What is webcasting?

There are two kinds of webcasting. Live webcasting is the ability to deliver a live video signal in real-time to Web viewers. Video-on-demand is the ability for Web users to view archived material at any time. Often webcasts are recorded and also made available as video-on-demand files later.

Why is webcasting important to the network?

• Shared Resources- lectures, presentations and meetings are all major sources of information, but if members of your network can’t attend, webcasting is one way to give them access.

How can you use webcasting?

• Organizational Communications- Webcast regular staff meetings. This is useful for personnel who are not physically there, or for later review. These videos would not likely be made public.

• Special events and speakers- promote your network’s events to members as well as the general public

• Professional development – you can use webcasts and online conferencing to enhance the skills of your volunteers or staff

Getting started

• You’ll need both hardware and software to get started with webcasting:
  • Camera- you’ll need a one with either an “AV” or “S-Video” outlet
  • Computer- Either a desktop or laptop is fine, but there should be no other programs running. If you have a PC, check to make sure no programs are running in the background. 1.4Ghz or higher is recommended.
  • Capture device- this will put your video in a digital format so that it can be sent on to the computer. There are two kinds:
    • USB Type- this is external and you just plug it into your USB port on the computer, and the other end to your camera. These can be purchased online or at your favorite computer electronics store. Examples can be seen here.
    • Card type- this device is internal and plugs into a slot in your desktop, and you connect your camera to the desktop. If you will be dedicating a computer to webcasting, this would be a good option. You can see examples here.
  • Software- You’ll need software to encode the video into a streaming format. Some examples are:
    • Windows Media Tools (free)
    • Realproducer Basic(free) or RealProducer Pro
    • QuickTime Pro ($35)
  • Internet Connection- video needs a lot of bandwidth. It is possible to webcast using dail-up, but DSL is recommended.
  • Streaming Provider- there are several web based streaming media providers. Using this kind of service give you access to high-end servers and larger bandwidth, without investing in these yourself. Thanks to TechSoup for the following list.
    • RealImpact: offers streaming services for nonprofits based on Real Networks technology
    • Online Video Service: Provides streaming services for QuickTime, WindowsMedia, and RealMedia; clientele includes nonprofits, NGOs, and arts organizations
    • DVLabs: Provides streaming services for QuickTime, WindowsMedia, and RealMedia formats using advanced networking technology
    • PlayStream: Provides streaming services using a geographically distributed network for QuickTime, Windows Media, and RealMedia
    • AudioVideoWeb: Provides streaming services for QuickTime, WindowsMedia, and RealMedia
    • SingleReel: Provides free video hosting services for basic (5 MB files up to 25MB total) video streaming needs using QuickTime