Stream audio and video live from your iPhone with Ustream Live Broadcaster
The floodgates are beginning to open. Just last week we had the first live streamer, Knocking Live [iTunes link], that worked from iPhone to iPhone. Now, Ustream is offering a free app [iTunes link] that lets you put a live or recorded stream on the web that multiple people can watch from a web browser.This is a rather stunning turnaround from just weeks ago when Apple did not allow any live streaming of video from the iPhone. This app supports the 3G and 3GS iPhones, and allows streaming over the 3G network and Wi-Fi. You can record the stream to your iPhone for a later upload, and it even works on 3G phones that don't have built-in video record capability.
The app allows you to share your recorded stream on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook and of course the Ustream site. You can relay your GPS location and your URL appears in the video so you can tell your friends how to find you. Finally, you can archive your broadcast to the web for later viewing.
To get it all going you must create a free account. I tried it this morning, and it worked on both 3G and Wi-Fi. I couldn't try the app on a 3G phone, but it is reported to work, giving that phone video capability in its unjailbroken state. Video resolution is 320 x 240 pixels, and can be lowered to 176 x 144. In my test, video and audio were lagging about 2-3 seconds, which is to be expected. There are ads on the Ustream web page, so that's where the money comes from to support this app.
I'm not sure what is causing the change of heart at Apple/AT&T about live streaming. It may be competition from other phones, or increased scrutiny from the FCC. I wonder if the Sling application will ever be fixed so it can use the 3G network? It seems they would have a good case.
It's great to see the iPhone finally get this capability. It's lagged behind some other smartphone platforms, but it is catching up rapidly -- so get the app, and become your own TV station.
Let us know in comments about your experiences, your likes and dislikes.
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The floodgates are beginning to open. Just last week we had the first live streamer, Knocking Live [iTunes link], that worked from iPhone...
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I have this iPhone App and it does work very well and I like it a lot but let's get real folks...your iPhone, for the time being can not or is not allowed to "stream" skeeee-wat!!
Your home webcam DOES stream media however, and another thing about Ustream's iPhone App....if you make a video that's several minutes long the video will be chopped up and made into several little scenes that you can not edit and splice together to make one long video!!
I tried that last night while I had my iPhone attached to a thing I made to hold a camera (onto my cars dashboard) and attached my new Gorrilla Mobile to that to mount my iPhone on my car's dash. I pressed "Live" on the Ustream iPhone App and recorded about 8 minutes of video which got chopped up and never made it to my Youtube or Facebook pages like the other videos did...and yes I have those two checked off within the App!! What Ustream does not tell you is that there is a time limit on recorded video sent from your iPhone to anyone of the accounts listed in the App.....even your Ustream page. The video was chopped up and spliced into 5 mini-videos when I checked on it on my Ustream account and only two of them actually would play??
The Ustream iPhone App does not stream anything!! Stop putting out bogus info!!
December 20 2009 at 2:19 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyTried it with my 3GS over WiFi and all I see on the viewer's end is a series of blurry stills interrupted by a few seconds of motion. Doesn't look like streaming to me.
December 13 2009 at 1:42 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyJust an update dont look like its streaming sorry
December 09 2009 at 6:10 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyQik is updated and on app store
December 09 2009 at 6:06 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplySay goodbye to the last shreds of the at&t's network... if the network is strained now can you imagine a conference having hundreds or thousands of people streaming video? is this why AT&T wants to introduce metered internet plans for mobile phones?
December 09 2009 at 5:58 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI'm using it on a jailbroken 3g and it's working. I couldn't create an account from within the app so I just did it on my laptop and then signed into the app.
December 09 2009 at 5:46 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplySeems Qik is up next...they just re-submitted their app...should go through by the looks of it...
http://qik.com/blog/qik-for-iphone-submitted-to-app-store/
Working perfectly... Pure awesome!
December 09 2009 at 3:50 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIt even works on a 2G iPhone :D
December 09 2009 at 3:40 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHot Apps on TUAW
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