Webcasting
A webcast is a live video or audio broadcast over the internet. A user can receive a webcast without any specialist software but effective reception will generally require a broadband connection.
Webcasts can be used for providing an online broadcast of an event, speech or session at a conference. They are used for online seminars for remote communities, online university tuition, and even for video-conferencing that involves a video camera at each participating location.
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Web conferencing from Broome
We held an online trading floor using web-conferencing. We had a camera showing the trading floor in Broome, and other people hooked in by telephone from around Australia, and even London. It was a great event and participants could see the practical use of technology!
Kevin Fong, Indigenous Stock Exchange
Video webcasting is the most common form of webcasting. It has the advantage of providing both moving pictures and audio and arguably provides the most involving online experience. But it is expensive to broadcast – using a specialist webcasting company can cost some $5,000 to webcast a single event – and can require high bandwidth costs for users.
Video webcasting at its most basic will involve a small camera, available from local electronics shops, connected to the internet using special software that comes with the camera. This can be used for a small number of viewers in different locations. Costs and effort climbs rapidly as the number of people viewing the webcast climbs.
Audiocasting is cheaper because the equipment required is simpler and the bandwidth needed is less because less data has to be sent. It’s similar to internet radio; all a listener needs is a common sound player on their computer. Its lower bandwidth requirements mean it is able to support more users than video. Audio is also likely to provide a better user experience than video for users with slow dialup internet connections or older computers.
Webcasting requires specialist skills and tools. You will need to find expert advice and support. Your internet support person may be able to help, or you could try and find someone through university multimedia or communications courses. Alternatively, examples of Australian companies providing such support are:
Before you webcast make sure that your speakers give you express permission. Some professional speakers don’t like to do this if they think it will cut into fees they can earn from other events.
Questions to speakers
Some webcasting software from specialist service providers allow users to ‘Ask a Question’ in the interface provided for the video or audio feed. This is generally available while an event is being broadcast.
Another option is to use a discussion forum, or even blog software, to solicit questions for speakers. People post a question either in advance or during a session, with a facilitator checking the website and passing them on as they come in.
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Video streaming via the web
We’re now using video streaming to deliver presentations on women's health topics by expert speakers to regional and remote women.
We previously used multi-point videoconferencing where women would come to a group in their local town to watch a presentation by, for example, an incontinence specialist who would otherwise never get to such a remote location. Video-conferencing offered women the chance to talk to the speaker too, but it did mean that some women had to travel and watch as a group.
Since we've introduced video streaming, we're absolutely astonished at how much the streams are being viewed, and they have the advantage that they can be accessed on any computer with internet access, at any time. Hence viewers don't need to travel, can view whenever they want, and even though they can't talk directly to the speakers, we're using an interface that allows women to send in email questions as they watch.
Linda McClelland, Women's Health Queensland Wide Inc. http://www.womhealth.org.au
Audio webcasts at the United Nations Engaging Communities Conference in Brisbane
The Engaging Communities Conference organised by the United Nations and the Queensland government in August 2005 had 1500 people from around the world listening to hundreds of presentations over four days. To allow remote participation, the organisers arranged for the major speeches to be audio webcast. The webcast web page included an instant messaging-style panel that allowed viewers to ask a question of the speaker. During the Q &A part of a session a moderator scanned the web page and passed the best questions on to speakers.
The conference also published recordings of other selected sessions as downloadable audio files.