.tv remain from this list we started. the good news is other services like Vaughnlive and Dailymotion have entered the game of live streaming

fwiw, TriCaster can stream to the new Livestream

PaulSaunders
12-11-2013, 06:38 PM
So as of today whats the best streaming site

cseeman
12-11-2013, 06:53 PM
So as of today whats the best streaming site

There is no "best." It depends on what features you want. Different sites have different advantages and disadvantageous including cost.

MovieBuff
12-12-2013, 08:03 AM
So as of today whats the best streaming site

YouTube Live

DailyMotion Live (You can even stream in 3D)

cseeman
12-12-2013, 08:16 AM
YouTube Live

Not yet if you don't have 100 or more subscribers, don't like the ads, want a better live chat system.

DailyMotion Live (You can even stream in 3D)
How useful is that.

There is no "best." You have to have a list of preferences and then find the service that's the closest match.

Some like the New Livestream because even free is ad free… but viewers must log in and you must use their encoders.

What if you want good social media integration?
What if you want ways to monetize?
What if you want pay as you go as a step up from free but still avoid the monthly contract of paid services?
What if you want to use smartphones as camera sources?
What if you focus on citizen journalism?
What about Sports?
What about House of Worship?
What about long term video recording storage, VOD, playlisting when you're not live?
What about multiple producer support for a single show?
What about Event vs 24/7 channel?

There is no best. What fits YOUR NEEDS?

MovieBuff
12-12-2013, 08:26 AM
cseeman, you misquoted me.


cseeman: "Not yet if you don't have 100 or more subscribers, don't like the ads, want a better live chat system."

1) It says 100, but if your account is in good standing, they will unlock it before. I had 30 subscribers and they unlocked it. All you have to do is click "enable". There's a work around to this where you do not need subscribers. You can do a live HangOut. Example here: T4 Show (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSfWiL6GJrI&feature=c4-overview&list=UUqGbBVZK3PoUIVtoTldr_2A)

2) You can choose if you want ads or not in the "Monetization" options. There could be no ads.

3) You can embed your video on a website and use mIRC (The beauty of mIRC is, you do not need to waste time logging in). The best setup for chat in my opinion is side-by-side (video-chat) like on this site. http://www.thetechbuzz.net/ The reason I state this is, as a viewer you do not need to scroll up and down each time to view the chat. So many sites have the chat room below the video window and it's awful.

cseeman
12-12-2013, 08:46 AM
So things are changing at YouTube.
So they're really looking to crush the competition.
So what if you want live polling (I had to think of something)?

MovieBuff
12-12-2013, 09:14 AM
So things are changing at YouTube.
So they're really looking to crush the competition.
So what if you want live polling (I had to think of something)?

1) Things are changing big time.
2) I'm not sure, but they were starting to lose uploaders because of the competition. One of the reasons is, the unwanted ads. Even when you press that triangle button, the icon still stays there.
3) That's a great question. I'm actually doing research on interactivity in live streams. I haven't found any free services with integrated polls in live broadcasts.

cseeman
12-12-2013, 09:25 AM
Ustream has a polling feature. Not sure if that's a paid only feature these days.

MovieBuff
12-12-2013, 09:29 AM
Ustream has a polling feature. Not sure if that's a paid only feature these days.
Yeah, I saw that, but wasn't sure if it was free or not. I also saw Make.TV (http://www.make.tv/en/), but it's a paid service.

cseeman
12-12-2013, 09:41 AM
Make.tv is interesting. They have a free mode but you only get 30 minutes.
They have a web based "studio" much like Original Livestream but more advanced. It allows you to switch between mobile devices (they have a streaming app). They can also forward the stream to more well known CDNs like Ustream.

MovieBuff
12-12-2013, 11:01 AM
Make.tv is interesting. They have a free mode but you only get 30 minutes.
They have a web based "studio" much like Original Livestream but more advanced. It allows you to switch between mobile devices (they have a streaming app). They can also forward the stream to more well known CDNs like Ustream.

If you find any cool freen CDNs with interactive options such as polls etc. Please let me know.

andrewzarian
01-20-2014, 09:45 PM
We recently wrote an updated article about this topic. Many new players have entered the game
http://www.ibroadcastnetwork.org/blog/best-free-live-streaming-sites-for-podcasters-2014

MovieBuff
01-20-2014, 10:01 PM
We recently wrote an updated article about this topic. Many new players have entered the game
http://www.ibroadcastnetwork.org/blog/best-free-live-streaming-sites-for-podcasters-2014

Great post Andrew! John Bubb?

andrewzarian
01-21-2014, 06:50 AM
Yup John wrote this one

MovieBuff
01-21-2014, 02:34 PM
Yup John wrote this one

Oh yes, Sunkast. Great stuff.