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woman computerStreaming video webcasts are a rapidly growing way to access informational, educational, and entertainment programming.


Live, Real-Time, or Archived?

Many websites advertise "live streaming" or "real-time webcasts". What do these terms mean?

Webcast refers to all kinds of programming played over the Internet.

Streaming refers to the technical process of sending audio and video through the Internet. The audio and/or video play more quickly than traditional downloading because they begin playing almost as soon as they reach your computer.

The word "live" can lead to confusion. Some people call streaming media "live" because it plays almost immediately rather than waiting for a download. Although it's accurate to say that you're listening to the webcast "live" as it is being downloaded, it's often not actually a "live webcast". Real-time events are live programs, archived events are recordings of live events, and packaged programs often contain elements that were recorded live. For example, you can listen to a basketball game as it happens, a recorded version (delayed webcast), or an edited version. It works just like television.

Streaming Video Webcasts

The programming includes real-time events, archived events, and packaged programs.

Real-time events. Real-time events are viewed as they are happening. In some cases, people can even interact with the event. Interaction is generally referred to as video conferencing. Exploratorium Upcoming Webcasts, NASA TV, and National Geographic Live Events are just a few of the organizations that host webcast special events. You can watch Newsline from Voice of America and Boston News NBC 7 live. The Annenberg/CPB and CTV are available 24/7.

Delayed webcasts. Sometimes programs are shared the same day they are recorded. This is often the case with sporting events or current news programs. The past programs are then archived. Online News Hour from PBS offers a same-day webcast along with archives.

Archived events. Many times real-time events are recorded, archived, and can be played back later. Many streaming websites allow users to watch to real-time events as well as watch the recorded, archived version later. For example, you can choose programs in the Video Gallery from NASA's Multimedia section and National Geographic Webcast Archives.

See and listen to Booknotes programs in their entirely at the archives using Real Player. For example, you can hear Sandra Day O’Connor discuss her autobiography called Lazy B. Watch BooksTV programs on adult and children’s topics.

Packaged programs. Packaged programming has gone through post production. In other words, they have been edited. These packaged programs may be full-length or simply clips from the entire work. For example, you can view news features from National Geographic News. You can also watch PBS NOVA Programs including Life's Greatest Miracle, Cracking the Code of Life, Cancer Warrior, and Dying to be Thin. You can also purchase these programs on videotape or DVD.

Combinations. A few television stations provide webcasts of their programming. Some stations are on 24 hours a day. These are often a combination of real-time events, archived events, and packaged programs.

videoEducational Projects. Many national projects use a combination like this. For example, you can participate in the JASON project as a real-time event or use their archives and supporting materials from EDS's Digital Labs.

K12 Programming. Many schools are developing their own streaming video webcasts. The best example is CHSTV at Carlsbad Unified School District, CA. Check out other examples at at Studentbroadcasts.com.

Some webcasts are aimed at K12 students. For example, ChannelOne programming is streamed.

Since the introduction of ChannelOne over a decade ago, there's been quite a bit of controversy over the role of commercialism in schools. Skim the following articles. Some are clearly for and some against. Draw your own conclusions about the use of this television programming for schools.


Streaming Video Webcasts

Real-Time and Archived Streaming Programs

Archived Programs

Library Webcasts

Directories, Links, and Indexes

Streaming (Video-On-Demand) Subscription Services

Movies Available Online

Read the CinemaSpot article Watching Movies Online and the Movies Online Predicted by 2005 by Sharon Theimer

Live Cams

A 2005 Web Cam study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project stated "one out of six American adult internet users (16%) have gone online to view another person or a place via a web cam. That translates into roughly 21 million people who have viewed material on web cams. And on any given day, about two million internet users are checking out remote places or people by using webcams."

Do you want to see what's happening right now in Hawaii, China, or your local school? Check out a web cam. These are cameras that have been set up to display a live picture. They may be still pictures, delayed pictures, or live, real-time feeds.

 

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