What is Video Streaming

Using Video Business Cards To Build Your Personal And Business Brand

2008-07-02T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Scott Ingram Georgia Hospital

Too many small business websites are impersonal and often times downright boring. What seems to be forgotten on these business websites is that people do business with people. So why don't we ever talk about the people they'll be doing business with?

You can easily set yourself apart from your competition by simply talking about yourself and your staff on your website. Who are these people? What do they bring that's interesting and unique to your organization? What in their background and experience makes them more qualified than anyone else to help your customers?

All of this can be taken one step further by incorporating "Video Business Cards" into your website. A video business card is a short streaming video of someone presenting themselves. For a small business owner it might simply be their elevator speech, or 30 second introduction: "Hi, my name is Bob. I work with XYZ Company and we work with ABC companies who need help with their such and such."

Imagine how much more real you would become to your website visitors and prospects if they could see YOU introducing yourself on your website? You could even include your video business card in your e-mail introductions to the prospects you've not had a chance to meet yet.

People do business with people they know, like and trust. A video business card gives people who you've not yet met an opportunity to get to know you and like you before you talk to them!

Scott Ingram is the founder of NetworkInAustin.com, a networking resource for networkers in Austin, Texas who use networking as a business development and marketing strategy. They recently taped Video Business Cards as a member benefit for their premium members. You can learn more about Scott by watching his video or reading his Networking Blog.

Shooting High Definition Video Footage In Italy

2008-07-01T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Kathi Jacobs Georgia Hospital

Italy is without question the place to shoot high definition video. Nearly everything in this sun-drenched part of the world cries out for a photo or video capture. My feelings about the country have never wavered from this opinion.

Having said that, I must also admit that Italy - particularly in metropolitan areas - is a problematic country for videographers. Rome, among other Italian cities, has some of the toughest regulations and laws limiting commercial photography.

My husband, Wayne, and I formed our company - VITA Digital Productions - 5 years ago to shoot European video footage - both for our own specialty-market treadmill virtual walks ( www.treadmillwalks.com ) and to sell as stock footage to TV networks around the world ( www.hdeuropeanstockfootage.com ). We made the decision last year to switch over to HD (High Definition) footage after getting our first request for HD footage.

Our biggest concerns, in planning our recent three-week shoot in May 2005, were 1. the safe transport of our video equipment (all in carry-on bags, for obvious reasons!), 2. the ability to shoot in and around tourist-laden locations, and 3. finding ways to get video footage in spite of the stringent regulations enforced in Rome.

Wayne and I have done this several times over the past five years - researching a picture-worthy destination in Europe, making our own travel plans, and packing up like two serendipitous vagabonds to go forth and shoot (you'd just have to know me to appreciate how foreign this is - no pun intended - to my accustomed, orderly way of life). When I look back to the first part of 2001 (pre 9-11) and our two trips to Italy in spring and summer of that year, I realize now how easy it was to get through customs with unusual looking video equipment.

When the two of us travel on a video shoot, we have slowly learned to take the bare minimum of clothing so that we can accommodate the camera, tripods, SteadiCam apparatus, batteries, filters, wide-angle lens, fluid heads, and tape in addition to spare parts for repairs.

This trip, anticipating problems with airport security, we took pictures of Wayne wearing the SteadiCam vest and showing the camera mounted on the articulated arm. We then tucked the pictures inside the luggage for quick and easy retrieval. When the security agents x-rayed our bags, they never failed to have us open our luggage and inspect the equipment contained. It expedited the process when we were able to produce pictures showing how every piece of equipment fit together. Wayne also mailed a small and inexpensive packet of tools (a screwdriver, a pair of pliers and an Allen wrench) to each of our two hotels so that we would not have those little forbidden items confiscated in the airports. And for some reason, an Allen wrench is an absolute no-no with security agents! I suppose that all of the items could have been purchased in Italy, but time is money on a shoot and we didn't want to waste time searching for a source in a strange city.

Safely arriving with all of our equipment in Italy, we were ready to begin shooting. We had an itinerary and a shooting agenda for each day, but we knew we would have to build in some flexibility to allow for both the weather and the unexpected. We have been extremely lucky in this regard, even on our two previous shooting trips to England.

So how does a videographer shoot around the tourists? If too many people are between the camera and subject or site being shot, the whole effort can be an utter waste of time. And also, unfortunately, the Italian polizia and carabinieri are quick to tell a videographer or still photographer to fold up that tripod and move on!! They do NOT have any patience with a foreign professional photographer, so common sense and a little stealth are requirements.

For tourist-filled sites, we have found that shooting in the very early morning works well for us. For one thing, Italy is a late-night country, so there are few people (and that includes police) out on the streets at first light. Typically, we would get to a site by 7 AM each morning, shoot for a few hours and then return to the hotel for breakfast: then back out into the streets for more shooting.

The first part of our trip focused on the Amalfi Coast where we filmed, in addition to some incredibly beautiful stock footage, a virtual walk through the Valle di Mulino (the Valley of the Mills) above Amalfi, another through Pompeii, a third on the Isle of Capri, from Anacapri to Torre Damecuta, and yet another from Ravello to Atrani into the Piazza Umberto.

The last two weeks of this trip took us back to Rome, where our focus was HD stock footage and Renaissance art - Bernini sculptures and Raphael paintings claimed the lion's share of our time and attention. We spent much of our time filming the Pantheon (Raphael's Tomb and the occulus); the Church of Santa Maria de Popolo and its Chigi Chapel; Santa Maria della Vittoria with Bernini's "Ecstasy of St. Teresa"; the Fountain of the Four Rivers in the Piazza Navona; St. Peter's Basilica and Square; and those delightful Breezy Maniacs of Bernini's along the bridge to the Castel Sant'Angelo.

We devoted a day filming a virtual walk in the medieval town of Viterbo (just 1.5 hours by train from Rome). An historical note about Viterbo - had John Paul II or Benedict XVI been elected Pope in the 13th century, it would have happened here rather than in Rome. Now a well-preserved provincial village, but in its heyday, Viterbo was Rome's greatest rival!

Rome was more crowded with tourists during this trip than we've ever encountered. Much of that could be attributed to pilgrims flocking to the Vatican in the month following the death of Pope John Paul II and the subsequent election of Pope Benedict XVI. We've also heard that more Americans are traveling to Europe this summer than ever before. Whatever the reason, there were visitors everywhere.

At the end of the trip, we were exhausted but satisfied with the 20 plus hours of High Definition footage we shot along the Amalfi Coast and in Rome. There was an unfortunate incident with a French gendarme in the Charles deGaulle airport, but that will remain a story told within the family!

Is a foreign shoot worth the time, expense, and aggravation? I'll give you a resounding yes on that one - but with a caveat: pack an extra dose of patience and a big heart, and both will be rewarded many times over!

My husband, Wayne, and I own a video production company that focuses on European travel. In addition to our Virtual Walks Series, we also shoot stock footage of Venice, Rome, the Amalfi Coast, London, and English villages. We have sold our footage to numerous television networks and production houses around the world.

The Dvd Structure

2008-06-30T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Kevin Round Georgia Hospital

There is a single file format specified for use with all the DVD Books A - D.This file system is the UDF/ISO-9660 Bridge format. UDF (Universal Disc Format) was designed specifically for optical media and has evolved from the ISO-9660 format. The benefit of this single file system is the ability for the DVD media to be compatible across set top players and personal computers with DVD ROM players.

The top level of organisation on a DVD disc is a volume. The volume contains a single DVD Video zone which contains all the data elements for the set-top video title, and a DVD others zone which can be used for non-DVD-video data elements such as desktop computer applications. It is important to note that currently set top players cannot accss the DVD Other zones as they only know how to access the DVD video zone. Computers can access the DVD Other zones and run applications that allow for a fuller interaction with the DVD Video zone.

DVD Volume structure

At the top of the structure is the DVD as a whole with its DVD other and video zone. Within the DVD video zone is the video manager, which is a master directory for the data elements, followed by 1 to 99 video title sets which inclue the video and audio elements. The video manager usually includes an introductory clip of video such as a logo, and a menu for navigation.

Video Title sets and Video Objects

Following the video manager are the video title sets. A DVD can contain multiple title sets. A Video Title Set (VTS) is made up of a VTS Menu, and one or more video titles. Titles in turn can be broken down into Parts of Titles (PTT). The data within the video title is made up of Video Object Sets (VOBS), which are made up of one or more Video Objects (VOB). A video object is made up of the video audio, navigation data and subpictures for a programme. It is the VOB which is the fundamental media file element of the DVD disc. The lowest branch of the DVD structure is the cell. Each VOB can be broken down into one or more cells. A cell may be as large as the entire movie or as small as an MPEG GOP (Group of Pictures).

For example a movie with 5 chapters would have one video manager, one title set, one title, one VOBS made up of one VOB and 10 cells. Multiple Title Sets and VOBS become apparent when interactive titles are created.

A DVD that included an interactive music video programme with ten artists, each with five videos, artist information. In this case the disc would have: on video manager, ten Video Title Sets, multiple Titles for each video. The reason for this division is that the DVD remote control has both Title and Menu buttons. The user can click on the Title button to return to the main DVD menu to select a title, or click on the Menu button to go to the menus for the particular title being viewed.

Kevin Round is a Director of Cofiant, a video editing and dvd authoring company based in the UK.

Video Production Tips Working With Kids

2008-06-29T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Kurt Snider Georgia Hospital

If your video production calls for working with kids, whatever the age, it pays to make the child the most important person on set. Treat children with respect, guidance and generosity to get the performance you desire.

When working with young children, it's necessary to provide them with fun games, age appropriate snacks, meals and drinks as well as a "treat" for a good performance. Try to work with a Director who has experience with children as they will be more open to kid lingo and personalities.

Older children often take acting very seriously and will want to learn as much as possible. Be prepared to answer questions and explain what will happen during the shoot. They will be more likely to work with you if you give them a tour of the set and introduce them to the "grown up" crew and make them feel special to the production.

Regardless of age, make sure to abide by state laws concerning time restrictions and on-set schooling. Each state has different laws; for example California requires a work permit for children working in theatrical employment, whereas Arizona does not.

Above all, relax and enjoy yourself. Remember that children will only listen for limited periods of time, after which pushing them just leads to frustration for everyone. The key is to be ready to get the good shots quickly and anything after that is a bonus. Kids can enhance your production value so make it a fun experience for all!

Kurt Snider is the owner of Solana Productions, an Emmy award winning video production company with offices located in San Diego, Los Angeles and Seattle. For more information, please visit http://www.solanaproductions.com

What Is Video Marketing

2008-06-28T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Scott M. Britner

People never change. Nor do their basic desires. They've existed for thousands of years and will continue to exist for thousands more.

Names of people will change. Technology will change. People's desires won't their desires are hard-wired into our DNA.

That's good for you as a video creator. By knowing what people want, you can profit from their desires. And since their desires are predictable, your ability to make money from your video ideas just got a lot more profitable, as well.

So, you must be wondering what do people want.

The top three general desires revolve around: Food, Love, and Money.

There will ALWAYS be a market for new recipes, new tips on love, and new on ways to make money. Guaranteed!

This will never change. Ever.

So if you have an idea that fits in one of those categories - you are well on your way to creating a viral video. It doesn't have to be an original thought on the subject.

A great thing about video is you can use existing text-based content as your guide. Just convert it to video, make it interesting and you've got a hit on your hands.

What else are people interested in

* Security
* Sex
* Power
* Immortality
* Happiness
* Safety
* Health
* Recognition

Some more generalized topics would be things like:

To attract the opposite sex.
To keep their possessions.
To have more fun.
To satisfy curiosity.
To protect their family.
To be in style.
To have beautiful possessions.
To quench their appetite.
To emulate others.
To avoid trouble.
To avoid criticism.
To be an individual.
To protect their reputation.
To grab opportunities.
To make work easier.

When you brainstorm ideas for your video, keep these customer desires in mind.

NOTE: Go with a subject you're already passionate about or something you would want to watch.

Don't make this process harder than it has to be. If you're already passionate about gardening, cooking, investing, pet health, etc. then look in that area for the subject of your video.

Find something that really gets you excited! And it will probably something that will get others excited excited enough to get them to share it with others.

If you need some additional ideas for topics then I'd suggest browsing these sites:

http://buzz.yahoo.com/
http://www.google.com/press/zeitgeist.html
http://50.lycos.com/

Spend some time surfing these sites for the hot topics of the moment. Compare them to your interests. Then take action by creating a video and make sure you have income potential with each video you launch.

Scott M. Britner created iVideoMarketer.com - a 3rd grade simple and all-in-one solution for anyone to make money with the viral power of video and multiple income streams. It provides a way to post video anywhere on the internet and make money for the life of the video.

Get an 80% discount at: http://www.iVideoMarketer.com/Coupon.cfm

How To Star In Your Own Promotional Video

2008-06-27T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Marie-Claire Ross

Well, it's official. You are going to star in the company marketing video (or commercial) and you will have a part talking to camera. After ringing your mother, to let her know about your newly found fame, reality hits in. How are you going to pull this off?

The good news is a charismatic business leader can add tremendous impact and clout to a marketing video or commercial. The bad news is that few leaders have the right skills to talk to the camera in a natural manner.

But before you get put off, talking to camera is a skill. And any skill can be learned.

Here are some tips to help bring the sparkle into your 'moment of glory'.

1. Wear the right clothes. If you are the CEO, a suit is the right way to go. Opt for conservative colours and stay away from checks, stripes and reds. They do not film very well and serve as a distraction to the viewer.

2. Go for makeup (whether you're male or female). A nice even skin tone, neat hair and a quick brush with powder can help keep the shine away. Once you get under the bright lights of a film set, it will be hard not to perspire (even more so, if you are nervous). A professional make up artist will also make you feel special and more confident in front of the camera.

3. Trust the director. Forget that you are the client and realise that you are now the talent. Let the professionals do their work and let go. While this might be difficult for most people, it can be a refreshing change. Let yourself get bossed around and don't worry about how it's all going to work.

4. Relax. Forget about the pressing amount of work piling up on your desk. Focus on the most important task for the day your cameo. If you are relaxed you are more likely to be easy-going and friendly. This will enable the director to elicit the best performance from you.

5. Rehearse. Always have your lines prepared and don't expect that you can wing it on the day. It's amazing how a big camera in your face can make you forget what you wanted to say. Rehearse your lines over and over again in front of a mirror. Make sure you look and sound natural. Practise speaking clearly and with a smile on your face. Rehearse as many times as you can. The more confident you are in giving an appealing speech, the better you will be and the less takes will needed. This will help reduce costs. If you don't feel comfortable with your performance, hire a media trainer beforehand to coach you on talking to camera.

6. Have fun! The shoot will be much slower than you anticipated. Lights and audio equipment can take a while to set up. If you are shooting outside, waiting for the sun to make an appearance on a cloudy day can also be painstakingly slow. Take a book with you and any work you can do in downtime. And just bask in the glory of being part of an exciting film shoot!

Marie-Claire Ross is one of the partners of Digicast. Digicast works with organisations who are not satisfied that their marketing and training materials are helping their business grow. She can be contacted on 0500 800 234 (Australia wide) or at mc@digicast.com.au. The website is at http://www.digicast.com.au

Hurricanes Video Streaming

2008-06-26T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

Have you considered putting hurricanes on your web site? Well, you could put hurricanes video streaming on your web site and perhaps duty-free satellite images of each of the latest hurricanes and then people can click on them and watch the video streaming.

It is bound to get lots of interest from Internet users and this means more frequent visitors to your web site. Video streaming for something as simple as a hurricane satellite image only takes up a little bit of bandwidth and it is a good idea. During the 2005 Atlantic tropical hurricane season hurricanes were the number one thing that was searched on the Internet. In other words people are looking for this material and they are interested in it.

Therefore if your previous visitors know that this is on your web site they will return during each new hurricane to check out the storm or to learn more about it. This way you can have hurricanes on your web site along with video streaming and increase your traffic tremendously. It makes sense to put things that people are interested in as well as to help educate and inform the public on things that they care about. In doing so you will increase your traffic to your web site and make your visitors very happy. Please consider all this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

Beginning In Videography

2008-06-25T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Jim Wagner

If you're looking to get into videography and video editing as a hobby, the options can be daunting. Here is a small question and response that may help you get started in this fun and rewarding hobby.

What type of camera do you recommend?

Response: For a beginner, a Canon single CCD camera will suit you well. It has a cost range of $500 to $700. Canon is well respected at all levels of video camera quality and has probably the best quality for the price at the low end.

If you want to start out with something more professional, you may want to look into the Canon GL2 which is a low end 3 CCD (1/4" each) camera running about $1500. This camera is great for an enthusiastic hobbyist or a beginning special events videographer.

If you're looking to make some money on the side (or as a career) with your camera doing special events such as wedding videography, you may want to look into the Sony VX2100, a high-end consumer 3 CCD (1/3" each) camcorder, running at a price between $2100 and $3000, check out prices here. The high definition capable version of the same camera is called the Sony HDR / Fx1 and goes for $3700 at all major retailers.

What is CCD?

CCDs are imaging chips. CCD stands for charge-coupled device and is a light sensative circuit which stores an electrical charge representing each tiny part of an image. The difference between low and high end video cameras is usually determined by the number of CCDs (one or three), and the size of the CCD. In video cameras the number of CCDs determines the clarity of the picture in low lighting (most indoor) situations. The size of the CCD is directly linked to the amount of "color bleeding" present in the video.

It is also interesting to note that for video cameras, unlike photography cameras, the size of the pixels is far more important than the number of pixels. Fewer pixels that are larger make a better video camera. It is also interesting to note that as you go from low-end to high-end cameras, you will be getting fewer "extras" on your camera such as the ability to take "still photography".

Next question: What video editing software would you recommend?

Response: Pinnacle Studio 9 has many great features for beginning in photoediting. It runs between $70 and $90 at major retail stores. It gives many options and is very user friendly. If you're looking for some more advanced options in lighting, transitions, and sound editing, you may want to consider the more professional editing software Pinacle Liquid Editions for around $600.

This article may also be found at http://www.researchtechs.com/videoediting.htm

About The Author

Jim Wagner

Contributor to www.ResearchTechs.com

Enjoys anything Tech.

Majoring in Computer Science.

jim@researchtechs.com

Benefits Of Training Videos

2008-06-24T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Joel Loader

A major problem with the running of a large corporation or PLC, is the increasing expense of staff training programmes. Training videos are exactly what the title says - videos made for the purpose of staff training.

When a company has a large and geographically diverse audience, it can be extremely expensive to either send experienced trainers to all of them, or pay for each individual to attend training courses. A training video can dramatically reduce these costs, and make the training information immediately available to all members of staff.

Training video production can be presented in many ways - from a series of specifically filmed programmes, to the filming of training seminars and important presentations that have taken place at these events and conferences, which can then be edited into video form so that the benefits of these seminars are massively increased.

Once they have been filmed, training videos can either be delivered on CD-ROM for computer based presentations, or VHS and DVD for television presentations. Training videos are often incorporated into part of an overall training programme depending on the needs of the company.

Training videos are very often used for induction purposes for new staff and most people will see at least one of them in their working life. However they can also be used for a multitude of other applications. For example, if a new piece of technology is introduced into your company, then a training video is the ideal way to get the information on how to use it across your entire workforce as quickly as the technology needs to be incorporated. It could take weeks to train the staff in individual or group sessions, so costs can be saved on both training, and time. Training videos can also be used to train staff on new policies, health and safety issues, customer service standards, or simply the latest sales features on a new product. When you have to train a wide and geographically diverse audience, training videos can be the ideal means of getting the information through your company in the fastest and most cost effective way.

Every company must offer their employees training from the initial training at orientation to ongoing development. "The way you train your new employees is important in not only enabling them to do a good job, but also with their retention. Recent studies have shown that when a new hire is adequately trained in the beginning, they feel more confident in their job and therefore will stay with you longer." - Peggy Morrow, 'Training for Success'.

Video has long been recognized as a valuable teaching medium because it can effectively convey to students an instructor's visual clues, for example, gestures, posture and facial expressions that aid communication and comprehension. Decades of research show body language is the single most important element in verbal communication. MediaPoint Technology Boosts Streaming Video as Training Tool. In good times as well as bad, one of the biggest hidden expenses for many businesses is the cost of bringing new workers up to speed or training existing employees for new job duties.

A detailed training video is one of the most direct routes to lower employee training costs. Not to confuse an 'occupational procedures video' with a job description is another valuable tool for any organization. Job descriptions outline the duties to be performed by employees. A training video demonstrates exactly how to do those jobs.

Such a video can be extremely useful in recruiting and interviewing job applicants. But more importantly, it can streamline employee training and all new people to become more productive more quickly. The out-of-pocket payroll savings alone can be substantial. Suppose it takes eight weeks to bring a new employee up to speed in a particular job, and the person's supervisor must devote 25% of his or her time to training during that break-in period. A good training video should reduce the necessary training time by at least 20%.

Aside from these training cost savings, there are other reasons to develop procedures videos for your organization. Indeed, the very process of preparing such a video will provide invaluable insight into the operations of your business.

I-MOTUS is one of the UK's leading corporate and training video production companies. Our team uniquely combines proven business savvy with some of the television industry's brightest creative talent to provide a fresh approach to the most challenging of marketing and communication briefs. http://www.i-motus.com/ - IM02EZ

The Power Of Video In Todays Economy

2008-06-23T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Stephen Woessner

In today's world, companies have more choices than ever as they look to effectively inform, educate, and persuade employees, customers, and other stakeholders. "The AVS Group has helped clients transition from traditional video communications on videotape or CD to Web and DVD-based media," notes Rob Ramseier, the AVS Group's video team leader and producer.

This article spotlights several ways that organizations have successfully used the power of Web-based video to drive revenue and communicate effectively. These benefits have been made possible by three key technology advancements, which are reviewed in this article. Lastly, we highlight the benefits of DVD and explain why DVD is leading the wave of the future for professional development and promotional applications.

Web-based video: business spotlights

There are seemingly endless ways for organizations to leverage the power of Web-based video as part of their overall marketing strategy. When the video content offered is high quality and in-demand, there is an opportunity to convert it into revenue. In 2004, Major League Baseball (MLB) earned an additional $135 million by offering streamed baseball games via MLB.com. In 2005, MLB streamed 2,300 games during the season.

Web-based video does not have to be sold in order for the content to create a positive affect on revenue. Organizations now use progressive downloading to launch on-camera customer testimonials or product and service demonstrations from their Web sites. These brief Web-based video segments can be used to strengthen an organization's brand identity. A strong brand identity has been proven to increase revenue.

Web-based video can be more than a brief clip. Organizations are now offering their stakeholders streamed versions of comprehensive Web-based video presentations such as product introductions, product training and tutorials, executive announcements, etc. while still providing high-quality video.

The key to successful Web-based video is to understand how to properly utilize its power, then developing the right strategy to take advantage of the technology.

Web-based video: technology drivers

So, how has Web-based video become a realistic element to incorporate into a marketing strategy? Several technology advancements, including the growing adoption of broadband, market saturation of Macromedia Flash PlayerÒ, and advancements in video compression have made the benefits of Web-based video possible.

A broadband Internet connection is a necessity for a good experience when viewing Web-based video. The good news is that the adoption rate of broadband has dramatically increased. As shown in Figure 1, only 4.8 million homes in the United States had adopted broadband as of 2000. However, the number of broadband households increased by a factor of nearly 10 to 42.4 million in 2005, and is expected to reach 83 million by 2010.

In addition to the growing adoption of broadband, Macromedia Flash Player is now installed on more than 97.7 percent of all internet-enabled PCs in the world. This is a staggering statistic and provides some level of assurance that if an organization produces Flash-based video content, its audience will be able to view it online as intended.

There have also been a number of advancements in the last few years regarding video compression, which have made Web-based video much more accessible to the viewer. Simply put, compression is the process of removing data from a video file. The key is to remove the right amount of data so that quality is not sacrificed. Multimedia developers can now make fewer compromises in quality by making less significant reductions in frame rate or frame size to reduce file size. The end result is a higher quality video that can be played effectively over the Web.

Just some brief words of caution. Producing video for the Web does present some challenges that one would not typically face if the delivery device were media like videotape or DVD. "Special care must be taken in all phases of the production process," notes Ramseier. "The setting and background, camera moves, lighting, and sound all have to be optimized to ensure that the compressed video provides the highest quality content for the audience."

DVD: The media of choice

DVD is leading the wave of future video communications because organizations can provide audiences with a comprehensive and rich experience. DVD is quickly becoming the media of choice for video-based training and promotional tools, although many producers currently do not take advantage of the full possibilities of the media.

With DVD, audiences can experience multiple camera angles, convenient fast forward/rewind features, multilingual versions of the content, and much more. DVDs also run approximately nine times faster and can store up to 25 times more content than a CD. Aside from the technical benefits, current estimates predict that 450 million households worldwide will have a DVD player by 2008.

According to DVD Demystified, "The low cost of hardware and discs, the widespread use of players, and the availability of authoring systems, make DVD ideal for industrial training, professional development, sales presentations, home education, and any other application where full-screen, full-motion video and audio are needed for effective instruction." According to the National Training Labs Institute, multimedia computer training leads to a 70 percent retention rate.

DVD is also well suited for promotional tools. Web site visitors can view short Web-based video segments of a program, and then order the full DVD. A DVD can hold entire catalogs to inform, educate, and persuade an audience, as well as supplemental content like an interactive video tour, product demonstrations, and helpful on-screen menus to make the program simple for users to navigate effectively.

In closing, organizations should consider the variety of media options now available for distributing their video content. It can be leveraged on the Web to inform, educate, and persuade a global audience. In addition, DVD provides companies with many options for distributing video content for education and training applications as well as promotional tools.

The AVS Group is a marketing, training, and communications company. AVS is in La Crosse, Wisconsin. AVS helps clients communicate and market effectively. AVS can be found online at http://www.avsgroup.com

Peer To Peer Internet Video Broadcasting

2008-06-22T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by David Childers

Unlike standard television broadcasting, there are a limited number of viewers that an Internet television station can accommodate. These limitations are determined by the amount of bandwidth the network media server has available. A popular Internet television station would require large amounts of bandwidth to provide the broadcast to a large viewing audience.

Peer to Peer (Commonly referred to as P2P) broadcasting allows viewers using specialized software to re-distribute the media broadcasts. This eliminates the need to utilize costly centralized media servers to distribute the broadcast and results in cost savings for bandwidth consumption.

Any size business or group can establish an effective media broadcast presence without the huge costs normally associated with Internet broadcasting. Using this method, only a few data streams are required for a global Internet broadcast distribution.

P2P Internet broadcasting provides extremely bandwidth friendly results and can support a virtually unlimited number of users. This method also provides effective security against Denial Of Service (DOS) attacks which can cripple a centralized server network architecture.

There are both commercial and non commercial options that offer P2P broadcast ability for Internet television.

This article will cover free open source software.

Open source is an initiative that allows people to have access to the source code of software. This is the actual nuts and bolts that allow the software to operate. This initiative also allows people the ability to redistribute and or modify the source code thus allowing improvements and adaptations of the software.

Peercast

Peercast is a P2P media broadcast application that is available for the Windows, Unix and Mac operating systems. It is compatible with Shoutcast, Icecast and Windows Media streaming protocols.

The software was originally designed to use Gnutella as a basis for broadcast distribution. The software now uses a hierarchal topology for media broadcast distribution. This new method provides greater scalability and more data organization.

Broadcast station data is collected by the YP directory. This data is continuously updated by individual broadcasters. Listeners / viewers (client software) provide the connection points between themselves, the broadcasters and others.

Each broadcaster has the option of including a digital signature to enable media broadcast authentication. This will prevent their broadcasts from being hijacked and replaced with alternative material.

The following video codecs are supported by Peercast: VP3, VP6, Theora and WMV. It can also be used for audio broadcasting and can be configured to use several audio codecs. The software can be used to broadcast individual static media files as well.

Hardware network routers use Network Address Translation to provide internal IP addresses for computers within that network. Traffic flowing through NAT must be converted from internal IP addresses to external IP addresses. P2P traffic routing through NAT usually requires software port forwarding to bypass NAT. Peercast is NAT friendly software and requires no special port forwarding.

A plug-in is available for the popular Winamp media player. (Winamp versions 2.x and 5.x) This can be installed and used by clients to easily receive a Peercast station.

The Peercast network provides a real time online station directory of current broadcasters. (http://yp.peercast.org)

The main Peercast client must be installed to broadcast using this P2P network.

Additional resources

Peercast Frequently Asked Questions: (http://www.peercast.org/wiki/wakka.php?wakka=FrequentlyAskedQuestions)

Peercast Help : (http://www.peercast.org/help.php)

Peercast Community Forum : (http://www.peercast.org/forum)

FreeCast

FreeCast is a Java P2P broadcast application. Users must install the Java Runtime Environment, which is available for the Windows, Unix and Mac operating systems. It is compatible with the Icecast streaming protocol.

The software has a internal audio and video player applet that can play both the Ogg Vorbis open source audio codec, and the Theora open source video codec. It can also be configured to use the Java Web Start feature for automatically loading and launching. This enables a "one click" approach for web based end users.

FreeCast uses a hierarchal method of media broadcast distribution. Each broadcaster acts as a central node with listeners / viewers receiving data from them and relaying to other listeners / viewers.

Icecast and JRoar media streaming server software can be used with FreeCast. In addition, Ezstream can be used with both JRoar and Icecast to source both Ogg Vorbis and Theora files. This software is a command line utility and is available for Windows and Unix operating systems.

FreeCast is continuing software development that will allow its deployment across networks that interact with network routers that utilize Network Address Translation (NAT). Port forwarding is currently required to accommodate NAT routers.

A real time station directory is currently not available or supported.

Additional resources:

FreeCast : (http://www.freecast.org)
Theora : (http://www.theora.org)
IceCast : (http://www.icecast.org)

Dave Childers is a freelance Internet broadcast consultant, writer and the webmaster of http://www.scvi.net, the Winamp TV / NullSoft video information website.

Its A Webcam World

2008-06-20T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Al Christopher

You see the ads everywhere, live adult webcams, sex webcams, or dating webcams. Do people really use this technology to talk to people they don't know or even more - webcam sex? The answer is a resounding yes.

The webcam has been around for some years now, but with slow internet speed, the lack of other webcams, and the price it was mostly used for techie geeks with their high powered computers and speedy internet connections. That has all changed. The price of webcams and high speed connections have dropped, making this technology available for all of us.

Many people use this technology for when they are far from the one they love. It can be better then the phone because you are live. Couples use the webcams as a turn on and to have live webcam sex. Toys can even be bought that are controlled via the web. Ahh... technology. Beware though, the web is filled with tons of webcams of un-suspecting naked people. What happens to the webcam files if the relationship goes sour?

Webcams have made their way into internet dating. It is a little tougher to fake your picture with a live webcam video (unless you hire a model). Marriage webcams? You betcha! The infamous mail order bride has even made use of this new technology. Their are countless websites touting their live webcam girls who are looking for a husband. If this is what you are looking for - jump in, but just beware of possible scams.

Lastly the biggest jump in the webcam biz is for the use adult entertainment. Adult webcams are the fastest growing segment of the adult industry. Why? Well first of all it is live and real. You can pick who and when you want to chat to. There is actual contact with a person who can respond, much better then just watching a video. There are many sites around so just shop around.

Will webcams get better? I believe so. Quality will improve as new cameras come out and the old are phased out. It appears webcams are here to say, but then again so was the VCR....

Al Christopher is a contributor to Live Adult Webcams.

Network Marketing And Video Email

2008-06-19T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Ty Tribble

I received another e-mail today from someone telling me that Video e-Mail is the wave of the future. According to the e-mail, (which contained no video!), the world will soon be embracing and more importantly paying for this service. The jury is still out and I don't want to make any judgmental comment that I have to eat later.

What I do want to comment on is the horrible use of this product by Network Marketers. There is nothing engaging about watching some dude sitting in front of a web-cam talking about his business. Most of the video e-mails I have seen remind me of a Kung Fu movie, except they remove all of the reason why anyone would want to watch a Kung Fu movie...the action.

Smart companies are committed to utilizing today's technology and some of that technology is certainly cool, but they don't use technology simply because people think it's cool. There must be purpose behind the sizzle of something cool.

Here is a video that makes good use of the technology:

Heidi Klum Launches Product Runway

If the video e-mail Network Marketers wanted to produce something effective, they would talk a little bit about the product and then interview some folks that are using it.

If you're scoring at home, super models never hurt your cause either.

Ty Tribble, is President of Tribble.org and author of the MLM Blog, a collection of thoughts and opinions on Network Marketing.

Dvd Authoring An Introduction

2008-06-18T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Robert Armstrong

DVD Authoring is the process of collecting various content assets such as video, audio, photographs, subtitles, and menus, connecting them together and burning them to a master dvd disc.

The assets themselves are generated in a variety of applications such as video editing, post-production, image editing and subtitling. They are then compiled in a DVD authoring application such as Ulead DVD Movie Factory on the PC or DVD Studio Pro on the Mac. The process of authoring is very much like building a website. The menu screen on a DVD is analgous to the homepage of a website in that it contains links to all the content on the DVD.

Menu screens usually link to the main feature, chapters within the feature, additional scenes not contained in the feature, photographic slideshows, and additional audio content. The main menu screen can also contain links to sub- menus, which helps avoid cluttering the main menu with too many options.

In addition to setting up menu selections on the main menu, the DVD authoring application allows the producer to set-up additional features such as subtitles. Within the authoring application, each item is given the metaphor of a container. A container can hold any type of supported content and is linked to a menu selection, either on the main menu or a sub-menu.

DVD authoring applications also usually support the creation of multi-angle content (where viewers can decide to watch a different passage of video with the same soundtrack and subtitles) and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound

Using this method it is very easy for even a comparitive novice to create a fairly sophisticated DVD disc with most of the features found on a commercial disc. Indeed the biggest challenge for the prospective DVD author is the aesthetic design itself. Getting all the bits to work properly is one thing, but making it look good and intuitive to use is another.

Once the content of the disc has been laid out in the authoring application, it is then previewed to make sure everything works properly. It is then 'multiplexed' (the content is linked together) and the master disc can be burned.

It's worth noting that the affordable DVD writers and authoring applications only support writing to DVD for General media which doesn't have the necessary lead-in tracks required by mass duplicators. Therefore this type os solution is not really suitable for producing DVDs which need to be mass-duplicated.

Robert Armstrong is a contributor to The HDTV Tuner - a guide to the kit, the content and the issues related to HDTV.

Monks Make Mac Movies Magnificently

2008-06-17T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Swami Tarakananda

Thanks to Apple, complete amateurs can make impressive video productions and share them with friends on DVDs. All that is needed is a digital video camera, a Macintosh computer with a Superdrive (one which will burn DVDs), and the iLife suite of applications which normally come with Macs, and of course, a bit of good taste and discretion. This I know from actual experience, and I'll try to share how it can be done.

In February of 2003, monks from Atma Jyoti Ashram, a small Hindu monastery in Southern California, went on a pilgrimage to India, visiting holy places throughout the country. Being lovers of India, we wished to record outstanding events from out journey so we could share them with friends and relive them ourselves through our videos and photos. We took over twenty hours of video in our two month sojourn, and when we returned, we faced the task of editing the footage to make viewing more manageable.

We had a 1 Ghz iMac and iMovieApple's entry level movie editing applicationso we proceeded to hook our Mini-DV camera up to the Mac with a fire-wire cable and import footage using iMovie's import feature. There was a lot of footage that was either poorly filmed, too long, or uninteresting in retrospect. That still left lots of film to work with. We began by getting an overview of what was available, and putting together a mental picture of the story we wanted to tell with the video. Then, by placing bits of video in the "timeline" of clips, the story we wanted to tell began to take shape.

To learn the best way to make a video that did not have the hallmarks of amateurism, a search on Google yielded gobs of tutorials, tips, and techniques for using iMovie, and video editing in general.

When the clips were arranged to our satisfaction in the timeline, we proceeded to add audio and music (using iTunesiMovie is well integrated with this and other iLife applications) to supplement the audio on the clips so as to make for more continuity. Then we added transitions (which iMovie provides in abundance) between clips to give the video a more polished look. Then came the titles, subtitles, and effects, which began to turn what started as a mess of random footage into a cohesive, semi-professional looking (O.K., at least not totally amateurish) bit of video. Then came the agonizing step of taking an objective look at the end results and pruning out footage to make it more succinct, then tweaking features to give it the final finished look.

After creating a few short features of this sort, we then used iDvd to create an accomplished looking DVD. iDvd makes it easy by supplying quite an array of professional looking Themes, or allowing you to modify and edit existing Themes, or create your own. We then imported the final video featurettes into the desired Theme, and proceeded to burn our DVD. Earlier versions of iDvd were a bit buggy in the burning process, but have improved in later releases.

Those wishing more options for video editing and DVD burning can use Apple's mid and pro level applications, Final Cut Express and Final Cut Pro and DVD Studio Pro.

The end result surprised us and those we showed it to. So our pleasant experience has solidified us as Mac addicts, though we needed no convincing as to the usefulness of Apple's products.

Swami Tarakananda is a monk at Atma Jyoti Ashram in Borrego Springs, California. (http://www.atmajyoti.org) To see an example of the final product of the India Video footage, visit Ganga Arati, a short video of Worship done at the banks of the Ganges River in Hardwar at the foothills of the Himalayas.

Video Biographies Why Hire A Professional

2008-06-16T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Jay Corrao

There are lots of reasons to create a video biography. Some people have a desire to share and pass down stories from one generation to another while others would like to leave behind a family or personal legacy. Whatever your reason is, while creating a video biography can an incredibly enriching and rewarding experience, it can also be a very daunting task.

There are many things to consider before you start your project. Here are just a few:

The Story

It is my opinion that if your stories require a lot of details such as time, date, place, clothing worn, and other historically factual data, then just pick one or two stories to tell. Many people bite off more than they can chew and get discouraged when they start to understand the effort truly involved in just putting together their storyline. If you would like to tell several stories that tell of a person's character or lessons learned than it is probably not necessary to go into a considerable amount of detail.

Who Will be Involved?

Are you working alone on this project or with a group of people such as other family members or friends? The more input you receive from other people the more time it can take to put together your story and content. This is not a bad thing, just something to be aware of.

Content

What kinds of content do you want to incorporate into your production? Photos, slides, video from different sources such as VHS tape, 8 or 16mm home movies, documents, quotes, personal interviews, narration? The list goes on and on.

You're Audience

Who is the desired audience for your project? Is it close friends or relatives, will your Piece de Résistance be passed down to future generations for their viewing pleasure? Sometimes these questions must be answered before any other considerations because they may determine what kinds of stories and how much detail you will add.

The Delivery Method

For many years VHS tape was the standard for viewing video at home. However DVD is now the medium of choice for many reasons. On screen menus and chapters that allow for much easier navigation, superior audio and video quality, and longevity are just a few reasons DVD has become so very popular. However the internet has also become a viable means of delivering video. If you have a personal website then family and friends around the globe can access your video as soon as it is posted.

All of the points above require serious consideration and expertise. A professional video biographer can help you answer these questions and more. They can keep you on task; help you stay focused, craft your project into a meaningful video biography that will be cherished by family and friends now as well as future generations to come.

Jay Corrao is the founder and president of Memory Archivers, a video production company based in Apple Valley Minnesota. His company specializes in wedding and event videograpy, video biographies, and consumer digital archiving.

http://www.memoryarchivers.com
jay@memoryarchivers.com

Musicians Discover Right Now How To Quickly And Easily Create Streaming Audio And Video Like A Pro

2008-06-15T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Quentin Brown

Streaming Audio and Video has always been available to the large corporate sites and techies. Now you can use inexpensive software to produce your own streaming audio or video just like the professionals with no knowledge of programming required. Lets face it when a person comes to your website what would they rather do listen or read.

Hint - You are trying to get people to listen to your music?

Best of all no special servers, monthly fees or additional costs.

With the web surfer becoming much more "web savvy" than they were a year ago, they are expecting not only information, but an entertaining web experience.

Why Add Streaming Audio or Video to Your Website

*Credibility - Anyone can add some text and graphics however music is a very emotive medium and if your visitors can hear samples then you will find they will have a much more positive response. If done properly you can also generate some good sales if that's what your wanting.

*Auditory - Statistics show that 30% of surfers are auditory and so if you do not have audio then you are loosing out on a lot of traffic.

* Stickability - Our customers have proven that audio has dramatically increased the time people spend on their site. So many people are now able to get traffic to their websites using Pay Per Click advertising however the next main consideration is keeping them there so you get more from your advertising dollar.

* Current Marketplace - is awash with TV and radio programs so people are already used to the concept and are expecting it on websites. With the average computer being multimedia enabled they almost feel dejected if they can not utilize all the functions.

* The Wow Factor - At present only around 5% of sites utilise any form of streaming media so it creates a wow factor and delivers a lot more word of mouth traffic than any other form of web page functions.

* The Online Population - Streamies, those users who watch or listen to streaming online, represent 44% of all Internet users and 27% of Americans overall. By far, streamies are the most valuable consumer group on the Internet. Streaming media consumers are far more interactive, are more oriented to e-commerce and spend more time online compared with Internet users who don't stream." (EdisonMedia Study, Jan. 2001)

You do not need any technical ability. The latest programs are so easy to use that anyone can add streaming audio or video to their website and stand out from the crowd.

Marketeers and business people have always known that a well-placed audio stream can increase sales and signups to their products and services. The problem has always been that the average person could not afford the high cost of special servers or programmers to be able to use this technology. This has all changed with Streaming Audio and Video software available on the market today.

Audio's power comes from its ability to engage more of your visitor's senses. The more senses you engage, the easier it will be to effectively communicate. Instead of just reading your words and looking at your picture, you can communicate with your voice or music? and the voices of your clients.

Your site has been sending non-verbal messages for years; now it's time to break free and let it send a message everyone can hear. Adding audio to your website is not only easy to do, it can help you gain the trust of your site's visitors, thus increasing your conversion rate. So stop wasting your time and money, and start getting the sales you may be missing.

Quentin Brown has been helping musicians add streaming audio to their websites for over three years. For great tutorials and affordable software visit =>http://streamingformuscians.com

Internet Video Streaming Traps And Customer Complaints

2008-06-14T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Lance Winslow

It is very important in Internet video streaming that you do not trap the customer into a situation where you bog down their Internet connection with a video stream that is too large of a file. Believe it or not many people are on dial-up still out there and there are many mobile users who cannot get the bandwidth on their cell phone while traveling to watch your video if the file is too large.

It is much smarter to have a small video stream on your web site is especially if your customers are the average middle-class American consumers. If all your customers are business customers and corporations this may not be a problem because they will have adequate bandwidth to handle the Internet video that you choose to use on your web site to help educate your customer or better explain through visualization tools exactly what your company does and how your service or products works.

It should be considered imperative and essential that you pay attention to the Internet video streaming and audio on your web site in order to not trap customers into a problem where they cannot view the video. Additionally it is smart use Internet video streaming on your web site because it shows that you're a professional and also shows the customer that you are high-tech and up with the times. Just be smart about it. I hope you will consider this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

Beginners Guide To Pc Video Editing

2008-06-13T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Scott Raymond Brown

If you're new to PC video editing then knowing where to start can be a bit daunting, so hopefully this guide will point you in the right direction.

To start with you will need a few items of equipment

Camcorders/Video Decks

Depending on your requirements or aims there are number of different solutions to discuss, so i will split these up into separate sections.

1. If you are starting from new then i recommend buying a new digital camcorder, this will give you superior video and sound quality as well as making getting started in video editing very simple, so ideal for the beginner. There are thousands to choose from catering for various types of budgets.

2. You may already have an old video deck or camcorder which uses the old analogue outputs such as composite or s-video (be sure to check first what outputs you have). For this kind of setup you would need a capture card/analogue to digital converter, this is discussed in more detail further on in the article.

A PC for Video Editing

It is now possible to easily capture footage from your Digital Camcorder directly to your PC and edit it. If you looking at buying a new PC or building a new one then the currents spec's are more then powerful enough, a typical spec PC these days is a P4, 512Mb Ram, 80Gb HDD, Windows XP or something along those lines. You could always use your existing PC if you have one, but i wouldn't recommend using anything below a PIII 600.

Additional Hardware

When transferring video from your camcorder to your PC there are a number of additional things to consider depending on the type of camcorder your using.

If you're using a digital camcorder then all your need is a firewire card (also known as an IEE1394 card), a lot of current PC's have these as standard now, otherwise you will need to purchase the card separately. Some of these will come bundled with editing software such as Adobe Premiere but this really depends on which card you buy and how much you spend, once your camcorder is connected to your firewire port windows will automatically recognise your Digital Camcorder.

If your using the old analogue camcorder then you will also need an analogue to digital converter, see the section on video editing cards below.

Speed?

Its worth considering your Pc's Processor speed, the speed will effect the rate your video will encode, encoding is where your DV video clips are converted into a more compressed format, for example DVD's are encoded to MPEG2. So the faster the better really. Also consider the amount of RAM in your PC, 256Mb would be the minimum.

Extra Hard Drive Storage

Its worth considering having an extra dedicated drive for your video footage, remember that five minutes of DV footage uses 1GB of hard drive space so consider a large capacity hard drive such as an 80Gb or 120Gb, also consider the disk drive RPM, at least 7200RPM would be recommended. If your PC supports it (most new ones do now), then a Serial ATA (SATA) drive will offer increased date transfer rates of up to 150MB/sec compared to 100 or 133 offered by the IDE drives, you may also consider a SCSI drive if you're PC has an SCSI adapter as standard.

DVD/CD Burners

If your planning on putting your film onto CD-ROM (VCD), or DVD then a CDRW or DVDRW is an essential piece of kit, most new pc's may have a CDRW or DVDRW as standard, to burn your DVD, you'll need DVD authoring software.

Video Editing Cards

If you have and older analogue video camera/deck then an analogue USB or PCI capture cards will suffice.

These dedicated analogue to digital converters take process of conversion away from the CPU and therefore speeds up transfer.

If worth getting a quality capture card as the cheaper cards can produce mixed results,

The Video Editing Software

This is where all your creative work starts and the creative work starts, you can capture video from your camera, edit the captured clips, arrange them into a sequence, add transitions, credits and a soundtrack, titles and when your ready export your movie back to the camera or a suitable encoded file format (DVD, VCD etc).

Founder of http://www.avmechanic.co.uk, offering a free friendly helpful community for anybody that needs computer help or help with PC editing products

Put Audio Amp Video On Your Web Site

2008-06-12T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Ronni Rhodes

As a company that sells streaming media services for a living, we get questions everyday about what needs to be done to make an audio or video presentation that will stream well over the Internet. Most of these inquiries come from small businesses with limited budgets for marketing and advertising. They are always pleasantly surprised when we tell them that they can do it themselves!

Let's start with an audio only presentation:

Write out your script first! Focus on two to three points that you feel are essential to explain your products or services. Keep the script simple. If your site offers a wide variety of goods or services, you might consider several different messages with each one keying in on one or two important areas.

Have someone who is not familiar with your business review the script and your site. Be sure that they understand your message. If they don't, rewrite it!

Practice reading the script until you feel completely familiar and comfortable with it. (You can hire professional voice talent for reasonable rates if you'd prefer not recording the audio yourself.)

Use the best quality tape recorder available to you. A cassette recorder is fine.

Use a high quality brand name audiotape.

An external microphone that plugs into your recorder is preferable to the one that comes built-in. They are very inexpensive and produce a better recording.

Do your recording in a quiet place with as little background noise as possible. (That one seems pretty obvious, doesn't it?)

Speak naturally! It can help to have a friend or colleague act as an audience to give you focus.

Record your presentation several times. Select the one that will sound the most natural and inviting to your site visitors.

Send the tape to the encoding (streaming) vendor. They'll take it from there!

A video presentation takes a little more time and effort, but you really can do it yourself. Your home video camera will work just fine! All of the same rules you used to make your audiotape apply here including the use of an external microphone. Good quality videotape is essential. The following suggestions will help you prepare a video presentation for your site that should stream very well:

Keep the camera steady! Put the camera on a tripod or brace it against something solid like a table or a wall. If you must pan or zoom, do it very slowly. (Too much motion can cause a "blurry" stream.)

Simplify your frame. Think about where everything is going to be. People coming in and out of the frame can create movement that may cause confusion.

Stay focused. A lot of auto-focus cameras can't focus properly if you are too close to your subject. Five or six feet away is a good distance. Don't try to shoot through a window; the camera will focus on the glass.

Good lighting is essential. Try to light your scene from the front. Don't stand in front of a window; the backlighting will cause you to be in silhouette. Try shooting outside if possible.

Use the fastest record speed. This will insure the best video quality.

Record in a quiet place. Hold the mike close to your mouth to cut down on external noises.

RELAX AND ENJOY YOURSELF! It really shows. Practice until you feel comfortable.

If you have additional questions or concerns, your streaming vendor should be ready and able to assist you.

Early adopters of Rich Media techniques, streaming being one of them, have already started to reap the rewards of higher click-through rates and increased conversion rates. If your message is meaningful and relevant to your site visitors, your streaming presentation will add to their enjoyment of visiting your site and encourage them not only to buy but also to return and buy again!

Ronni Rhodes is the owner of WBC Imaging, an Internet company that specializes in web site enhancement utilizing streaming media technology. With her husband, Don, a digital media engineer, they work with companies to incorporate streaming as part of successful and meaningful sales and marketing programs.

Please direct all questions and comments to: Ronni@wbcimaging.com 520-742-5780 http://www.wbcimaging.com

Windows Media Video Compression Using Adobe Premiere Pro

2008-06-11T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Tom Wardrop

I've written this tutorial for anyone who uses adobe premiere pro and wants to find out the best way to compress a video using "Windows Media Video".

I cover things like what bitrate to use with what resolution and frame rate aswell as what a few of the different settings do and mean. Find out for yourself and take a read...

(not you will need to copy and paste image url's in to your browser)

Getting to Adobe Media Encoder

1. Render all unrendered footage if you haven't done so already in premiere pro

2. Now go, File >> Export >> Adobe Media Encoder

3. Select "Windows Media" from the format drop down list

4. Then, from the preset drop down list, select something like "WMV9 720 25p" (doesn't really matter what you choose)

Video Settings

1. Select "Video" on the left hand side of the Adobe Media Encoder

2. Under Video, make sure

Select "Windows Media Video 9" as the codec
Leave "Allow Interlaced Processing" Unticked
Under Bitrate Settings, Select "Two" encoding passes and make sure the mode is "Variable Constrained". This offers way better results compared to a single encoding pass

Image: fullvoltage.com.au/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=333.0;id=29;image

Audio Settings

1. Select "Audio" on the left hand side of the Adobe Media Encoder

2. Under Audio, make sure

Select "Windows Media Audio 9.1" as the audio codec
Under Bitrate Settings, Select "Two" encoding passes and make sure the mode is "Constant". This will make sure the audio quality stays the same the whole way through the video

Image: fullvoltage.com.au/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=333.0;id=30;image

Audience Settings

1. Select "Audiences" on the left hand side of the Adobe Media Encoder

2. Audiences is the most important part as this is where you actually set the quality and the file size

3. Now, select your desired frame rate, it's usually best to keep it at its original level. But, say you're original level is 50 frames a second, reduce it to 25. If you're going for a really small file, then you'd want to bring your fps down to 20 or 15, but 25 will always enhance the footage as it will appear a lot smoother.

4. For Pixel Aspect Ratio, set it to however you're original footage is set. If you're editing footage shot on the computer, then square pixels will give you the best results.

5. Frame Width and Frame Height is a big factor for when considering image quality with file size. You kind of need to match them both up. In theory, for simple scenes like a close up of a human face "1 bit" per 200 pixels will offer good results,you may even want to try 250 pixels per bit. But with a more complex scene which includes maybe scenery and shrubs or a fast action video.etc, you'd want to aim around "1 bit" per 100 pixels (no where over 140 pixels per bit). To work this out, simply look at all the scenes in your video. If your scenes vary a lot in terms of colour and complexity, then you want lesser pixels per bit, this will increase file size (or reduce image size) but will offer way better results otherwise. On the other hand, if you're video contains long interviews with a still background. Then the compressor will be able to produce good results with a high pixel per bit rate.

6. Now, moving down to the basic audio settings, if you're video contains a lot of sound and the sound is really important in the video. Then you wont want to go under 96kb/s, but I usually prefer to use 160kb/s or 128kb/s as if you compare the 160kb/s bitrate of the audio to the say 5000 bitrate of the video, you can see that the audio isn't going to effect file size much in this case. The higher your video bitrate, the lesser the impact the audio will have on the filesize. Use CBR audio, not (A/V) CBR audio. Use stereo if your sound differs from channel to channel (most music does).

7. Back to the Video now, Set Decoder Complexity to Auto

8. For key frame interval, if you have a high action video with complex scenes, set this to about 1 or 2. On the other hand, if you have not so complex scenes like an interview with a still background, then you can raise this up to about 10.

9. Leave buffer size as default

10. Now, here is the good bit. Because earlier on, we set a Video Encoding mode to a Two pass encode with a variable but constrained bitrate. This means we can now give a maximum and average bitrate. It will use the maximum bitrate in the more complex scenes and will use the average bitrate for normal scenes. Now, setting your bitrate is important. This is basically, where we shove all our resolution and other data, in to a tightly packaged file. If you package your file to tight, bits of data start oozing out the corners which is why it's important to package your video tight, but not too tight. Let's say we have a rather complex video which is fairly fast paced with lots of different colours and scenes. We set our resolution to 1024x768 with a frame rate of 25 and we want excellent quality, but a small file size.

Ok, let's put what we learnt in to play. Ok, 1024 multiplied by 768 gives us 786000 pixels. That means that every single frame will contain 786000 pixels. If our video is running at 25fps, that's 19.2 million pixels a second. The way compressors work, is they look for similarities across multiple frames and they try and share the data. Sometimes, when you set the bitrate too low, it just can't deal with that data so it needs to throw away some pixels. The lower the bitrate, the more pixels get thrown around or ripped up.

11. Now, we need to set the bitrate. So, seeing our scene is fairly complex, and we want good quality, I think 130 pixels per bit will be fine. So, lets divide 786000 by 130. This gives us 6040 bits. So, 6000 bits a second is what we need. We'll set 6000 as the peak and 5000 as the average. Now, 5000 bits a second will produce a fairly large file in terms of the internet, but remember, we are using a resolution of 1024x768 which is very big in terms of the net, but we want viewers to see "all" the work we have put in to it.

12. Now, once the bitrate is set, we have our buffer size, the larger your bit rate, the larger you want your buffer size. In this case, a buffer of 20/25 will be fine (buffer usually doesn't effect anything).

Image: fullvoltage.com.au/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=333.0;id=31;image

Saving

1. Now, save the preset buy hitting the floppy disk icon up the top of the Adobe Encoder Window. But, before you do that, place a comment for the preset if you want.

2. Now, hit ok at the bottom of the window which will then prompt you for a location to save it. It will also give an estimated file size based on your video length and you're peak data rate (for both the video and audio). But seeing we are using a variable bit rate, this estimate is usually higher than the end result.

3. Let it render out, then enjoy.

Tips

It's usually good to set your work area to a length of 5 seconds over a complex part of your video, that way, you can do test renders to find the best bit rate
If you get errors while exporting and you use a hyperthreading processor or a dual core processor, visit this site to fix the problem. If you don't get this problem, it may still be a good idea to visit the site and get the new adobe media encoder.
http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/330380.html

I hope you learnt something from this tutorial Smiley

Cheers!

http://www.fullvoltage.com.au

How To Optimize Your Pc Computer For Easy Stress Free Video Editing

2008-06-10T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Andrew Lock

Editing video, regardless of the format, places extreme demands on a computer, so you should tweak your system to be more efficient.

Programs that are set to run as soon as the computer boots up hog valuable system resources. If you have lots of little icons in the bottom right of your screen, then you are a prime candidate for a 'clear out.'

The good news is that there are a number of things you can do to prevent these 'blockages' that play havoc with video editing.

Note: If you are not fully competent with the way computers work, do not attempt the following procedures yourself. Ask a local computer tech guy to help you out. It's important! You can find these problematic 'gremlins' in three places:

1. From the 'Start' menu, click on 'All Programs', then view the 'Startup' folder. Any non-essential programs in that folder should be deleted so as not to run at 'startup'. Do not attempt this unless you are sure of what you are doing.

2. From the 'Run' command, type 'msconfig' in the box to bring up the System Configuration Utility. Again, this is only for advanced computer uses. The 'Startup' tab allows you to identify and uncheck any items that you do not want running automatically in the background when the computer starts. Most computers have many items that can be unchecked to free up resources.

3. Some programs are set to run automatically at certain times of the day. For example, some anti-virus or anti-spyware software does this. Go into each program individually and either ensure that such updates are set to update manually, or set them to update at a time that won't affect your editing, such as in the middle of the night (your computer still needs to be on).

There are some other steps to take too:

1.Disable the desktop wallpaper (select a plain color background rather than an image or photo).

2.Disable the clock in the bottom right corner of your screen.

3.Disable screen-savers.

4.Disable power-management features that could turn off hard disks etc.

What else can you do?

Defrag Regularly

Regularly defragmenting ALL your hard drives is essential. Preferably, this should be done once a week, or after capturing. You would be astonished at how many times a sluggish editing project is due to the video files being fragmented. This is because video files are often very large, and when they are captured, the disk is working so hard to keep up with the data rate that it puts the information in the first available place on the drive. This often means it is spread across different parts of the drivethat's why they are referred to as being fragmented.

Although Windows has a defrag utility built-in, there are other faster, superior utilities out there that you should consider.

Multiple Drives

You need to use at least three hard drives in an editing system: one drive for your operating system, another to capture video (but preferably a RAID setup), and finally a drive to export your finished projects for storage. It's asking too much for a system to run the editing software AND capture to the same drive. You might get away with it with some DV systems, but you won't with HDV.

Games are Evil

Games are the evil enemy of editing computers. Never load games on your editing system, as they WILL hog an enormous amount of resources and they WILL play havoc with various behind-the-scenes settings to really screw your machine up when you come to edit. If you're into games, get another computer just for that! You've been warned!

Viruses and Spyware

If games are the evil enemy of editing computers then viruses and spyware are in a league of their own at causing havoc and leaving a path of vicious destruction. Sadly, these days it is unbelievably easy to be a victim of spyware and viruses. Some of the geekiest computer nerds that I know have been victims of serious viruses that destroyed the data on their computers. One survey showed that it was not uncommon for a computer that was connected to the Internet to be infected within two minutes of an operating system being installed!

What can you do about this major issue? Firstly, don't use email on your editing computer. It's just not worth it. No single anti-virus software is 100% effective, so why take the chance that one day you might lose a project that you had spent days, even weeks working on? Use a separate computer for all tasks other than editing, whether it is games, e-mail, word processing, accounts, or whatever. Don't think that you will be one of the 'lucky ones'. If you take no precautions at some point you WILL get a virus and regret it.

Secondly, install anti-spyware and anti-virus software and run it regularly. An excellent anti-virus software that many pros use is 'AVG' from www.grisoft.com. Microsoft offer a utility to detect and destroy spyware, called Windows Anti-Spyware. It can be downloaded from www.microsoft.com/downloads. Other options are also available.

Spend the Time and Reap the Rewards

All of these tweaks and adjustments might sound like a lot of hassle, but you will find that they make a big difference to the responsiveness of your system. The good news is that most of these changes can be made once and then left alone, so it's not as complicated or time-consuming as you might think.

About the Author:

Andrew Lock is a video producer, consultant and trainer with more than 12 years experience. He has fulfilled video marketing projects for high profile corporate clients such as Sony, Disney, BritishAirways, Merrill Lynch, Royal Caribbean Cruises & others.

Lock is a noted advisor within the video production and film industry, and his articles and books are highly regarded as some of the most insightful and practical.

As a Brit who now resides in the U.S., he's been dubbed by his peers as the 'Simon Cowell' of the video industry - his frank, honest and direct approach is a breath of fresh air to those that seek honest answers.

Lock's new book, 'How to Shoot, Edit & Distribute HDV' is available at a special price direct from the publisher at: http://www.hdvbook.com

Advantages Of Using Video

2008-06-09T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Stuart Perryman

Video creates relationships at warp speed.

If you want to create relationships and in turn increase your income, you need to start using video.

Text and web pages are cold.

If people can see you or hear your voice they will connect with you on a much more personal level. That creates an undisputable strong connection that will make it much easier to make a sale from that person.

Think about it, if you had two choices of people selling the same product and one just had text on a website explaining the product and the other had a video of himself explaining or demonstrating the product, which would you purchase from?

The answer is clear.

Video also makes it much easier to get the information you're looking for. Here's an example:

I was recently in the market for a new digital camera and did a Google search for a particular make and model. In the search results I saw a review site so I clicked over to the site.

On the site was a video overview of the camera.

It was very short, under a minute but it was a real live person who had the camera out of the box, showed it and pointed out the key functions and features. I was very impressed and book marked the site.

There are many similar examples to these so use video in your online business and your sales will increase.

Stuart Perryman
Tomorrows Best Buy - Today! Join the Google Video Gold Rush http://www.tomorrowsbestbuy

Is Video Streaming The Future For Corporate Video

2008-06-08T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Shaun Pearce

Things have changed quite a bit from when I started in the film & video business in 1988. Back then, many corporate programmes were still shot and edited on film. Video shooting was on "plain Jane", non-SP, analogue Betacam. Video editing was on Low Band U-Matic - a process that required copious notes to be taken and a day or two of writing all the timecode numbers down for the (linear) on-line edit. Mastering was on bulky one-inch reel to reel video, that was so sensitive to magnetic fields, it couldn't be taken on a London tube train. Distribution was either on Low Band U-Matic, Betamax (remember that?), or VHS.

Today, seventeen years later, the much heralded digital age is upon us. You can shoot on DV, edit on Avid, and burn the result onto DVD without a moment's thought or any loss of quality. The only stage of the process that has remained more or less the same is the final one: delivery of the programme to the viewer. Be it by post, Fed-Ex, or motorcycle courier, someone has to take a copy of your finished programme, transport it to where your viewer is going to see it, and then play it on specialised equipment. If your programme has to cross borders into another country, chances are you'll have to have special copies made to conform to that country's TV standard, and the customer will have to pay a hefty customs charge as well.

The Internet provides a solution to this problem and is, in my view, the perfect medium for the distribution of corporate videos, for companies large and small. Broadband/ ADSL Internet access is rapidly becoming the norm. Around 80% of the UK now has the capability to access Broadband (source: The Guardian) and the figure is higher for some other countries. Here are a few examples of ways this technology can be utilised:

Let's say you run a small or medium sized company and have made a promotional video to show to potential clients. You can easily stream this from your website. If you don't want your competition to see your video (and you cannot guarantee a DVD won't fall into the "wrong" hands), you can password protect that part of the website and make access by invitation only. You could also stream a commercial from your website for the whole world to see - not just people in your local TV area. You could even tie it in to your print advertising, so people would want to visit your site and see your commercial. That certainly beats them getting up to go to the bathroom when your commercial is showing on TV, or fast forwarding it if they've videoed the programme its being shown in! There's so much video content of this nature being shown on the web now, Yahoo! has devoted a large area of their search engine to it. Visit Yahoo!, click on the "video" tab and type in "commercial" to see what I mean.

If you run a large company or have staff in more than one place, then video streaming becomes a real boon. In addition to the options available to small businesses, you can use it for corporate communications. You can show the same video to employees in different locations, cities, time zones, or even countries. Apart from converting your video into the correct format (more on that subject later), and having your webmaster upload it to your webspace, the actual costs are practically nothing - and there's definitely nothing for the tax man to get his teeth into! Your video can cross boarders without having to incur customs charges, and standards conversion becomes a thing of the past.

Getting your training message across also becomes much easier. Employees can watch the video from their computer screens. Add some "interactivity" to the mix, and you can build a training session tailored for each employee. If you're on a network, you can do this via your company intranet as well as over the web.

With live streaming, one trainer can train several people at the same time, even if they are in different parts of the world. This is particularly useful for medical training. A surgeon can demonstrate a particular technique from a sterile environment, without the operating theatre having to be filled with students. The entire process can also be recorded on video for viewing later.

There are many formats available for digital video, and careful research is necessary to select the most appropriate one. The most popular formats are:

Macromedia Flash (swf)
Microsoft Video (avi)
Motion Picture Experts Group (mpeg)
Quick Time (mov)
Real Media (rm)
Windows Media (wmv)

Streaming video does not quite compare to what viewers are used to seeing on broadcast TV or DVD. The most obvious difference being the optimum screen size is much smaller. Under ideal conditions, streaming video can be clear and continuous, but the latest technology must be used to create, send and receive the video or the results can be unsatisfactory; however, that said, the sort of picture one would see when seated directly in front of the computer monitor is not dissimilar from that seen on a 14" portable TV viewed from 10 feet or so away.

Because of the smaller screen size, it's best to avoid any complicated graphics or DVE moves in a streamed video, although still frame graphics can always be shown on the website alongside the video.

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about streaming video. Some of the most common questions I get asked are:

"Don't I need a special website for streaming video?" No, you don't. Because the files are large, most free sites won't host them, but ordinary sites will. I have over five hours of streaming video on my LearnPhotoshopFast website, and it's just an ordinary one. Some web hosting companies do charge you extra if you have live streaming video on a continuous basis, but this is usually to cover the extra bandwidth.

"Ah, bandwidth. I'll bet it uses a lot. Won't that cost a fortune?" This is sort of true. Video files are large, but they are just binary files. Downloading large files - be they video or software - does use up a lot of bandwidth. However, video streaming formats are especially designed to keep file sizes as small as possible. Bandwidth isn't all that expensive these days anyway, and many web hosting packages come with a monthly allocation of 50 - 100 gigabytes, which is more than adequate for most applications.

"Some people who want to see my videos have Windows PCs, while others have Macs. Won't that be a problem?" No. Most streaming formats are compatible with multiple operating systems, and even specific manufacturer's formats like Microsoft's Windows Media, and Apple's Quick Time, have versions that can be used by "the competition".

"Is streaming video any good on a dial-up connection?" It's true that streaming video works best via Broadband. The best option is to offer the alternative of downloading the video file as well as streaming it; that way, someone on a dial-up can download the file and watch it from his/her hard drive.

Video streaming can add a whole new dimension to your corporate video, be it for training, communications, or marketing. It's just like having your own cable-TV channel - only considerably cheaper.

Shaun Pearce is a writer and video maker. Read his bio. at http://www.shaunpearce.co.uk?=art00 His latest production, Photoshop Master, is a series of training videos for Adobe Photoshop and can be viewed via Internet video streaming from http://www.learnphotoshopfast.com/info.html?=art00

How To Interview On Video

2008-06-07T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Gareth Powell

When doing an interview there need to be at least three people involved. The person being interviewed, you, the interviewer and someone to work the camcorder. It could be argued - I would so argue - that an extra person to handle the sound is a great benefit but this is a policy of perfection.

Interviewing for video is a skill that can be acquired with practice. The key to successful interviewing is research, research and yet more research.

Before you interview a subject you need to know as much as possible about the person you are interviewing.

And you need to read everything that anyone has ever written about the subject.

This is what the Internet is for. Typically it contains everything written in recent times.

The more information you can get, the more research you do, the smoother the interview will go.

Having said that it is vital that you, the interviewer, both asks questions and knows when to shut up.

The problem is that often you will find yourself knowing more about a subject than the person you are interviewing, and the temptation then is to show off your knowledge.

This is fatal.

The viewer is not interested in your views. It is the person being interviewed the interviewee who should be the center of attention. And before you ask, yes, this is a major problem for me. I cannot keep my big mouth shut.

Be prepared for interviews that go smoothly and those that get a bit ragged. Three examples.

I had an hour interview with Bill Gates in Sydney for Australian television. My questions were well prepared. He would listen to the question, stay quiet for a moment and then give a cogent, grammatical answer. Amazing. As an interview it went like a dream. On the other hand, I got one very wrong. The interview with the late Tony Hancock, perhaps the greatest British comedian of his day, took place in the Sebel Town House in Sydney. It started as a shambles for I had not done enough homework. It evened out after a while and in the end worked reasonably well. As it happens it was the last interview given by Tony Hancock.

Then I did a series of interviews with members of my family. I stayed out of shot and just let them ramble on what they thought about their siblings. It was electrifying stuff. If you were a member of that family.

Write all of your questions down and create supplementary questions in case an answer, a good answer, is not forthcoming. Avoid questions that invite the single word answer 'yes' or 'no'.

If you ask 'Are you in favor of premarital sex?' you will probably get a single word reply, which is not the idea at all.

Phrase your questions so that they lead the person being interviewed into expanding their views. 'Your book suggests that you are against premarital intercourse. What are your views on this?' is much more likely to elicit a full and frank comment than the first question.

To avoid a 'yes' or 'no' answer use the tried and true journalist technique of asking who, what, why, how and when questions. None of these can be answered with a straight 'yes' or 'no'.

Before the interview starts, you, the interviewer, must meet the subject and establish some sort of rapport. There are interviewers, a few, who can go in cold and get a good result. But they are few and far between.

The preliminary chat is, as it were, part of your research. With it you will establish the ability of the person being interviewed to talk, to express themselves, to answer questions. It is possible that this preliminary talk will end in you modifying some of your questions.

In your preliminary chat avoid asking the specific questions you will be asking in the interview.

Instead, indicate general areas of interest. If you ask the specific questions the filmed interview will give an impression that it has been rehearsed.

Before you start your interview have your key questions laid out and ready. You need a certain amount of flexibility but most of the time you will find that your first and logical thoughts or question order is much better than one you compile while winging it.

There are two main way of handling an interview.

The first is where the question is not heard and the questioner not seen. Instead, you get answers that are obviously directed at someone who is out of shot.

A series of answers like this can be edited together from either one person or several, to provide the effect of a continuous interview.

In this sort of interview you ask the question and then you keep your big mouth shut. If some sort of reaction is needed nod or shake your head vigorously or smile encouragement. If you speak you will have to be edited out afterwards. Which is not always easy.

This technique can be seen being used to magnificent effect in the movie 'When Harry Met Sally' which contains a series of such interviews with married couples describing their lives together. Magic.

The other type of interview is where you are both on screen in the manner of a normal conversation. This sort of interview can easily be covered with one camera.

Shoot the interviewee's answers first and then shoot the interviewer from where the interviewee has been sitting, asking exactly the same questions. At the end you do a series of 'noddies' that can be used for cutaways.

The key to making such an interview work is to get the person relaxed. Try to film them in a familiar surrounding so that they do not feel threatened. Keep the camera work and the lighting as unobtrusive as possible.

The first question should be a sound level check and should be totally innocuous.

Start the interview very gently in a chat mode and always move from soft to hard questions imperceptibly. Do not start like gangbusters or the interviewee will clam up or, in the worst case, walk off. It happens.

At the end of the interview I always ask 'Is there some question you would like me to have asked that I have missed out on?'

This allows the subject to expand on a point or deal with an area they feel has been skipped. It is quite remarkable how often you will get an excellent and usable response after that last question.

Start off with a long shot of the person being interviewed facing the interviewer. The interviewer's back appears, which gives a three-dimensional aspect to the shot and gets the scene in context for the viewer. Change the shot sizes in rhythm with the questions. New question, new framing.

Another form of interviewing on video is vox pop from vox populi, Latin for the voice of the people are quick interviews with people in the street to demonstrate public opinion on a subject.

What you want to end up with is a series of statements that can be cut rapidly together and, in the end, give a clear indication of the current attitude on a subject.

To make the interview more interesting change the shot size as a new question is asked. That is, switch off, zoom in from, say, mid shot to close-up, and then resume filming again.

Use different backgrounds and different eyelines.

Work out how many interviews you want and then shoot to that number with perhaps a 50 per cent safety margin. Do not go on shooting after that point. You could be getting useful footage for another scene rather than wasting your time. In vox pop moderation is the key.

Note carefully that subjects can move backwards and forwards when making a point and may even wave arms around in the air and you need to be prepared for this so they are always in shot. That the camera does not cut off parts of their bodies. Armless interviewees may be harmless interviewees but that is not the point of the excercise.

Gareth Powell has done many interviews for newspapers, magazines and television. He writes about making videos on his site, Digital images, http://www.pixelates.com

Streaming Video On Your Website Convert Visitors Into Customers

2008-06-06T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Ole Arndt

Streaming video is a sequence of "moving images" that are sent in compressed form over the Internet and displayed by the viewer as they arrive. Streaming media is streaming video with sound. With streaming video or streaming media, a Web user does not have to wait to download a large file before seeing the video or hearing the sound. Instead, the media is sent in a continuous stream and is played as it arrives. The user needs a player, which is a special program that uncompresses and sends video data to the display and audio data to speakers. A player can be either an integral part of a browser or downloaded from the software maker's Web site.

Major streaming video and streaming media technologies include RealSystem G2 from RealNetwork, Microsoft Windows Media Technologies (including its NetShow Services and Theater Server), and VDO. Microsoft's approach uses the standard MPEG compression algorithm for video. The other approaches use proprietary algorithms. (The program that does the compression and decompression is sometimes called the codec.) Microsoft's technology offers streaming audio at up to 96 Kbps and streaming video at up to 8 Mbps (for the NetShow Theater Server). However, for most Web users, the streaming video will be limited to the data rates of the connection (for example, up to 128 Kbps with an ISDN connection). Microsoft's streaming media files are in its Advanced Streaming Format (ASF).

Streaming video is usually sent from prerecorded video files, but can be distributed as part of a live broadcast "feed." In a live broadcast, the video signal is converted into a compressed digital signal and transmitted from a special Web server that is able to do multicast, sending the same file to multiple users at the same time.

Streaming media is audio and video that are transmitted on the Internet in a streaming or continuous fashion, using data packets. The most effective reception of streaming media requires some form of broadband technology such as cable modem or DSL. A packet is the unit of data that is routed between an origin and a destination on the Internet or any other packet-switched network. When any file (e-mail message, HTML file, Graphics Interchange Format file, URL - Uniform Recourse Locater request, and so forth) is sent from one place to another on the Internet, the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) layer of TCP/IP divides the file into "chunks" of an efficient size for routing. Each of these packets is separately numbered and includes the Internet address of the destination. The individual packets for a given file may travel different routes through the Internet. When they have all arrived, they are reassembled into the original file (by the TCP layer at the receiving end).

A packet-switching scheme is an efficient way to handle transmissions on a connectionless network such as the Internet. An alternative scheme, circuit-switched, is used for networks allocated for voice connections. In circuit-switching, lines in the network are shared among many users as with packet-switching, but each connection requires the dedication of a particular path for the duration of the connection. "Packet" and "datagram" are similar in meaning. A protocol similar to TCP, the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) uses the term datagram.

MPEG, the Moving Picture Experts Group, develops standards for digital video and digital audio compression. It operates under the auspices of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The MPEG standards are an evolving series, each designed for a different purpose. To use MPEG video files, you need a personal computer with sufficient processor speed, internal memory, and hard disk space to handle and play the typically large MPEG file (which has a file name suffix of .mpg). You also need an MPEG viewer or client software that plays MPEG files. (Note that .mp3 file suffixes indicate MP3 (MPEG-1 audio layer-3) files, not MPEG-3 standard files.) You can download shareware or commercial MPEG players from a number of sites on the Web.

The term codec is an acronym that stands for "compression/decompression." A codec is an algorithm, or specialized computer program, that reduces the number of bytes consumed by large files and programs. In order to minimize the amount of storage space required for a complicated file, such as a video, compression is used. Compression works by eliminating redundancies in data. Compression can be done for any kind of file, including text, programs, images, audio, video, and virtual reality (VR). Compression can reduce the size of a file by a factor of 100 or more in some cases. For example, a 15-megabyte video might be reduced to 150 kilobytes. The uncompressed file would be far too large to download from the Web in a reasonable length of time, but the compressed file could usually be downloaded in a few seconds. For viewing, a decompression algorithm, which "undoes" the compression, would have to be used.

There are numerous standard codec schemes. Some are used mainly to minimize file transfer time, and are employed on the Internet. Others are intended to maximize the data that can be stored in a given amount of disk space, or on a CD-ROM. Codec's are used in many popular Internet products, including QuickTime, Netmeeting, Cu-Seeme, and VDOphone.

Flash, is a popular authoring software developed by Macromedia, and is used to create vector graphics-based animation programs with full-screen navigation interfaces, graphic illustrations, and simple interactivity in an antialiased, resizable file format that is small enough to stream across a normal modem connection. The software is ubiquitous on the Web, both because of its speed (vector-based animations, which can adapt to different display sizes and resolutions, play as they download) and for the smooth way it renders graphics. Flash files, unlike animated but rasterized GIF and JPEG, are compact, efficient, and designed for optimized delivery. Known as a do-it-yourself animation package, Flash 4 gives Web designers the ability to import artwork using whatever bitmap or illustration tool they prefer, and to create animation and special effects, and add sound and interactivity. The content is then saved as file with a .SWF file name extension.

Web users with Intel Pentium or Power Macintosh processors can download Flash Player to view Flash content, which performs across multiple browsers and platforms. Flash is lauded for being one of the Web's most accessible plug-in. According to an independent study cited by Macromedia, over 90 percent of Web users already have Flash Player installed. Macromedia was recently acquired by Adobe in a 3.4 billion dollar deal.

About the Author: Ole Arndt is President of Global Media LLC, in Branchburg NJ.

Correspondence to: oarndt@streamingmediabiz.com

Planning The Perfect Slideshow Production

2008-06-05T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Sandra Clukey

Planning is the perfect slideshow takes time and effort. But with the help of a professional slideshow creation company the value of your time and effort will be priceless. Whether you're creating a wedding slideshow, reception slideshow, anniversary slideshow, graduation slideshow, birthday slideshow, Mother's Day or Father's Day Slideshow, Valentine's Day Slideshow, Christmas slideshow, memorial slideshow, or a slide show for any occasion here is a planning checklist you can follow to ensure a priceless slideshow production keepsake.

1. Choose the length of your slideshow production.

__10 minute slideshow

__15 minute slideshow

__20 minute slideshow

__25 minute slideshow

__30 minute slideshow

__40 minute slideshow

____minute slideshow (you fill in the blank)

__It doesn't matter how long

2. Choose your timeframe.

__ Lifespan of main character/s in slideshow.

__Specific timeframe for each year. For example: Piano recitals for the last ten years.

__Is there more than one person's life who is going to be featured in this slideshow?

__Do you want their lives shown __separately __simultaneously

__Is the timeframe very specific such as this years summer vacation?

___________________________________ fill in the blank for what the timeframe is.

__________ - __________ Fill in the blanks with the specific years or timeframes you want covered in your slideshow.

3. Questions to ask before choosing the photographs for your slideshow.

__Is the photograph clear and not blurry? Blurry photographs are hard to correct and the larger the image, the more blurry the photo appears.

__Is the photograph too bright or too dark? Although some corrections can be made here, if the photograph is too bright or too dark, you may loose quality in the photograph.

__Is someone or something blocking the main focus of the photograph? Unwanted objects or big heads in the way of the main focus of the photograph detract from the photo and does not give you the best quality slideshow.

__Is the photograph in focus? What you see is what you get magnified.

__ Is the photo too grainy? Grainy photos do not scan well.

__Has the photograph been cut up to use in a photograph memory book? Cut up photos look great when done properly for memory albums, but they work poorly for slideshows.

4. __ Organize your photos by year or by timeframe. For example if your slideshow is going to span the lifetime of a person, organize your photos by year. Make separate piles for each year.

5. The pictures are now organized, but I have too many. Which of the best pictures do I choose? If the slideshow is personal and mainly for one person you can have as many pictures as you want and not worry about boring anyone since everyone loves to see photographs of themselves, but if the slideshow is going to be seen by an audience ask yourself these questions:

__ Do I have more than 2 photos of a specific category? Example: 2 photos of little Emily in her favorite Easter dress in 1987 is more than enough.

__Are the pictures similar enough that one can be put aside? You do not want to bore your audience, the more variety in the photographs, the more entertaining the slideshow will be.

__ Do you have 12 photos taken in 1987 and 4 taken in 1988? Try to keep the years as close to even as possible.

__Are there a variety of photographs of others? If you really want to entertain your audience, try to include pictures of them in the slideshow. Everyone loves to see themselves light up on the big screen! It will make them feel a part of your special event and keep their interest peaked to see who will be showing up next. In addition, include credits in the slide show when applicable. Give credit to mothers, fathers, grandparents, brothers, sisters, friends, bridal party, and anyone else to whom credit is due.

If you still have trouble cutting down the amount of photographs, ask for help. A mom choosing pictures of her child tends to think every picture is worth showing I know because I'm a mom but if you ask dad for help, or a close friend you'll be amazed at how much they can cut down the amount of photos to go in your slideshow!

6. __After choosing the photos look at them carefully and decide whether or not you want captions with the photograph. Captions can add to the appeal of the picture for the audience to help them understand what is happening in that particular photo. They can also add to the humor or sentimental value of the video. Not every picture should have a caption; for the most part the photos should be able to speak for themselves. Your audience may not enjoy the slideshow as much with too many captions. However, in certain circumstances, such as creating a slideshow for a loved one who is away serving in the military captions can be quite effective.

7.__ Now it's time to choose your music. Hollywood producers will tell you that the right or wrong music can make or break a movie production. Choose the music according to the feeling you want to give your audience. Happy, sentimental, funny, nostalgic. it's all in the music. Choose music that means something to you or the person you are creating the slideshow for. Check the length of the music to the number of photos you want to use and the type of slideshow you are choosing. Write down your choices of songs, the artist and album below.

1.__________________________________________________________ 2.__________________________________________________________ 3.__________________________________________________________ 4.__________________________________________________________ 5.__________________________________________________________

8. __Choose Video Clips Adding a couple of short video clips to your slideshow can help break up and enhance your slideshow. Keep your video clips short if possible. 30 seconds 2 minutes. Once you find the video clips you want to use, copy exactly what you want included onto a separate video tape. Do not send the originals in the mail.

9. __Consider using Voiceovers This can add a sentimental touch to any slideshow. This can be done using a video camera, or with some digital cameras that take video. Just be sure to tell your slideshow company that you just want to use the voice, not the video.

10. __ View Samples, Choose Your Slideshow Company, and Place Your OrderThere are many slideshow companies to choose from, so how do you know which one is right for you? Always view the online samples. To narrow your search look for unique and creative slideshows. Your memories are special and unique and should be treated as such. Stay away from the cookie-cutter picture after picture slideshows. Creativity and uniqueness are key elements to any truly stunning slideshow.

11. __Back up your photos. Make sure you have copies of your photos or the negatives. Slideshow companies are not responsible for what happens to your photos while in the mail. And unless you have a back-up, photos are irreplaceable.

12. __Pack your photos with care. Use proper packaging material. Always place 5x7's or 8x10's between pieces of cardboard. Make sure the photos and other material is packed tightly to avoid moving around inside the box. When packaging your photos place them in Ziploc baggies. This will protect them from any possible water damage and also works great for separating your photos chronologically. You should also place your discs or videos in Ziploc baggies. And always insure your package. Although lost or damaged mail is a rare occurrence, it's always best to be prepared. And always opt for priority mailing services. The less time in the mail the better.

Your time and effort is now finished. Your slideshow company will take care of you from here. They should be in constant communication with you and you should have a good idea when to expect your slideshow to be finished. Sands of Time Multimedia Creations creates unique and creative slideshows for every occasion. Creative anniversary slideshows, graduation slideshows, birthday slideshows, Mother's Day or Father's Day Slideshows, Valentine's Day Slideshows, Christmas slideshows, memorial slideshows, the list goes on and with Sands of Time Multimedia Creations your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Sandra Clukey, lead slideshow creator for Sands of Time Multimedia Creations, has years of experience and an intense passion for turning still pictures into beautiful, sentimental slideshow video albums for people everywhere! http://sandsoftimemultimediacreations.com/ View some of her samples: http://sandsoftimemultimediacreations.com/index-1.html and experience the difference!

Video Slide Show Productions

2008-06-04T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Sandra Clukey

Slide show companies are popping up all over the internet. People are taking their pictures and placing them on CD's, DVD's, or VHS for personal use and for gifts for all occasions. People everywhere are hiring companies to make wedding slide shows for receptions, graduation slide shows, anniversary slide shows, birthday slide shows, memorial service slide shows, vacation slide shows, holiday slide shows, and just about anything you can think of slide shows. But how do you know which slide show company to choose?

It use to be that when we took our photos of our special occasions: weddings, vacations, reunions, birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, family, friends, pets and so on, that we'd get the photos developed and place them in a photo album or a shoe box. A couple of our very favorites would be placed in frames. But, the photo album or shoebox would then sit on a shelf or under a bed or in a closet or somewhere where they'd be neglected and hardly ever looked at. In the meantime the photos themselves are drying out, cracking, and turning yellow. When we do go to look at them they're never as good as we remember because they've aged.

Placing our photos on CD, DVD, or VHS preserves the photos forever. They will never crack, fade, yellow, or get damaged. Future generations can enjoy the same quality in a hundred years as we can today.

Turning your photos into slide shows, video albums, or photo montages makes the photos fun to watch and more people will enjoy viewing them with you. So how do you know if you've found a quality slideshow company? An important rule of thumb to remember is, "If the price seems too good to be true, then it probably is". Creating slide shows is a service related industry; no real slide show creating company can give you quality work without putting quality time into it. The less the price, the less the amount of time going into it. You might as well go buy yourself the cheapest slide show software you can find and do it yourself.

A quality slide show creating company has invested thousands of dollars to be able to produce the highest quality work for the consumer. In addition, they will spend the time needed to clean up your photos and create a quality CD, DVD or VHS that you can be proud of. Although, like in any industry, you'll need to beware of those who overcharge, the bottom line is; the more time a company puts into creating your slideshow, the higher the cost of that slide show.

When comparing prices, don't forget to compare the contents of the package. This will make a tremendous difference in the pricing and the quality of the slideshow you receive. But don't fall for bogus charges such as transition charges. What are slide shows without transitions? So shop around, compare prices, packages, and view some slide show samples.

Viewing slide show samples is very important to choosing your video slide show production company. If you're satisfied with just the simple fade-in, fade-out photo montage style slideshows, then you have a lot to choose from. If you want something fun, exciting, emotional, creative and unique, then there's very little to choose from. The slide show company you choose should value your precious memories so much that it reflects in the slide shows they create. To a true slide show creator, creating quality slide shows is comparative to an artist who is creating yet another masterpiece: each one is unique, creative, evokes emotion, no two are exactly alike, and all are worthy of displaying to everyone you know. At Sands of Time Multimedia Creations, slide shows are works of art. Visit us today and experience the difference!

Sandra Clukey has years of experience and an intense passion for turning still pictures into beautiful, sentimental video albums for people everywhere and is the lead slideshow creator for Sands of Time Multimedia Creations. http://sandsoftimemultimediacreations.com/ A cutomer recently stated, "There's something magical about your slide shows and the way they just bring the memories to life". View some of her samples here and experience the difference! http://sandsoftimemultimediacreations.com/index-1.html

How To Chat Through Macromedia Flash Communication Server And Other Information

2008-06-03T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Angel Abdulnor

Businesses and individuals alike are constantly looking to find new ways to communicate for work related and entertainment purposes. Things like How to chat through Macromedia Flash Communication Server are some of the most commonly sought out information by those looking for better communication options over the internet.

The Macromedia Flash Communication Server really does offer users an eclectic assortment of services. Some of the ways how to chat through Macromedia Flash Communication Server include virtual conference rooms, whiteboard applications, multi-player games and live messaging just to name a few. The Macromedia Flash Communication Server is the only system you will find at the moment that can handle numerous different communication and media applications. While those wondering how to chat through Macromedia Flash Communication Server would not actually be using a server it is simply called this because of all of the functions and capabilities that it offers users.

One of the best features users will come across while learning how to chat through a Macromedia Communication Server is it's ability to increase the speed of real time message distribution. By being able to provide scripting, storage, security, and management a Macromedia Flash Communication Server can perform like a traditional application server that is dedicated to it's own applications. However the one thing it cannot do that an application server can is provide connections to external data such as databases. If users wanting to know how to chat through a macromedia flash player wish to do this they need the assist of an additional product.

Even though a Macromedia Flash Communication Server can provide it's users with a great number of combinations of applications it's one downside is it's need to be aided by other Macromedia Flash products. One of most products most relied upon by the Macromedia Flash Communication Server is Macromedia Flash Player 6. The flash player is the primary user interface for those wanting to know how to chat through a Macromedia Flash Communication Server and is needed for just about all applications offered by the communication server.

When an individual learns how to chat through a macromedia flash communication server they really do have the opportunity to create some very rich media and communication applications. Some say users can even create applications without having to utilize a large number of other macromedia flash products. To really utilize a MacroMedia Flash Communication Sever users should have an excellent understanding of all the applications that they are using,be able to experiment with applications that are created and most of all have a lot of patience.

Even with potential system flaws, by deciding to learn how to chat through a macromedia flash player businesses and individuals alike can really make the most of communicating through the internet.

http://www.torontochat.ca/

Toronto Chat

Ondemand And Live Streaming Video On The Internet

2008-06-02T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Cathy Linderman

Using streaming video is a choice driven by many factors

Streaming Video over the internet is in essence a task that has been occurring for the last ten years. But with the recent updates in technology and broadband being available around the world, only recently is it now considered a top trend for the internet. It's available for everyone to learn and use.

Businesses and organizations, both small and large, are using streaming video for communicating, training, informing, educating, promoting and selling services and products across the internet. One major decision an organization or business must make is what their major usage of video on the internet will be for them. This decision is usually the determining factor on whether or not the information is offered on-demand or live.

What Is On-demand Streaming?

On demand means that viewers click on a link for that video and actually watch it either immediately on the website or as it progressively plays in their media player on their computer. The event that is being displayed as video actually has occurred another time and not necessarily the same day of viewing when doing on-demand.

Many television stations will state coming live to you from.but this is not really occurring at the time you are watching it. It was taped live and being presented at a later date. This is referred to as 'simulated live'. When you watch American Idol on television, it states it is live from wherever they are that day, but actually it was taped months ago.

What Is Live Streaming?

Live streaming is when it is actually happening at that moment you are watching it. A live stream is delivered to it's viewers within seconds of it happening. Many sports games now are coming 'live' over the internet. They are happening at that exact time.

Events can be streamed live from one side of the world to the other with high quality viewing. Our company did a stream of a live sporting event in Germany and viewers watched it in Canada, Europe and the United States. It was occurring live at that time, and viewers watched it as it happened.

Corporations are doing live trainings from their headquarters in one country to offices in other countries live and on-demand. Universities and Colleges are doing long-distance training of courses live with interaction amongst students and professors from one side of the world to another. Live streaming is being used in many ways for events around the world. When the new Pope was inducted it was one of the largest live streaming events in the world over the internet.

Cost Can Be a Determining Factor

Many live events take a more experienced, and professional crew to produce as encoding (compressing and decompressing to send that large file) is done at location prior to sending it over the internet. Content Delivery Networks (CDN's) can be expensive if doing large on-demand or live streams of extreme length. Smaller video streams can be uploaded to your website using your own hosting service. Whether or not you have to use DRM (Digital Rights Management) is also another factor to consider. So there are a lot of factors involved in streaming on-demand and live video.

So your first decision when consider streaming video over the internet is whether it can be on-demand or whether it must be live. Your event at hand will determine that and your viewers' needs will also affect that decision. The extra costs for a live crew on location can be a determining factor also.

Cathy Linderman currently works with internet audio and video and her business provides related resources, practical training and products for all websites, whether personal or business. Cathy and her business associate, Komee, are known for their simple, practical, easy-to-learn techniques for using audio or video on websites.
Editor: Komee Carpenter
http://www.GlobalInternetBroadcasting.com

When Does A Corporate Video Add Value

2008-06-01T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Joel Loader

A professionally made corporate video production can greatly enhance your company profile and can be used in a variety of applications. Listed below are a number of the most common uses for corporate video.

Promotional Video Production

A promotional video is a dynamic, fast moving commercial, often with a musical accompaniment, and can be used to promote any of the services or products that your company has to offer.

Promotional videos are used for a variety of purposes. They can be used to engage the audience at the introduction to a multimedia sales presentation, conference, or training seminar and are also very often used running on a loop on exhibition stands and in company reception areas. These promotional videos can also be incorporated into CD ROMs and DVDs as an introductory piece.

Promotional videos can be highly effective and powerful at communicating your company's strengths in a dynamic and exciting way. The same video promo can also be used for a variety of applications, thus reducing filming expenses.

Executive Broadcast Video Production

One of the biggest problems facing directors of large multi-national companies or plc's is attempting to communicate on a personal level with their immense and geographically diverse audiences. Executive broadcast corporate videos enable the senior member, or members, of a company to dedicate a couple of hours of their time to being interviewed, and tackling any major questions or issues which may have come to light. By using a corporate video, they save themselves the huge cost, and time, of travelling from place to place attending conferences in order to achieve the same result.

An Executive Broadcast can be used for a multitude of corporate and training video applications, from welcoming new employees to a company, to communicating new management strategies or simply sharing your vision of the companies' future with your staff. Corporate video production can provide the ideal means of explaining your businesses core values to the customers, and can even be the perfect medium for communicating price sensitive announcements to city institutions and the press etc. There are many other uses for executive broadcasts and video production companies will work with your business to create tailor made executive broadcasts to suit your company.

Customer Testimonial Video Production

Customer testimonial videos are recorded interviews where a customer is asked to give their feelings on a product or on a company's service. Customer testimonial video production is becoming increasingly essential in the current business climate. Customers often like to hear the opinions of their fellow consumers, and customer testimonial corporate videos can be the ideal way to communicate this information.

Customer testimonial corporate video can be in the form of short clips of customers describing their reaction to a product or company, or maybe longer interviews of customers dealing with specific or more in depth viewpoints.

Customer testimonial video production can be used for a variety of purposes, from forming part of a video promotion, as an endorsement on exhibition stands, as part of a general sales presentation, or even to be used on an e-business card, and then given out at events, exhibitions, meetings etc. Customer testimonial videos can even be useful when assessing one's own business, as they can be used to create video case studies of customers, and thereby assess the product from the customer's side.

Conference and exhibition Video Production

Conference and exhibition video production can take the form of entire programmes of their own, or just as short clips to be incorporated into another, longer corporate videos that report on conferences or exhibitions that companies have held.

When a company has a large event, or exhibition, it is not always possible for all the people who need to attend to be there, but with so many issues being discussed and products being demonstrated, with conference and exhibition videos, these events can reach a much broader audience. The relaxed environment at these type of events, enable a much more laid back attitude to come across from the people being interviewed, and it is easier to get an honest opinion, something which can never be undervalued in any business.

Once filmed, conference and exhibition videos can either be put onto DVD for video presentations, or distributed on CD-ROM, through the internet or via your company's intranet.

Once an event has been filmed, it can be put to a variety of applications, from the obvious use of providing a record of the event for all who were unable to attend, to taking simple sound bites of interviews for incorporation into sales and marketing presentations. Conference and exhibition corporate videos also provide a great opportunity to capture presentations from guest speakers that the people who couldn't make it to the event would miss out on. A good corporate video production will reflect the atmosphere at the event, and can be an excellent way to encourage staff and/or customers to come to these events in the future.

Video Production for Tourism

The medium of video is unequalled in promoting the full tourist experience to potential visitors, with video production being an ideal way of marketing the amenities, attractions, and individuality of a city or tourist destination on an individual, local or even international level.

In the form of a CD ROM or DVD, the potential scope for video production for tourism is immense. A video will allow viewers to interactively explore a given destination, take a virtual tour around a hotel or enjoy a guided trip around a city with a well known presenter.

Most reputable video production companies will offer to create a tourism video, DVD or CD ROM as part of a larger marketing package, creating eye-catching packaging and inserts to complement the promotional programme.

Video Communication Says Better

2008-05-31T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Bogdana Baska

There are many ways to share your thoughts, feelings and information with your friends, customers, colleagues and relatives. It is a bit difficult to communicate when the person is very far away staying in some other country or state. But technology has advanced so much that it is now possible to interact with people all over the world with much ease. Thanks to the advent of the Internet, emails can now connect people from different countries in just seconds. What is more interesting is that it is now possible to communicate better than plain email. Yes, now we have the video emailing technology.

Video communication through video emails helps you to communicate better as you can see the person and talk as if you are right in front of him or her.

Video communication is better than plain emailing because with it you can feel the presence of the person right in front of you and you may be able to express your thoughts better. Video emailing can be of great use for the Internet marketing. With the help of video emails you can convince your customers better about your products or services. It would be just like meeting your customer right at his place. Video emails can also help to prevent as misconceptions or misinterpretations that ruin relationships. Long distance calls are very expensive Video emails help you to stay connected with your loved ones.

Video technology also helps you to enhance the performance of your business and you can gain huge profits. There is an innovative technology what is known as video blogging. Video blog is a web blog, which is used as a communication vehicle. These video blogs also include supporting text and images. Video blogging is now the fastest growing technology in the field of Internet marketing. Video blogs help you to grasp the attention of your customer faster than a plain email because we are all living in a visual society. We get attracted to a product when we are able to see it personally. You can now use video blogging to promote your website, to boost up your Internet marketing by using video emails instead of simple newsletters. You can use videos to build up your customer list and reap huge profits. You can also send your customer a video blog to show how to use a product.

Video technology has now made it possible to communicate with your loved ones through video emails and also through video chatting. Communication is always better through videos because we understand a lot of things through the facial gestures and body language of the person. This helps to build a strong relationship and bonding. With faster computers and Internet connections, video technology is the next revolution of this decade. Video technology has now made it possible to communicate with your loved ones through video emails and also through video chatting and that too free of cost. Communication is always better through videos because we understand a lot of things through the facial gestures and body language of the person. This helps to build a strong relationship and bonding. It is now possible for you to stay connected with their cell phones, computers, iPods through video chatting and emails. Hello World Company boasts the first fully integrated system of video communication and it offers various facilities such as hello mail, hello instant messenger and hello live. Hello mail offers its users the facility of sending videotexts and messages. Hello instant messenger is the hottest messenger tool, which allows you to send video clips and messages to your friends. This facility is available along with the hello mail. Hello live is a web casting tool which helps you to broadcast to more than 100 viewers at a time and this would be of great help to the small business owners. With faster computers and Internet connections, video technology is the next revolution of this decade.

Visit me at: http://www.getworldpassport.com/TOUR/?ID=bogdana

Streaming Video Revolution

2008-05-30T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Rey Ybarra

This year will be remembered as the year the Internet Video Revolution has taken over the Internet and simultaneously left many people wondering what streaming videos are all about.

For the first time in history, advertisers are spending more money for Internet advertising than for Television advertising. With the advent of Google Video and Mac Video websites, the Internet has now provided a way for individuals, businesses and video techies to showcase their videos via the Internet.

159 million Americans own cell phones with video capabilities. 58 thousand Mac Ipods are being sold every day and we are spending twice the amount of time on the Internet than watching TV.

I always tell my audience when I give a lecture about this topic to go into an Apple store and see who is in it! Take a good look around and watch what technology is being used and who is using it. And that technology is streaming video. I am amazed at how many business owners, expo promoters and webmasters are up in the air when it comes to this subject of streaming video and how it is changing the way we do business and how website are now being converted into their own TV sites.

A great indicator of this is to see what companies are using streaming media and how they are using it on their websites. So the next time you log on, take a good look around and learn from these companies if you have not done so.

And just a quick note, a streaming video commercial about your product or service can help increase your sales by as much as 85%.

Rey Ybarra hosts and produces the http://www.Optimalhealthtv.com, http://www.healthexpotv.com and the http://www.websitestreaming.com Internet TV websites featuring streaming media! He lectures at many of the major expos and events about the importance of producing streaming video for your websites. Rey is considered by his peers to be one of the most prepared talk show hosts and knowledgeable speakers/lecuturers in the field of streaming media.

Five Ways To Profit From Using Video Online

2008-05-29T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Liz Micik

The newest media wave to hit the online shore is video. Individual emails abound with links to "the funniest video ever," or blurry clips of new babies or birthday parties.

Businesses, on the other hand, have largely been left standing on the shore, scratching their heads and wondering if there's any real value to be earned from diving into making their own live video broadcasts, video emails or video on demand infommercials. Here are just five of the many ways video adds to the bottom line of any company.

1. People remember more of your message.
While people generally remember 10% of what they read and 20% of what they hear. But, they'll remember as much as 50% of what they see and hear together. Before anyone can act on your message, they need to process and remember it.

2. Increase responses by up to 30%.
A call to action is much easier to follow if it is actively delivered. Sound and motion are powerful action drivers, especially when they are delivered by your sincere enthusiasm and passion for your topic. Companies who have made the switch to video email and on- demand broadcasts have reported response rates jump as much as 30% following a broadcast.

3. Build your credibility.
People do business with people they know, like and trust. When you cut through the technological barriers of the Internet and put yourself online, you put "your self on the line" as far as viewers are concerned. The time it would normally take you to build a relationship with a potential customer can be dramatically shortened as a result.

4. The cost savings are obvious.
Anytime you can avoid the high costs of sending someone on the road to meet with clients or attend a meeting, the bottom line savings are immediate and obvious. In addition to any costs associated with attending a meeting, you need to factor in travel costs covering airfares to taxis and tolls, hotel costs, meal expenses, and even your internal costs to process the expense paperwork.

5. Soft cost savings multiply returns.
Spare yourself the productivity drain and the physical and mental tolls travel takes on your company's road warriors and you could enjoy "soft" cost savings that dwarf your hard dollar travel costs. Want an example? Look at your own calendar for the past month and count up just the hours you spent traveling to and from meetings. Multiply that by your hourly wage, and then by the number of employees in your firm.

If reasons like these don't help you convince the reluctant decision makers in your company to add video to your communications mix, please be patient with them. Historically they are in good company.

There were many who claimed the smeary images on hard to handle rolls of paper called "faxes" could never function in place of an original document. And who, they asked, would ever want to spend more time typing an email message when they could so easily pick up a telephone and place a call?

Liz Micik has spent 25 years helping companies use the right market, right message, and right media to get the results they want. She turns your video learning curve into a fast and easy profit curve in her newest book, "Cue the Director: 10 Simple Steps to Online Video Success." Visit http://www.powerpresenters.com to learn more and have free weekly video tips emailed to you.

Turn Your Website Into A Tv Site

2008-05-28T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Rey Ybarra

Converting your website into your own TV station is now possible with streaming video! If you are a business owner with a product or service and you are on a tight budget (which most of us who own businesses usually are) then producing a streaming video infomercial can be done for a fraction of the cost of producing a regular TV commercial.

The benefits of having a commercial on your website are incredible. Some of the benefits are:

A streaming commercial is your salesman 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Saves you thousands of dollars in production costs.

Increases sales of your product and service by as much as 85%.

Separates you from your competition.

Is upload able to your Ipod, Blackberry or cell phone.

Makes your website come alive.

And that is just the beginning! Keep in mind that 159 million Americans have and use cell phones. 58 thousand Mac Ipods are being sold everyday and major companies like Google and Apple have invested hundreds of millions of dollars into streaming media video services and they are even showing old television shows for viewing or uploading for these devices for new generations to enjoy.

If they are doing it, you should be too! Get the word out about your business, product and service and create a streaming video commercial on your website.

Rey Ybarra produces the http://www.websitestreaming.com website providing streaming media for websites. He lectures about the subject at many of major expos in the Southern California market and produces the Optimal Health Internet TV program. You may contact Rey at Rey.Ybarra@websitestreaming.com or at 818-464-3726.

Video Email The New Way To Communicate

2008-05-27T17:00:00.000-07:00

Writen by Terry Till

The Internet is now a thriving means of communication and for everyone around the globe to receive the most up to date information at the click of a mouse button. Sending an email is now accepted as the quickest and easiest way to converse with your friends and family or business acquaintances and everyday millions of emails are sent worldwide. However, as in all aspects of life today even this form of communication is fast becoming the "old hat" system and the new kid on the block is now high streaming video email.

Basically video emailing gives you the opportunity to still email at lightning speed to your friends, family and business acquaintances but now also allows you to include a high quality video message. Although this concept has been available for a short time this form of communicating usually involved high cost software and the need to include large file attachments within your email thus making it generally prohibitive to the mass audiences.

Thankfully even this has now been improved by considerable measures and a leader in this field is Myvideotalk who have solved this problem and have made the software available to all at remarkably low cost. Even more impressive and of great importance, Myvideotalk have developed a system that allows you to send high quality streaming videos without the need for large file attachments or complicated operating software.

Also in a quest to keep at the sharp end of innovation the company has now also made available the group video conferencing software which allows multiple users to communicate with each other by video connection and thus enable people from all around the world to now not only talk to each other but see each other in a group environment.

As a means of Internet marketing this now really does give the individual online businessperson a real advantage to convey their business to the mass audience around the world and never has there been such a fantastic opportunity to build a business by talking face to face with prospects and established business associates.

This truly does mean that the phrase "isn't it a small world" is becoming more and more of a reality for us all.

Terry Till

http://www.myemailvideo.co.uk

Tips From A San Diego Video Production Preinterview Your Subjects

2008-05-26T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Kurt Snider

One of the best ways to improve your on-camera interviews is by conducting mini-interviews with your subjects before the camera rolls. This was really helpful for a recent San Diego video production. An apprehensive, nervous CEO became a solid, confident presenter on tape largely because our producer spent time preparing him.

Ideally, this is done in person with the subject a few weeks or days before your video production. That way, they'll become comfortable with your interview style and you'll have an idea what they'll look and sound like on tape. It will also give you an opportunity to evaluate their chances of performing as required for the program. It may be possible to schedule some quick media training or suggest other ways to enhance their performance. This could include the addition of a teleprompter or a hair/makeup stylist.

If time doesn't permit a personal visit, a phone conversation is the next best thing. This is when you can determine whether your subject is long-winded, lacks energy, etc., so that you can find a better interview subject. You can help your subject to be succinct and clear (i.e., "Am I understanding you correctly when you say..." or "Do you mean to say..."). It will also give you the chance to help the subject gather their thoughts. Busy professionals often wait until the last minute to scan briefing notes and then sit down and want the interview over in five minutes. The client then wonders why the program wasn't successful.

Pre-interviews can also help you formulate better questions because you'll know what your subject is going to say. At the very least, take a few minutes before the camera rolls, while the crew is setting up, for a mini pre-interview to find out what your subject will say and to help him or her relax. The worst thing to do is to sit in the room during setup. There are too many distractions. The client will be listening to where the audio guy went on vacation instead of discussing the subject at hand with you. This is the time to take control, isolate the client from handlers if possible, and accomplish your goal of making the subject comfortable with you and their material.

What You Need To Know If Your Company Wants To Produce A Video

2008-05-25T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Greg Coon

Studies show that people remember merely 20% of what they hear, and only 30% of what they see, and an incredible 70% what they hear and see. * With this in mind, it's no wonder why video is such a powerful communications tool.

So your company has decided they need a video. Where do you start? What questions do you ask? How can you make sure the final product is what you are expecting? This article will give you the tools you'll need to have a professional video project you can be proud of.

First, let's talk about money. As with most things, you get what you pay for. Especially with video production, if you make a decision to hire a production company solely by picking the lowest quoted bid, you will probably end up with a video that is much less than what you expected. Remember, this video represents your company. Do you want your video to look like a high school A/V project? On the other hand, there is no reason to go crazy and spend ungodly amounts of money. It's important to find a company that gives a fair bid for the type of video you need and can produce your project in a professional manner.

Two Decisions

To start your video project, there are two decisions that you will need to make. First, do you want to hire an independent producer or a production company? Second, you will need to decide if you wish to receive your bid for production as a "Package Price" or "Piece Meal".

Independent Producer or Production Company?

Independent producers usually work for themselves and do not own any equipment. They generally rely on outside production companies to supply their equipment and crew needs. This means that if you have an immediate need, the producer is dependent on someone else to help service you. However, unless the independent producer is very busy, you should get good personal attention.

By hiring a production company, you can get a producer who is part of the production company that has the equipment and crew resources in-house. They can generally respond immediately to your needs. Depending on the scope of your project, a production company will either use an in-house producer or hire a freelance producer to coordinate your project.

Either way you decide, be sure you have an experienced producer to manage your project.

Two Ways to Hire

There are two ways of hiring a producer or production company to create your video: "Package Price" and "Piece Meal".

"Package Price"

A package price for the entire project is the way many videos are negotiated. For most situations it is the most logical. The client knows exactly how much to budget for, and the production company knows how much money they will have to work with.

If you choose this route, be sure to have a very clear bid with exactly what each side will be responsible for. The advantage for this is if the company requires to do more work than initially planned to finish what is described in the bid, they are obligated to do whatever it takes to complete the project. However, it is very important to understand that if you, as the client, request more than what is described in the bid, you would be expected to pay extra for your request.

"Piece Meal"

The other way to produce your video is "piece meal". Hire your production company by the day, or by the hour. This way, whenever someone is working on your project, you are paying for their time and only the time they are working on your project. Your producer should be able to give you hourly and daily rates and to estimate the total cost for the project according to your needs.

Your Producer

Whether you hire an independent producer or a production company, you should have an experienced video producer coordinate your entire project. Your producer should be available to you at any time to answer questions and to consult with you about any part of the production. Don't scrimp on your producer; they could make or break the entire project, and they should not be learning on your nickel.

Your producer's job is to manage the project from beginning to end. They are responsible for coordinating the scriptwriting, pre-production, shooting, and editing. Depending on where you live and his or her experience, you can expect to pay your producer between $350 to $1000 a day.

Scriptwriting

Scriptwriting is usually charged by a finished minute rate. For example, if your script is 10 minutes long and you are charged $200 per finished minute, your cost for a complete script should be $2000. A complete script should include all voice tracks and equally important, the video shot descriptions that match the voice track.

Shooting

Shooting is usually charged by the day. Depending on your needs, your shoot may be as small as hiring one cameraman with gear, all the way to having a complete crew that may include a cameraman, lighting director, audio technician, production assistant, teleprompter operator, make-up artist etc. Rates vary depending on your location, but it is standard to hire a strong two-person news style crew for $1,000 - $1500 per day, including professional camera gear, audio and a lighting package. On smaller projects, the shooter can also act as the producer.

Editing

Editing is almost always charged by the hour. For most all projects, a high-end digital (non-linear) editing system will handle your project beautifully. Depending on the system, you should pay between $100 - $200 an hour for editing, including an experienced editor that can make suggestions on how to make your project even better. Finding a Production Company

Looking under "Video Production" in the Yellow page directories is generally a good way to find a local production company. Remember: just because the size of an ad is bigger for one company than another, it doesn't mean the production company is better.

Personal referrals sometimes are your best bet. But remember that this video will represent your company, so be sure you are referred to a professional video producer with experience and not cousin Billy who has a consumer camera and wants to get into the video business.

You can also search the Internet. One of the best sources for lists of production companies on the web is at www.mandy.com. There are many others sites with lists, but this one seems to be the best. Using search engines like Google to find production companies that have a presence on the web is also a very good source.

Awards

Has the production company won any awards for the videos they have produced? There are regional and national awards that producers can enter their projects. If your production company has won some critical acclaim, it's a good chance that they would be a good company to produce your video.

Quality and Format

Other than the producer's expertise, the quality of the final product depends largely on the equipment used to shoot, light and edit the video. For most corporate video projects (marketing, training, communications, etc.), commercials and television programs, the Betacam SP or DVCAM formats are the smartest choices because of their widespread compatibility. There are a number of new excellent broadcast digital video formats, like DVCAM, that are just now emerging on the market. From a client's point of view, Betacam SP or DVCAM or one of the new professional digital video formats (DVCPRO, Betacam SX, Digital Beta) will give you broadcast quality images. Even though Mini DV is quite an incredible format for the prosumer market, it doesn't have quite the quality of the professional formats.

Meeting the Producer

When you initially talk with your producer, be sure to ask some questions. But more importantly, the producer should ask you most of the questions and listen to what you want. This is your company's video and it's up to the producer to try to get in your head to give you a product that you want, not what the producer wants. Be aware if the producer tells you what you need without listening to what you are saying. At the same time, ask the producer for recommendations that would enhance the project beyond your video knowledge.

Set up a time to meet with the prospective producer. Meeting at your location is usually most beneficial. If you want a marketing or training video for your widget, it would be important for the producer to see the widget. Bring copies of videos you would like to emulate and tell your producer what you like and don't like about these videos. Be sure the producer brings sample tapes similar to the project you want to do. Look at past projects your producer has completed. You should also call the producer's past clients to get feedback on their professionalism, work quality, and personality to understand what is was like to work with them.

Q and A

Your producer should listen to what your company's goals are regarding the video, ask a lot of questions, then give suggestions for the best way to produce your video within your budget. Often, your production company won't know anything about your business and vice-versa.

Questions to Ask Your Producer

What can I do to keep my costs down?

A good producer will help you keep the project within your budget. Some of the more common ways to save money are:

shorten the length of the program,
use fewer professional actors, and
keep the shoot days to a minimum.

Holding a pre-production meeting to coordinate the project could save hundreds of dollars. If the shoot is scheduled at your company's location, try to do everything possible to facilitate the videotaping process. For example, if you are creating a marketing or training video for your widget, let your manufacturing line take direction from the video producers and allow disruption of their work.

What kind of experience does the producer have?

The experience of the producer relates directly to the quality of the finished product. Be sure to see examples of video work that the producer has personally produced.

Are there any extra charges?

Ask up front if there will be any extra charges. Some common extra charges: taxes, tape costs, mileage, travel expenses and duplications. It's important to understand that if you, as a client, make changes to the project that require additional work from the production company not originally agreed upon in the proposal, expect extra charges to apply. What will you need from me?

You, or a representative from your company, will need to be an accessible contact person to help coordinate approvals, schedule shoots, and answer questions to help make the production process as smooth as possible.

Questions Your Producer Should Ask You

What do you like and dislike about other videos?

What do you want to achieve with this video?

Who is the target audience?

What do you want the audience to do after watching the video?

How will the tape be shown?

How many shoot locations are there?

Will we be shooting during business hours?

If we are shooting during business hours, are there any logistical concerns?

How long does the video need to be?

Will a company executive need to be on camera?

Do you need a professional on-camera talent or voice-over?

Who will write the script?

Will you need extra graphics or animations in the video?

Are there any other materials that need to be included in the video, such as photographs?

Final Points to Remember

An important point to remember, especially if you are a rookie at using video, is that communications is key to the success of your video. Your production company should be available at any time to answer any questions you may have. Your producer should be kept informed of the project's status and what the next steps are.

Television is a huge part of our lives and we are very accustomed to top quality programming. Today's audiences are sophisticated and expect broadcast quality video productions. If your video is anything less, your message and image will suffer greatly.

Remember to ask questions, be sure you are asked a lot of questions, and go with your gut feeling. Chances are you will end up with a great product and have a fun time in the process.

Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions. Greg Coon

Eyecon Video Productions
Dallas, Texas
214-368-3932
Toll Free (877) 704-1517
greg@eyeconvideo.com
http://www.eyeconvideo.com
*Source: Harvard Business Review

Greg Coon is the President of Eyecon Video Productions, a professional video production company based in Dallas, Texas.

Looking For An Innovative Way To Explode Your Sales Video Software Benefits Amp What To Look For

2008-05-24T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Mary Van Scoyk

Insider's Scoop On How To Skyrocket Your Sales Plus Decrease Your Advertising Costs.

If there is one constant between anyone who does business, or ever sells anything, it's the big question; "How do I stand out above the crowd when I'm trying to reach my customers?" It is a question that has been asked ever since the human race started advertising and selling. It is only just now coming to the forefront about the amazing benefits and results of using video to do this.

Users Report Dramatic Increase In Sales With Use

The Internet is a wonderful way to advertise items, but has its advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage of the Internet is that it can be impersonal. It is a well-known fact that customers will buy more when they feel appreciated, trusting of the advertiser, and receive that "personal sales touch". If you have an item for sale, potential buyers are much more likely to pull out their card to purchase if they are able to see the item as though they were right there with it.

The advantage, of course, of the Internet is the ability to reach tremendous volume of customers, which simply cannot be duplicated on a one-to-one sales relationship.

The advantages of personal sales, and the volume of the Internet are now combined with the use of video software.. An advertiser can record a video with quality audio, either off-line, or online, edit it, and send the personal video to the prospective customer, post it on a web page, or in an ad. There are generally also options to allow for real-time, face-to-face Streaming Video, with two, or even multiple parties.

What to Look For In Video Software;

Although there are already video capabilities on the Internet, there are several key points that you should look for;

No file attachments in an email, which reduces virus concerns for customers.
You don't want one that has long download times--I have received ones like that, and I get tired of waiting and don't bother with it--your customers will too! Ideally, you want one that doesn't even require a download.
High quality video & audio, with the abilities to import, upload, and edit outside videos. Also ideal is the ability to record video off-line, then post it online.
Uses universally accepted Windows Media Player.
Allows areas of the screen to be linked to a web page.

Newer versions of video software that have quality, and are user-friendly, are sure to revolutionize the ways we communicate on the internet. It is applicable for all; from family members wanting to send a personal video, all the way up to major corporate needs.

Use It Now, and Be "Heads Above The Rest" In Your Sales and Customer Response

The probability of this type of software revolutionizing the way we do business on the Internet is almost certainly without dispute. It can be used by the everyday person to show a video of a car, boat, or motorcycle for sale, yet is a valuable tool for business promotion. The advertiser can send video links for practically anything; personal emails to prospective customers, or even message videos within their E-zines. The possibilities are endless; some of the first ones coming to mind are;

Antiques-Crafts-Art, or other similar display
Car Dealerships/sales
Motorcycle, RV, boat sales
Real Estate
Animals with high quality bloodlines for sale or breeding; such as horses, dogs, cats, etc.
Possibilities only limited by your imagination!

It is, of course, quite apparent that this tool is likely to become the "new standard" for Internet business and advertising within a very short time, probably a matter of only months. The ones who jump at this tool first, are the ones who are going to be "ahead of the crowd", exploding their sales, and setting this new standard for advertising.

Mary Van Scoyk has been working on business and marketing online since 2000. After getting enough of the "big city" lifestyle, she escaped to the quiet farm country of the Midwest cornfields. She has published the website, http://www.thegoodliferesources.com/ where she also publishes an online newsletter with tips about how make a business succeed online.

Creating Value With Streaming Video Content

2008-05-23T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by John Howarth

Having a corporate or promotional video for your company is often viewed as something of an expensive luxury useful, but rarely considered to be an essential marketing tool. Whilst many businesses can understand the benefits of having a corporate video, all too often they are put off by the perceived cost and subsequently find it hard to justify commercially. Furthermore, the process of making a video can at times, appear complex and intimidating, with an array of technical terms and processes.

Streaming video provides a number of useful opportunities for maximising the potential of an existing corporate video. And compared to other distribution media such as DVD or CD-ROMs it also offers a cost-effective solution for broadcasting a new corporate presentation to a wider audience.

Although streaming video is certainly not a new concept and has been around for some time, it's now easier than ever to add streaming video content to your website. The technology required to enable video streaming is widely available, it's relatively inexpensive and with the dramatic growth in high speed, broadband internet connections, a growing number of internet users can now view high quality, streaming video on their computers.

In this article, leading corporate video & business television producer, John Howarth, explains some of the ways in which streaming video content can be made to work effectively for your business and produce tangible results.

Provide Compelling Content

Try to provide content that creates a real interest for the viewer. Instead of simply informing them of your key corporate values the typical narrative being 'how successful we are, the great products & services we offer, our featured clients' - why not turn the message into something that is actually useful and engaging to watch.

Take for example a company that manufactures kitchen products. Whilst you could produce a video to establish company values by highlighting such areas as quality of craftsmanship and original design of the product, this information is almost certainly available more easily on the web pages. It could be far more interesting for the viewer to provide them with a series of recipes, which feature the products being used in context.

Another technique is to provide content that is not centrally focused to your company's core products & services. For example, your company sponsors a sports event or art exhibition. How about showing some clips from the event, with company branding around it? By using more recognisable and popular content, you are creating a wider 'reach' for the video, with the added possibility of gaining increased website traffic.

Re-Package Content

Lets say you already have a corporate video, it's around ten minutes long and you currently distribute it on a video tape format or DVD. The most obvious solution would be to have it transferred to a streaming format in it's entirety and loaded up onto your website. Whilst a ten minute corporate video sequence may be useful as a backdrop display in a trade exhibition or screened to a captive audience in a conference, it's often far too long to use as a streaming video clip on your website. Who really has the time to sit and watch a corporate video clip for this length of time? It's often far more useful to break the sequence down into a series of individual clips or re-edit into a shorter, condensed version that has greater impact.

Following on from this, you might also want to distribute streaming video clips around different areas on your website. This way, the clips featured can be targeted to match and complement - the page content. For example, on a page detailing company clients and case studies, the video clip could feature customer testimonials; situated on a contact details page, the video sequence could feature some generic shots of company locations and building exterior shots.

Brand The Video

Whatever streaming video clips you use, try to ensure they are branded with your corporate identity. This could be a small logo in the top corner of the screen or a 'picture frame' wrapped around the moving images. Taking it a step further, you may want to add an introduction sequence with animated corporate logos at the beginning and end of every sequence. Another option is to create an HTML or Flash 'player' customised with your corporate identity. The video clip would then play within this frame and could be complemented by some animated product or service information around it.

When reviewing website statistics, it is frequently pages featuring streaming video content that are the most 'sticky' and have the longest viewing times by site visitors. Use this factor to your advantage - it's an ideal opportunity to get your core brand values, products and services across to the site visitor.

About The Author

John Howarth is creative director of Blue Tuna Limited, a leading UK-based corporate communications & multi-media production agency. Past projects include live streaming for leading online bookmaker, Blue Square and the launch of the UK's of the first club soccer channel, Boro TV for NTL.

www.bluetuna.tv

Rerecord Other Video Files Without Getting The Black Screen

2008-05-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

Writen by P Ericsson

Have you ever wanted to re-record movies, music videos or other stuff playing on the web?

Well, the problem is that these players use video overlay. A video overlay is invisible to Windows capture programs because it is handled by a special video hardware. So, when you try to record you only see a solid black block. This is the overlay.

So, if you want to re-record what you see playing on the web or in Microsoft Media Player, RealMedia RealPlayer, Apple's Quick Time Player etc. you can use video screen capture software and temporarily turn off the overlay. Now, there are two ways to do it:

You can disable the graphics hardware acceleration globally for all applications,

or

You can disable the graphics hardware acceleration for a particular application.

We are going to concentrate on the second method.

And, it is very easy to do! If you want to learn the first method we will provide you a resource on how where to get the information on how to do this at the end of this article.

Apple Quick Time Player

From the menu select "Edit > Preferences > Quick Time Preferences". You will then in the "QuickTime Settings" window. Select "Video Settings" from the list menu at the top and then click "Safe Mode (GDI Only)". Then close "QuickTime Settings". And finally, close everything completely and re-start QuickTime Player.

Microsoft MediaPlayer

Select the Tools menu, then Options , click the Performance tab and slide the Video Performance - Hardware Acceleration tab down, all the way to None . Note that this does not work for DVD playback.

RealMedia RealPlayer

Select Tools > Preferences > Hardware and at the bottom you will see ' Video card compatibility' Move the slider over to 'Most Reliable'.

That is all there is to it!

If you want to learn how to disable the graphics hardware acceleration globally for all applications which is very easy to do, you can find where this information is available in the Resource Box.

P Ericsson and his team at Easy Screen Capture Video provide some great tips on how to create professional quality videos in real time easily without having to be a multi-media expert. Another benefit is that it does not involve a lot of time or money to do.

When Online Videos Attack

2008-05-21T17:01:00.001-07:00

Writen by Tim Priebe

With recent services like YouTube.com and Google Videos, having videos on your website is all the rage. People can put videos on their website without having the videos actually take up room on their own server. And YouTube.com and Google Videos make it fairly simple, if you know any HTML at all, to copy and paste a little bit of code onto your site.

But the power to easily put such videos of your site does not mean it's always appropriate to do so. Let's look at a case where it is appropriate, then a case where it isn't appropriate.

Scott Ginsberg wears a nametag 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. He is the world's foremost expert on approachability. He is also an international public speaker. Now on any website, you want to show off your product. As one of Scott's biggest areas of his business is his public speaking, it only makes sense that he has a couple of videos on his site. He has one that is accessible from his main menu on every page, and another that is a bit more buried in his site.

For Scott's type of work, having a couple of videos on his site makes sense. Note that he does not go overboard on the videos. The quality of the videos is professional, and does not detract from his site. Also, he is the subject of the videos. Seeing Scott makes his seem more approachable. Before you even meet him, you can hear him talk and interact with other people.

Let's talk about a web designer's site. I'm not going to bash any of my fellow designers by talking about a specific site, rather I will generically discuss a sample case.

There is really no reason for any videos to be on a web designer's site. Their site is there to provide information about that web designer, including portfolio, client feedback and services offered. The only thing in there that could really even potentially be done with a video is client feedback. But doing so is unnecessary and would be tacky.

Why would it be tacky? Good taste on a web designer's website is more important than it is on other sites. Video testimonials, while possibly appropriate imbedded within a longer video, are overkill on a web design site. Simple written testimonials will work much better in our case here, and would be much more tasteful.

So how do you determine if videos will work for your specific site? First off, look at other sites in your industry/niche. If many or most of them do have videos, chances are that a few will be fine. Don't go overboard, and look at the kind of videos that are provided on those other sites.

Of course, just because no one in your industry has put a video on their site does not mean it is a bad idea. You may be the trend setter. If so, make sure you have some sort of method for tracking how many times the video is watched versus how many people visit your website. If hardly anyone ends up watching it, you may need to go ahead and take it down.

But if the ratio is much better, than you may have just started a trend. It may be a great idea to have videos on your site.

One final note. Videos in blogs tend to be more acceptable and appropriate than other places. Just make sure that the videos are appropriate for your intended audience. There's no need to put a video of a kid falling off a skateboard on your business site (I'm sure it's happened). Instead, put videos that instruct and will benefit your blog's readers. If your blog is of a somewhat humorous tone, an occasional funny video won't hurt.

Tim is the owner and senior web designer at T&S Web Design. His company has developed and maintained website for dozens of small businesses and organizations. Tim also maintains a blog with free website advice for small business owners, GetASiteOnline.com

Boost Your Online Sales With Audio And Video Support

2008-05-20T17:01:00.001-07:00

Writen by Natalie Aranda

Have you ever noticed when you are shopping at most any retail store there is background music being played and if you need help understanding how a product works or need aid in purchasing the correct equipment there is always a person near by to help you?

This is what your ecommerce or online sales website needs to achieve that comfortable atmosphere where visitors to your online store will enjoy shopping. When you make your store online comfortable with audio or video your customers are apt to stay longer on your website and that means a better chance of a sale.

Using audio in the form of quiet listening music will aid in keeping your customers online and enjoying shopping at your ecommerce store. They will feel comfortable and at ease which will allow them to browse your store and buy.

Another way in which audio on your website can aid in getting you more sales is when you can personally talk about a certain product and how it works, what it does, and just how the item can make their life easier. You will then be transforming your website into the feel of a retail store, with salesmen that offer their help to customers. Your customers will appreciate this extra feature and will also be able to learn about the products through listening instead of just seeing a product on a page.

Go the next step, add a video of how to use the product, how to install, or construct the product and show the many uses on the video of what the product can do for your customers. Now, you not only have a salesperson explaining the product, but you also have a technician showing how to use the product.

People are more apt to purchase products if they can tell that your website has real people behind the pages. Using audio and video will give your website that extra touch and your trustworthiness will go up as well. You will be providing your customers with a nice setting for shopping, a salesperson that can aid them with their purchase and a technician that guide them through the installation process.

Using audio and video on your ecommerce website to increase sales is a must. You will be giving the consumer what they want and deserve in our high tech world and they will not have to go to a retail store to have their needs met.

You have permission to publish this article electronically free of charge, as long as the bylines and links in the body of the article and the bylines are included.

Natalie Aranda is a freelance writer. She's been experinenting Audio & Video Editing with MP3 Converter, and MP3 Encoder on a ecommerce guide website.

Yahoo Jumps On Video Bandwagon

2008-05-19T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Jim Edwards

Despite Google's "Wall Street Darling" status, Yahoo! still rates as the most popular cyber-destination, getting more visitors than any other single website on the Internet.

With the recent surge in production and consumption of online video, it's no wonder that Yahoo! wants a piece of the action, especially with the intense interest from marketers eager to find the best way to cash-in with video advertising.

Though Yahoo! cataloged online video long before Google's entry into the online video market, a massive redesign of Yahoo!'s video interface indicates they want a bigger piece of the online video pie.

When you log onto http://Video.Yahoo.com, it looks pretty much like every other online video search engine, such as YouTube.com or Video.Google.com

You can search for videos by keywords as well as log in and upload your own videos right through your web browser to share with others online.

You can also easily share the videos with your friends in a number of ways, including: posting it on your blog; sending an email with a link; and adding it to your publicly available favorites for others to see.

However, despite the similarities, Yahoo! Video does carry some variations worth discussing.

Hosted vs. Linked Video

Virtually every single other major video directory on the web hosts all the video that gets displayed on their sites.

Google Video, iFilm, YouTube and others all force the user to upload video to their servers before inclusion in the directory.

Yahoo! Video does both. Users can either upload their videos through their web browsers to the Yahoo! servers or wait for Yahoo! to find the videos and include them in their directory.

The fact that Yahoo! includes remotely hosted videos in their search results means you have a better chance of finding the videos you want, since you get more potential choices with each search.

However, it also means a greater chance of going on a wild goose chase when a video file no longer exists on a remote server.

Video File Formats

Almost every single other video directory converts uploaded videos to the FLV file format before making them available for viewing.

This enables both Mac and PC users to view videos using the free Flash browser plug-in.

On the other hand, since they both host and link to video, Yahoo! Video makes available multiple file formats, including FLV, WMV (Windows Media Video), MPEG and more.

Since all of these formats don't work on every computer and operating system, I believe this will cause confusion among users.

And, based on my experience, confusion causes people to look elsewhere for what they want.

Overall, Yahoo!'s video service looks more like a "me too" effort than a serious attempt at innovation.

Yahoo! does not include video in their main search results page, the advertising on the video results page is not targeted, and the multiple file formats will create frustration for some users.

Despite any shortcomings, if you publish online video, of course make sure you submit your video to Yahoo! simply because the Web's most popular site is bound to get you some extra visitors.

Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the co-creator of an amazing course that will teach you step-by-step and click-by-click how to get your own money-making videos posted onlineWithout Being a Computer Geek or Paying Outrageous Fees To A Webmaster!" => http://www.WebsiteVideoSecrets.com

Live Webcasts Of Carnival

2008-05-18T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Aleem Khan

This week some Independent Senators complained that their Parliamentary Committees were left out of Government's plan to broadcast live sittings. Government allocated some $10 million to this end. Now, how do you spend $10 million on live broadcasts? I don't know. What I do know is that it would be a lot more affordable to webcast the sittings of Parliament and you wouldn't have to exclude anyone. In fact the whole thing could be controlled remotely.

Set up the cameras, the webhosting, design the website and you're live for 1 billion Internet users around the world, not just 1.6 million who live here. How would you fund it? Well, I can't see it costing anywhere near $1 million, but let's just say it does. There are at least two ways you can fund it.

First, it would be difficult to think that after the government justified a budget of $10 million to broadcast the sittings of Parliament only, the same government would turn around and say it will cost nothing additional to broadcast the sittings of the Parliamentary Committees too. So Government is likely to be willing to spend some more. The second method is a lot simpler: sell ads. It shouldn't be too difficult to find a couple of companies with deep pockets that want to get on the good side of Parliamentarians by making them familiar faces on the World Wide Web. Who knows, Trinidad & Tobago might end up being the first Parliament ever to webcast everything. Yea for transparency!

Now, on to Carnival. As some of you may have read in past Internet Opportunities, Breaking News sells "Live Help" software that allows website owners to monitor traffic on their websites in real time. This is a lot more than just stats. "Live Help" software actually allows you to know when someone is on your site, from whence they came and what they're looking for. You don't get to see who the person is but you do see an I.P. address moving around.

Over the Carnival weekend, I made an amazing discovery. People were searching for "Carnival Webcam." Now, here comes the freebie. We did a search and "CarnivalWebcam.com" and "CarnivalWebcast.com" are available for registration. Go to the International Internet Authority and see for yourself. So next year, if you're a Carnival person (because I'm not), you might want to register these names and set up a website webcasting Carnival live. There are a lot of people overseas thirsty to see the action, the market of homesick Trinbagonians who can't tell their bosses, "Doh ask meh to wuk for Carnaval!"

Aleem Khan, a senior partner at Breaking News, is one of the few people in the world with a four letter domain name bn.gs. He is an accredited Agent of the International Internet Authority who speaks Spanish, French and English.

Seven Tips On Making A Successful Video Production

2008-05-17T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Marie-Claire Ross

Producing a video for your company can be an exciting and potentially stressful experience. There's more to it than simply assigning a video production company to the task and crossing your fingers.

To get the most from your video production dollars, we'll take a look at seven top tips for making your corporate video a success.

1. Start with Results. The first step is to work out exactly what you want your video to achieve. Is it to train staff on a new procedure or is to increase interest at trade shows? Design your video concept around the desired result. Often clients get caught up with showing off their company that the main message gets lost.

2. Write a brief. Once you know what you want to achieve, work out what you want to show and explain in your video. Formulate a brief that specifies your objectives, target audience, the countries your video will be viewed in and any required languages. A list of all the shots that you need is also helpful. Will the bulk of the shots be at your premises and do you need your CEO to talk to camera? Video production companies will try to calculate how many days filming are required to work out the cost, so it's important to know how much needs to be filmed at the outset.

3. Know your image. What sort of image do you want to present to your customers? While watching your corporate video, your customers will be left with an impression of what type of business you are and what to expect when doing business with you. If your television program happens to be radically down-market than your up-market product suggests, then you create cognitive dissonance in your prospects. This will mean that your viewers will be left with an uneasy feeling that something isn't quite right with your company and will automatically distrust your message. To avoid this, make sure the quality of production reflects the quality of your product/service. This can involve using a professional camera operator with broadcast quality gear to having a graphic artist design maps and titles.

4. Messages. One of the key areas to work out is what communication messages you need to get across. Work out the 4-6 key messages and develop the video around these. If you have too many messages people will tune out. Essentially, make sure you give information that your audience wants to know (not what you think they ought to know).

5. Script. The script provides the backbone to any video project. It's always worthwhile spending extra time refining the script. As a rule of thumb, it needs to be completed before any filming begins. The best kind of script is short and sharp and revolves around your main messages. The quicker you can get your message across, the better the result. Avoid putting everything into the script, as wall to wall voiceover is quite tiring (and boring) to watch.

6. Assign a contact person. A designated person from your firm will need to be available to work with the video production company. The production house will need script information and approval, help in organising shoots, copies of your logo and other relevant materials and someone to view a draft of the video and then finalise. This person will also need to make sure that the look and feel of the video best represents your company.

7. Get expert advice. A good production company will be able to advise you on the best format for your needs such as the music, the filming, editing style and how the schedule will run. They will also be able to take your brief and come back with a range of suitable suggestions. Don't stress about the technical issues. That's the job of your producer.

Marie-Claire Ross is one of the partners of Digicast. Digicast works with organisations who are not satisfied that their marketing and training materials are helping their business grow. She can be contacted at mc@digicast.com.au. The website is at http://www.digicast.com.au

Interview With A Quotvideo Virginquot

2008-05-16T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Marie-Claire Ross

Shani Alexander is the founder of Relocations Made Easy (www.relocations-made-easy.com) which produces an interactive website and CDROM tool that advises people on how to make a stress free relocation to a new city.

To create her interactive product, Shani needed camera vision of herself explaining to viewers how the product worked in front of a cityscape backdrop.

We interviewed her to find out her experience of using a video production company for the first time.

1. Why did you decide that you needed a video component in your website tool?

I am selling a virtual personal service product and the video component was needed to introduce a real person from which my virtual product could springboard.

The video component showed a real person, a company owner. It gave the personal touch and introduced what the customer was going to receive from their purchase.

2. What were you looking for in a video production company?

I really needed a company that could understand what I was trying to achieve. I really needed them to get inside my head and make real what I was imagining, what I was dreaming up.

It had to be cost effective with no cost blowouts. It also needed to be applied to the media I was using - the internet and CDROM. I needed clear picture quality that could be viewed across those mediums without any picture quality loss.

3. How difficult was it to compare proposals between the four providers?

Everyone told me how it is difficult to compare. All the production houses said they could do the same thing, but the prices were extremely different.

When I spoke to Digicast they went to great lengths to explain the type of camera that they used. Whilst I would have liked to think that everyone could produce the same job, I realised that the big differences in prices reflected the different types of camera quality being used.

Digicast also took me on board as if I was a client already. They gave me suggestions about how to do the shoot the best way and started treating me like a client before I even made the decision to go with them. From there, we were able to develop a relationship and work together on the project.

4. As someone new to being filmed, how did you find your shoot?

I found it really long, really tiring and boring! I was really surprised at how dependent you are on the weather to be right you have to keep waiting for the right light and the sky. It can add hours to the shoot.

Andrew Ross from Digicast who filmed me was incredibly professional. He's passionate, technical and knows what he is doing and has to keep the poor person on the other end of the camera still interested. He did a good job managing that. I really thought he worked well with me as the presenter. Andrew got me to look at the vision on the shoot and gave me options as to how we could re-shoot it to make it better. He controlled everything but I didn't feel like a pawn. His suggestions were worthwhile.

5. What did you learn about the television production process?

I really learnt something from it and I can now look at all the different shows on television and see how good, and bad, those presenters are. I have a healthy respect for an industry I took for granted before. It was a fantastic experience at the end of it all.

6. What advice would you give to anyone looking at starring in their own video?

I advise anyone who wants to take this on to do lots of preparation.

Digicast gave me some suggestions before the shoot about how I could get myself ready and get the most out of the day. I took those to heart and I did put a lot of preparation into the script. I re-edited the script, timed it, practised it and rehearsed it in front of a lot of people beforehand.

I even hired a professional to give me a training session on hand gestures and facial expressions. My preparation even extended to my personal grooming and I had my hair coloured beforehand and bought a new suit.

I also went to a lot of trouble to get the right location. We had to let the City of Melbourne know beforehand about the shoot. The liaising with the council was a much bigger component than I imagined. I checked out the site with a council employee and took some digital shots which I then emailed to Digicast. It was a real team effort to work out the right place to shoot.

7. Would you do it again?

You bet. I'm hoping I don't need to, as I should get a few years of mileage out of it. After all, it was made to be timeless and dateless. But I'd do it again because I achieved what I set out to achieve. I'm very happy about the experience and I would do it again if I needed to.

About The Author

Google Video Viewer Tweaked For Nongoogle Content

2008-05-15T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Walter Vandenhoute

'DVD Jon', a Norwegian programmer, has tweaked Google video to make it play clips that are not on Google's servers.

Google Video ( http://video.google.com ) is a web-based video search service that lets people use keywords to search for videos from numerous suppliers.

To watch videos on Google Video, a browser plugin is necessary. Google Video Viewer can be downloaded here: http://video.google.com/video_download.html.

Google has restricted his Video Viewer to only play back files that are stored on video.google.com. The Google Video Viewer is based on the open-source VLC player ( http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ ) which is a highly portable multimedia player for various audio and video formats (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, mp3, ogg, ...) as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols.

When you download and run the patch of Jon Lech Johansen ( http://nanocrew.net/?p=114 ) to remove this restriction, you can also watch with the Google Video Viewer non-Google hosted videos! Running the patch requires a .NET runtime.

People are advised NOT to install this Video Viewer patch, according Google, as "It could result in security vulnerabilities on their computer and may disrupt their computer's ability to access Google Video". But why should we believe Google? Google is protecting his Video Viewer, but when you can use it for other content, why shouldn't you do it? Give it a try and post your feedback on the wallies.info blog.

Url: http://nanocrew.net/?p=114

For feedback on this article, please visit http://www.wallies.info/blog/item/170/index.html

Walter V. is a self-employed internet entrepreneur and founder-webmaster of several websites, including wallies.info :: A snappy blog about snappy blue things :: blog | wiki | forum | links - http://wallies.info mblo.gs :: A snappy moblog community - http://mblo.gs

Video Production Explained

2008-05-14T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by James Hunter

Video is a powerful marketing medium with the ability to communicate concise, precise and controlled information with a positive effect. A well-constructed video fires the imagination, increases the energy level and ensure that all feel part of your event. It will engage the emotions, focus the attention and enable each individual to visualise his/her role as part of the team.

Videos strength lies in its simple ability to transport people to locations, illustrate concepts and convey far more than mere words, spoken or printed, ever can. Video is an effective and memorable way of communicating. Core messages and themes are reinforced using other forms of communication. Video footage has a long shelf life when used imaginatively in multimedia CD-ROMs, Websites, DVD and CD-Brochure formats.

Video has been revolutionised by the onset of digital shooting and editing. Shooting in broadcast quality used to involve cumbersome and expensive camera equipment, combined with analogue editing which required the copying of sections and consequent loss of quality with each successive generation. The process was time consuming, complicated and linear. Modern digital cameras are capable of shooting in broadcast quality. Editing is now carried out in a non-linear way on desktop computers; changes may be made at will, stored and reviewed at any time and in any order. The advantages are similar to those gained by using a computer word processor over that of a mechanical typewriter and carbon copy paper for duplicates. Not only is digital editing highly flexible, but the medium enables an ever-expanding range of graphical effects to be applied without loss of quality or corruption of the original footage. In consequence, the costs associated with making and producing a video have dropped dramatically. What was once the preserve of the large, rich and expansive corporation is now available and affordable to a much wider market with the consequent advantages that this provides to internal company communications and team building along with external advantages in the selling of products or services to your market place.

The stages required to produce a video vary depending on the style and content; generally:

PRE-PRODUCTION involves briefing, research, location finding, administration, booking of facilities and writing a treatment outline (video content, description and approach to be adopted). After approval a shooting script including both narration and camera shots will be written.
SHOOTING follows the approved script and involves a camera crew and a director going to location/s to interview participants and shoot footage to illustrate, illuminate and reinforce the script. If required studio shoots are undertaken where controlled lighting and effects are employed - a product demonstration, for example is typically shot in this way.
POST-PRODUCTION includes recording of guide narration (using an edited script, which may change from the shooting script because of interviewee's comments etc.). Footage is edited to the guide narration, graphic and video effects generated and music and titles added. The resulting edit master is then client approved and amended as necessary. A final "voice over" is then effected incorporating final changes. The final master tape is complete and ready for duplication.
DUPLICATION is the transfer of masters onto the final format which can be all or any of VHS, Betacam, Laserdisk, Digibeta, DVD, Mpeg, Avi and more. The final product is then packaged and presented in an appropriate way with print material for labels, inserts and sleeves.
James Hunter works for Status AV, one of the foremost video production companies in the UK.

Profiting From Google Video

2008-05-13T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Robin Porter

Google video is now a fast growing repository of video clips of all shapes and sizes, and has opened up some new strategies for Ecommerce website owners to profit from. Here we will explore how you can use this service to generate customers.

Google video (www.video.google.com) and You Tube (www.youtube.com) are the two main video clip websites. Here, you can search and watch video clips on thousands of different subjects from trailers, through to tutorials through to peoples plain old funny home video clips.

That's all very well, but how can you, as an online retailer, profit from this?

- Tutorials and short "how to" tips

You could record short clips (most are under 5 minutes) of tips or tutorials relating to your field. Here are several examples.

Golf: Search for golf tips and you will find a plethora of choice, from tips on chipping from the rough, playing bunker shots, curing that slice and much more. If you are selling anything golf related, make your own video or enlist the aid of your local golf pro.

Fly fishing: Here we find tips of fly tying, finding the best locations, casting and much more.

Dog training: this search returns lots of video clips on different training techniques, including police dog training.

If you are in the sports, recreation or hobby markets, there are lots of opportunities for you to upload "how to" type videos. I even came across a lap dancing video, uploaded by a company that sells pole dancing equipment!

- Product comparisons

In marketplaces such as audio visual, there is ample opportunity to compare different products or product types. For instance, what are the benefits and advantages of Plasma televisions versus LCD tvs? In the fitness industry, what are the different training supplements available and what would suit you best? For clothing retailers, how about a premiere of this seasons latest fashions?

- Product user guides

Again this one works well in technical marketplaces such as audio-visual and computers. For instance, How to set up your home audio system, what you need to view High definition TV, how to set up a wireless home network.

Or something a bit simpler . . food retailers, how about some quick and easy recipes using the ingredients you sell?

Equestrian retailers .. how about clips on correct saddle care, how to fit a saddle, or reviews of timesaving accessories.

- Funny clips

Perhaps you can make (or obtain! ) a funny clip relating to your marketplace. Funny skiing accidents (for ski shops), hilarious banger racing clips (for motor part retailers) or crazy baby antics (for baby wear and equipment retailers). The funnier they are, the more likely they will get passed around the Internet.

Getting traffic

There are several ways these videos can get you traffic. First you need to "brand" your video, by adding graphics to it. You could be technical and add a graphic banner at the bottom quoting a short message and your website address, if you have video editing software. Alternatively, just make the last shots of your video a close up of your web address on a sign or the front of your premises.

Users who search and find your videos, will then have your website promoted to them.

One extremely powerful benefit is the viral factor the passing round of video clips by email by friends who have the same interests. This works extremely well if you have an original, funny clip you could find your visits "take off" if the clip is passed around the Internet.

Additionally, many content based sites are able to feature video clips from Google, thereby giving you a free advertisement on their site if they decide to use yours.

How to record and upload your video

You can use digital cameras, camcorders or even mobile phones to record the videos, and the quality does not have to be massively high, so long as its clear enough to see.

To upload video clips to google, you need to go to www.video.google.com and select the upload link at the top. If you don't already have an account (for adwords, adsense ,gmail or other Google services), you can create one free of charge. Currently Google accepts AVI, MPEG, Quicktime, Real, and Windows Media formats.

As well as Google, the other main video clip repository is www.youtube .com which accepts formats from most digital cameras, camcorders and cellphones using .AVI, .MOV, and .MPG file formats.

There are massive opportunities right now, for online retailers to get in early on the video clip boom, and promote their products, services and business to a wide audience. Get videoing!

Robin Porter is CEO of a Uk Ecommerce web site design company and advises web site owners on ecommerce website marketing

Video Production Tips Improve Eye Contact To Improve Your Results

2008-05-12T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Steve Singleton

The Eyes Have It
Remember your high school speech class? Your teacher told you that eye contact is extremely critical to making a good speech. The more you look down, or over your audience's heads, or to the side of the room instead of eyeballing them, the less effective your speech, presentation, or monologue is.

You know this is true. How often have you listened closely to a teacher who lectures to the class without ever looking up? How powerful is the preacher who reads his sermon and never connects eye to eye, with you or anyone else?

One important key to effective video marketing is to establish good eye contact immediately and maintain it throughout your video shoot.

Tips for Improving Eye Contact
Here are a few pointers to help you along the way toward creating dynamic video marketing clips.

Get used to looking directly at the eye of the camera. It's going to feel weird at first, but with some practice you can get used to it.

Imagine you are talking with a good friend, and that the camera is his or her eyes. The more natural you can be talking with your friend in normal conversational tone, the more natural your video will come across.

Avoid himming and hawing on camera. You have to make yourself painfully aware of all the times you say "um" and "uh." Many people do this only when they are intimidated by the all-seeing eye of the video camera. Two or three brief pauses in which you are silent are a hundred times better than saying "uh" even once.

Have a good idea of what you want to say. The best videos you can produce are when you consistently look right into the camera and speak from the heart. Once more, practice will make you better and better at extemporizing.

If you have trouble speaking extemporaneously (having a general message in mind, but making up the actual words you'll use as you go along), you will have to find a useful alternative. For example

You can memorize your script. This can be very effective if you have a good memory or practice enough to get your wording "down cold." The danger is that you will miss a few words and have trouble getting back on track. Your mind can easily go blank as you stare into the camera. Another danger is that you will remember all of your lines, but won't deliver it naturally. You may tend to rush or develop a "sing-songy" delivery that destroys your effectiveness.

You can use notecards or a printed script. You can look down, quickly read the next thing you will say, and then look into the camera again. Many news anchors use this method. If you develop the art of glancing down only once in a while, this method can still be very effective.

You can create a script that you are reading off the computer screen as it scrolls just below the camera. Vertical scrolling software is available on the web for free, as well as software for scrolling for which you pay a reasonable shareware fee. Of course, you can only glance down at the script and then look up again, but if you are able to do it skillfully, you can be quite effective.

You can purchase a teleprompter that enables you to read your script as it scrolls right in front of the camera. The advantage of a teleprompter is that you can read and look at the camera simultaneously. The disadvantage is that teleprompters can cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars.

You can make your own teleprompter for less than $80 and use free scrolling software available on the web. This is the solution I have chosen, and I am very satisfied with it. You still have to develop the skill of reading effectively, but at least you have continual eye contact.

Hold 'Em with Your Eyes
Whichever option you choose, you will find that as you video production experience grows and your eye contact becomes more frequent and more natural, your video marketing will double and triple in its effectiveness.

* * *

Steve Singleton has written and edited several books and numerous articles. He has been an editor, reporter, and public relations consultant. He has taught college-level Greek, Bible, and religious studies courses and has taught seminars in 11 states and the Caribbean.

Go to his DeeperStudy.com for Bible study resources, no matter what your level of expertise. Explore "The Shallows," plumb "The Depths," or use the well-organized "Study Links" for original sources in English translation. Check out the DeeperStudy Bookstore for great e-books, free books, and great discounts. Subscribe to his free "DeeperStudy Newsletter" or "DeeperStudy Blog."

Google Video The Monster

2008-05-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

Writen by Tyler Moore

It's hard to compete against the Mountain View giant and its competitors should worry.

Google video has had compound growth in these past few months and sites like Youtube have something to fear. Youtube has just started to turn a profit in March and with bandwidth expenses estimated at 1 million dollars per month they better keep making a profit or they could fall flat on their face.

Fans are loyal and with the one username fits all, Google services are convenient and easy to use. Google has just made getting videos on the web easier. Instead of downloading their video upload software you can access it straight from your web browser. A long overdue feature they should have had from the beginning.

Another shortcoming besides not having the web uploaded from the start is a lack of a rating system. If Google were to implement a video rating system it may be the end of other video sites.

Google is also winning the hearts of Hollywood with its paid videos and vigorous human verified filtering system, so no copy written or inappropriate content can be published. This may be a breath of fresh air for other video sites where you can find music videos and other less conservative videos at no charge.

While Google is potentially putting other sites out of business they do offer something for the small website; it's called the "embed video" option, where sites can copy a piece of code and it will display the selected video on their site. This greatly reduces bandwidth for the website, which in turn reduces cost.

Google's arm is too strong and reach too far for the little guys to compete head to head, instead they should walk side by side and bask in the success of what some experts call the new frontier: Videos on the web.

http://www.vewgle.com - The video forum.

View and Discuss Videos.

Look Into My Eyes New Webcam Technology

2008-05-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

Writen by Robert Palmer

If a new webcam technology from Microsoft get the go-ahead, then instant messaging could get a whole lot more interesting.

Currently under development at the Microsoft research labs in Cambridge, England, the new webcam, i2i consists of two lenses, which carefully follows an individual's movement. Using an exclusively developed algorithm to cleverly blend what each lens is seeing, resulting in the creation of an accurate stereo "cylopean" image.

All very technical, but for the 18.5 million people (source Microsoft) who regularly use webcams while they are using instant messengers, i2i means that it will appear as if users are looking into each others eyes.

Antonio Criminisi, lead researcher of Microsoft's Machine Learning and Perception Group, said.

"We were able to come up with an algorithm that was able to take two images and capture a corresponding map in 3D. Using this powerful technology, we can now synthetically create an image as if the person is looking straight into your eyes."

According to Dr Criminisi, the biggest challenge for the backroom boys at Microsoft was in calculating how the visual brain works. In particular, how it sees and sorts out colors, shapes and distances.

"Essentially, what we have done is replace human eyes with cameras and the human brain with a computer."

The real magic behind this technology is the newly developed stereo algorithm, which makes it possible to accurately reconstruct a 3D, geometric image in real time and on a standard computer. Fundamentally, this is the same technology which was used to recreate the stunning 3D images of the Martian surface, which were beamed back by the NASA rover.

With the ability to generate realistic looking background images in order that users can pretend they are somewhere other than where they really are! Commenting, Dr Criminisi said.

"This is important for privacy, as I may not want you to see how untidy my bedroom is."

A feature likely to capture the teens market is that of Smart Icons. Instead of typing in the usual pictorial emotion e.g. :) i2i can superimpose free floating, 3D ones which can then be instructed to float freely around a person's head or anywhere else for that matter.

While Dr Criminisi admits there are still issues to iron out before the project is passed on to Microsoft Development, he is pleased with what has been achieved in under two years. Dr Criminisi's team is already experimenting with code which enables users to create their own wrap-around avatar, 3D face and then have it move as if it were their own.

About The Author

Robert Palmer is CEO of deskNET Communications (www.desknet.co.uk) providers of the first, viable alternative to opt-in email marketing and newsletter publishing. eMail: info@desknet.co.uk

Working With Royalty Free Music

2008-05-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

Writen by Alan Steward

When creating Multi-Media Content, Flash or Video Clips for a client's web site or CD Rom Project, the last thing you want is to get him in trouble with the law. If there's a need for music in a project, using royalty free music is essential.

Here are some general music tips that you may find useful:

1) Finding the right kind of music

There are hundreds of choices when it comes to royalty free music and making the right decision can be hard. After all, most TV production companies have music supervisors on staff whose only job it is to select appropriate music for projects. Selecting music is an art in itself. In general, you will find that your clients would prefer to use something they heard on the radio, something from their favorite album etc. Unfortunately, that's copyrighted stuff and licensing an N Sync song for your next 'how to' video or CD-Rom may cost you a fortune. What you want to do is find buyout music that sounds similar to today's popular music. It's a little harder to find than your typical 'canned' music. A lot royalty free music may sound like music from a 70's sitcom or worse, a cheap porno flick.

A good place to check out is http://www.buyoutmusictracks.com All their tracks are created by established record producers with grammy and gold record credits so you get music that sounds as up-to-date as what you may hear on the radio.

Our tip: Always use music that sounds just a little more energetic than you think you may need. You may listen to the music over and over while you're putting together your project while the end user may only hear it a few times.

2) Less is not more in production music

When you are looking for background music for a project, choose music with some impact. I know it is supposed to be background music but if you choose high energy tracks, your whole project will leave more of an impression. Listen to a sampling of today's TV commercials and you'll find that most of them use very powerful music. You want your work to create an impact and keep viewer's attention and a strong, powerful soundtrack can do that.

3) When 'legal' music is not legal

The usage license on your buyout music CD may be very liberal but it is not a license to steal. You can use royalty free music on all of your projects and as you have the legal right to use the music, your customers can be assured not to get into legal troubles.

However, that license is only extended to you, the purchaser. You cannot transfer that license by copying your CD and giving it to somebody else or by selling the CD. This may be news to you but there's no such thing as a 'used buyout music CD' If you don't purchase the music from the producers of the music, it won't be legal still. So, next time you browse Ebay for royalty free music, make sure you are buying a new CD, not a used one or it will be useless to you.

4) You get what you pay for

While we're on the topic of Ebay: You may find offers for entire 4 or 6 CD libraries for $75 or other ridiculously low prices on Ebay. The truth is, these CDs may not even be worth that low price.

One good quality royalty free music CD will cost you between $29 and $69 (some even more) If it's less than that, here's what you are likely to get:

Discontinued titles that have been around for 10, 20 or more and not only sound dated but may also have already found its way unto hundreds or thousands of other projects during the years to make your own project sound dated.
Homegrown CDs that are created in somebody's bedroom studio. You can easily recognize these CDs as they usually don't have any 'real' instruments on it, only synthesized stuff. You can clearly hear the difference between those CDs and something produced in a real studio with real musicians. Our tip: Check out http://www.buyoutmusictracks.com for music. Each of their CDs is only $29.95 and each title contains between 30 and 48 real studio recorded tracks.

5) CD or Download?

With the event of high speed internet, you don't really have to wait anymore to receive your Royalty Free Music CD in the mail. If you need tracks fast, you can now download buyout music from the net. You can choose only the tracks you need and get to use them within minutes. Single downloadable tracks usually cost a little more money per track than buying a whole CD. On the other hand, you don't have to buy a whole CD if you only need one or two tracks.

My advice, if you are buying music to 'keep on the shelf' for future projects and for your customers to choose from, buy physical CDs. If you need just one or two 'perfect' tracks or if you are on a deadline, downloadable purchases may be perfect for you. I don't know if I have to mention it, but purchasing a Mariah Carey track from Itunes or Napster for a buck does not entitle you to use the music. You have to download your music from a buyout music company so the track is licensed to you.

6) Make your own

You may think, 'are you crazy? I'm not a musician' You don't have to be a music genius anymore these days. Programs like Acid and Apple's Garageband allow you to create original music by using 'loops' Loops are pre-made musical chunks of drums, bass, guitar, strings, whatever, that you can put together like a mosaic to create your own music soundtrack.

The advantage is clear. By creating your own music with a loops program you can make absolutely sure that nobody else is using the exact same music on their project. This will give you 'original' music at Buyout Music Prices. All you need is a good musical ear and a couple of loops CDs to get you started. You can find lots of loops CDs and more info at http://www.acidmusicloops.com Their Groove Construction Kits are a great way to get started with music loops. And here's the best news, you can download the Acid program for free. Just visit http://www.musicleads.net/articles/freestuff.html for free (and legal) downloads of Acid, Protools and many other great music and sound tools.

I hope that these tips were useful to you. You are free to use or re-print this article in your newsletter, ezine, or on your web site.

About The Author

Alan Steward - www.musicleads.net

Alan Steward is a producer and engineer with many credits in the Music, Video and Television production world.

Google Infomercials And The Billion Channel Internet

2008-05-08T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Titus Hoskins

Very recently, Google within its Adsense advertising program, introduced video ads to the world wide web. Companies, businesses and advertisers now have the option of using online video ads to sell their products and attract potential clients.

In addition to text and image ads, advertisers can now place video ads on participating websites throughout the web. These video ads will be offered in three formats: Medium Rectangle (300 X 250), Large Rectangle (336 X 280), and Square (250 X 250). Those websites or webmasters participating in the Adsense program will be paid in two ways: contextually-targeted ads on a cost-per-click basis or site-targeted ads on a cost-per-thousand-impression basis.

The video ads will be displayed on the websites in a static state, if the visitor clicks the ad the video will play once within the allowed space -- you can click replay to repeat the ad. You can also click the displayed URL or ad to go to the advertisers's website.

In short, Google has brought commercials to the web.

Google video ads may play a significant role in the whole web marketing process. Giving visitors the option of hearing the advertiser's sales pitch/messages without leaving the host website. In our fast paced, hurried world this may be a welcomed addition to any website. You can learn more about Google video ads here: https://adwords.google.com

At first glance, this move by Google into video ads may seem like only the next logical step in the online advertising process, just another way to better serve their patrons. However, in a broader context, these video ads may prove to have much more significance for the world wide web.

Video ads will no doubt prove to be another stepping stone in the gradual evolution of the web into a Billion Channel Universe. Helping to turn each website on the web into an information channel ; much more similar to a TV channel than a webpage. And much more aligned with infomercials than commercials.

Nothing stays the same, not even the web.

As downloading times decrease and video clips/streaming becomes the rule rather than the exception, all websites will be turned into information channels. Highly targeted interactive channels providing or serving up the one thing that matters most on the web -- information.

When the introduction of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and the rapid proliferation of wireless services and devices around the globe; one may even argue the rudimentary groundwork or framework for a billion channel network already exists and already broadcasting their messages or signals out to all interested parties.

Depending on your point of view, this can conjure up a frightening image... a billion infomercials blasting their messages 24/7/365, bombarding us with sales pitches like there's no tomorrow.

However, with Google video ads and with this hypothetical billion channel scenario, there is one big distinction that must not be ignored. One distinction that changes everything.

All these channels will have targeted visitors who have voluntarily and of their own free-will searched out these channels or websites for further information. They WANT to view the information. They MAKE the choice to click the ads.

From a marketing perspective, this makes all the difference in the world. A targeted prospect is in the right mindset to hear your sales pitch. A targeted prospect is much more likely to buy your product or service. A targeted prospect will have a much more positive effect on your bottom line.

As with any form of marketing, it is the effective methods or techniques that get readily adapted by competitive businesses staying one step ahead of the mainstream. Whether it is using audio or video ads on their websites, savvy online marketers will explore and exploit any new medium very quickly. Google's video ads may prove extremely lucrative for those marketers.

Seeing The Big Picture

On a larger scale, video ads, infomercials or webfomercials may also help in turning the web into a billion channel universe where any subject imaginable or even unimaginable are offered up for your viewing pleasure. Depending on your feelings this may be: an obscene commercialization of the web, a marketer's paradise, or a shopper's dream come true. Take your pick.

Regardless of these differing viewpoints... marketers, small business owners, and ordinary webmasters should realize that the introduction of video to their sites does offer many marketing opportunities that can't be ignored. It is one more powerful marketing tool they can use to increase sales and raise conversion rates. Proceed without video at your own risk.

Get ready for the Billion Channel Internet and could you please pass the Google remote.

The author owns and runs numerous sites on the web, including two sites on Internet Marketing. To learn how to place video on your own website click this link for several Free reports and videos: Online Infomercials. For all the latest marketing tools you need to run your online business try: Internet Marketing Tools. Copyright © 2006 Titus Hoskins. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

How Video Can Be Used Effectively Online

2008-05-07T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Marie-Claire Ross

A powerful way to convey your communication messages to your audience is to be able to have your promotional video available on your website.

Yet, we have probably all experienced visiting a website and clicking on a video only to have to been irritated that the content is not viewable or that the sound is inaudible. The result is we leave the website in frustration.

So how do you make sure the video content on your website can be watched by your audience? It all boils down to how you want your viewers to access your video file and the level of video quality you want your movie to be played at.

There are two different ways of sharing your video file on the web:

1. Streamable Video

This is where the viewer is able to download sections of your video (otherwise known as "streaming"), while the video is playing. The main benefit of this method is that the user does not have to spend time downloading the complete video before viewing.

There are three major streaming video formats RealVideo (RM), QuickTime (MOV) and Windows Media (WMV). These are playable on Real Player, QuickTime Player and Windows Media Player respectively. Windows Media Player is widely available on most PC's, as it is part of Windows Operating System. The other players need to be installed.

The only negative with streamable video is that the quality of the video is dependent upon Internet connection. In addition, it has the annoying habit of dropping video frames because the streaming software has to adjust the data rate based on the speed of your Internet connection, in order to keep playing the video.

2. Download and Play

This is where the viewer needs to download the entire video first, then play it on their video player application. The main advantage is that the video quality is not affected by Internet connection speed.

However, it can take some time for the video to download if the file is large.

So which format do you choose?

In a world where first impressions always count, it is extremely important for companies to appear professional and trustworthy at all times. Marketing videos with poor picture quality are likely to reflect a poor quality company in the mind of the viewer. Consequently, we always recommend the download and play option. This is because it allows for high quality video content to be viewed.

However, as you don't want viewers to give up on downloading your video, we only recommend that short video clips are inserted onto your website.

This means your website users will be able to download a short video at a high quality picture resolution that will portray your company in the best possible way.

Create A Favicon For Your Customers Bookmarks In Four Easy Steps

2008-05-02T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by Mike Ralph

A favicon is a custom icon that sits next to your web site title in a persons favourite's menu when they have bookmarked your site, it is an easy way to create an 'eye drawing image' to ensure that people always see you link in their favourite's and should hopefully encourgae them to check out that 'great site that they haven't visited yet today!'

This is a quick guide that will provide instructions on how to create one for your site, it really is very easy and will help to create a extra tool to maintain your site in the customers mind.

All it takes is four easy steps...

1) Choose an image that you would like to use to represent your web site. Most people use a small version of their logo but you can use any image that you want. I would advise however that you choose an image that is reflective of your web sites theme and an image that will still remain recognisable when the size is dropped to 16 x 16 pixels.

2) Take your chosen image, which should be as high a quality as you can get, in .JPG or .GIF format and convert your image to the 256 color Web Safe Palette or the Windows 16 color format. This can very easily be done in most graphics packages and as a guideline I would say that the less colours you use the better so as to maintain image clarity and professionalism.

3) Using your graphics package, reduce the image down to 16 x 16 pixels, at this point you need to ensure that you preserve the image resolution. This is a key factor as a larger image that has been reduced can loose all clarity and just become a tacky blob, is this how you want your web site remembered? The key here is to keep perservering until you are happy with the finished icon and it is a great advertisement for the professionalism, and the theme, of your web site.

4) Once you are happy with your completed icon you need to save it as "Favicon.ico". This is the default name that web browsers, such as Internet Explorer, look for. This file then needs to be copied to the root directory of your web site and then whenever a customer bookmarks your site your image is cached and will display when they use their favourites menu.

This can very easily be tested by clearing your cache and re-bookmarking your site and 'hey presto' your new shiny, professional and eye drawing favicon will appear next to your site title and will also appear in the address bar of your browser.

This is just another simple trick that aims to get you 'thinking outside the box' when it comes to developing your website presence and reminding your customers to come and re-visit your web site.

Mike - Forum Webmaster at

Online Auction Trader - a community forum dedicated to developing you a sustainable, profitable and long term online income.

Video Converters 101

2008-05-01T17:00:00.001-07:00

Writen by John Deprice

Your PC may contain hundreds of video files, all encoded differently - AVI, MPEG, RM, WMV, DVD, VCD, MOV, etc. If you are looking for video conveter tools, here are some suggestions.

WinAVI Video Converter

WinAVI Video Converter is a nice tool for converting video clips to an assortment of formats. The attractive, modern interface features large, clearly labeled icons, so you won't have to dig through the menus very often. You can convert a variety of file types to WMV, AVI, MPEG, and RM. Other notable pluses include a built-in DVD-burning utility, a batch-conversion tool, and a preview pane. WinAVI Video Converter is easy to use and powerful enough for experts. Burning VCD/SVCD/DVD is supported. WinAVI Video Converter supports almost all video file formats, including AVI, MPEG1/2/4, VCD/SVCD/DVD, DivX, XVid, ASF, WMV, RM, QuickTime MOV, Flash SWF. The program also has a powerful video decompress/compress engine that convert whole AVI movie to DVD in 1 less than an hour.

More Information: http://www.deprice.com/winavivc.htm

Aare AVI to VCD DVD SVCD Converter

This tool is very basic, but also very inexpensive - less than eighteen dollars. This program is capable of converting an avi file or Merge some avi files to a VCD DVD SVCD format MPEG file. Plus it Supports avi to vcd dvd svcd conversion with NTSC/PAL setting option, processes avi with DivX/XviD avi format and works with MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4 video files and MPEG layer1, layer2, layer3 audio files. In addition to that there is the "Split feature" that splits big mpeg files into several smaller segment, so that it can be fit onto a CD. Other features include:

* Input/Output preview.

* Fill in / Customize options for cropping output video.

* Support output effect.

* Support Input/Output list and other options saving automatically, finishing it anytime.

The program is brainlessly simple to use:

Additional information: http://www.deprice.com/aareavitovcddvdsvcdconverter.htm

John Deprice is a multimedia professional. He shares his tips and tricks on working with video at http://www.deprice.com/multimedia.htm

Video Streaming

2008-05-01T12:53:00.001-07:00

Video Streaming