I want to webcast a wedding (live).  Meaning I want to stream it over
the internet live.  I know this is possible, but here are my
questions:

Is it streaming video?
Is it good quality?
which program works best?
Which application would i need?
What do I need to do this (please describe steps in details)

---

Request for Question Clarification by webadept-ga on 14 Nov 2005 12:02 PST

Hi, 

Do you have any budget guidelines you would like to add to this
question? There many, many ways of doing this, from under $300.00 to
.. well just let your imagination run riot for the top end limits.

Quality can be very good, even with some of the lower cost solutions.
Sound can also be very good. Again, we would need to have some range
to begin with here.

webadept-ga

---

Clarification of Question by sleep3-ga on 14 Nov 2005 15:02 PST

Thank you for the reply. yes i would like to do it as cheap as
possible,  Under $300 is what im looking at.

Hi, 

In that case I'm going to recommend a setup to you which has worked
very well for me several times, using my laptop and desktop to stream
sound and video over the internet.

Start with the camera. There are several cameras out there which will
work just fine. The Logitech QuickCam Orbit - is about $130 to $270.
Good camera and I speak from ownership on this one. The Logitech
QuickCam Pro is also very good, and a little less expensive. I've
never been disappointed with the Logitech cams.  Realistic also makes
some good cams as well.

What we are streaming are Frames per Second to the website where our
viewers are watching. Your connection is going to have to be fairly
fast for the streaming to work. If you are going Wireless, then you
are going to need a G connection, not a B. DSL and Cable modem will be
fine as well, depending on how many people you expect to be watching
this stream at the same time. The fewer the better (for them) but if
you are thinking 4 or 5 this will not be an issue.

The QuickCam Orbit works very nice with sound as well. I've tested it
with many projects and several people around the world. The microphone
is very good quality.

The software I use for streaming video is call WebCamXP
[http://www.webcamxp.com/ ]

Costs just under $50.00 and has been a very good purchase. The setup
is easy, and the feature of having Java or Flash output to the webpage
was nice as well.

There are of course 100's of other combinations of cams and software,
and talking to any serious WebCammer will get you heart felt opinions.

You can also check out places such as the list below. Some pages tell
you what they are running and what setup they are using, so that you
can contrast and compare.

EarthCam
http://www.earthcam.com/

Around the World in 80 clicks
http://www.aroundin80clicks.com/

WebCamaniac.com
http://www.webcamaniac.com/

WebCam.com
http://webcam.com/

If you plan on only streaming video to one location you should
consider using the IM software (Yahoo Chat or MSN Chat I have used in
the past with very good effect). These only work if you are streaming
to one other location, but they are very good for that, and have the
advantage of being free.

if you have any further questions regarding this question, please use
the Request Clarification function and I will get back to you as soon
as I can.

webadept-ga

---

Request for Answer Clarification by sleep3-ga on 17 Nov 2005 07:32 PST

I have had bad experiences wiht web cams, therefore I wanted to use
something like a digital video camera.  I would like a more detailed
answer.  For example, how big is the video ont he output screen?  Also
can you log in more than 5 people?

---

Clarification of Answer by webadept-ga on 18 Nov 2005 09:44 PST

Hi, 

Size is set by the streaming software, and can be very large. The web
cams I suggested have very good quality available, and look good even
at full screen.

The amount of people being able to view the broadcast is only limited
by your available bandwidth. If you have a T1 for example, 50 or 60
people is not a problem. If you have DSL probably 10 will be able to
view the broadcast and not see any lag time.

If your are referring to the software packages statement ?? this is
the basic product for home-users. it allows you to stream via http or
upload via ftp up to 5 video sources at a time. it also lets you add
cutting-edge effects, insert overlays over your video streams, and
manage your own galleries.? That is how many webservers can broadcast
at a time, not how many viewers are allowed.

If you are looking for more of a Digital Video Camera, they do have
some that hook directly to the internet, without the need of a
computer or streaming software. These tend to be very high quality and
a bit more expensive. (The can be very expensive). Most of these types
don?t have sound, but I?ve found a few that do. You will need a direct
connection to a network which is connected to the Internet for these
to work.


D-Link DCS-2000 Express Network Internet Camera (Audio/Video Monitoring)

Price: $209.00 - $350.00

Description from PCTek Online: Ideal solution for remote audio & video
surveillance of home or office security Watch and listen remotely with
the D-Link DCS-2000 Internet Camera. DCS-2000 Internet Camera is a
full featured surveillance system that connects to an Ethernet, Fast
Ethernet or Broadband Internet connection to provide remote
high-quality video and audio. You can access your camera using
Internet Explorer 5.x or above from anywhere in the world. The
built-in microphone adds the element of sound to the video.


http://froogle.google.com/froogle_cluster?q=IP+digital+video+camera+with+sound&pid=4709277296119349290&oid=2527374970249757507&btnG=Search+Froogle&scoring=p



DGT Digital video camera DCS2100+ 10Base-T/100Base-TX, Radio-Ethernet [DLKDCS-2100]

Price: $248.54 - $258.83

Description from Save At Eagle: DGT Digital video camera DCS2100+
10Base-T/100Base-TX, Radio-Ethernet[DLKDCS-2100]Brand: D-LinkCategory:
Digital VideoCondition: NewWarranty: 1 Year Unless Otherwise
StatedWatch and listen remotely with the D-Link DCS-2100+ Internet
Camera. The DCS-2100+ is a powerful surveillance system that connects
to a wired Ethernet or Enhanced 802.11b wireless connection to provide
remote high-quality video and audio. Easily access your camera using
an Internet Explorer browser from anywhere in the world. From the web
browser you can view video from the DCS-2100+ and manage the camera.
The built-in microphone adds the element of sound to the video.

http://froogle.google.com/froogle_cluster?q=IP+digital+video+camera+with+sound&pid=4852456950138137249&oid=9266897170022547957&btnG=Search+Froogle&scoring=p


AXIS COMMUNICATIONS,INC. 0177-014 CAMERA, 230 MPEG-2 NETWORK

Price: $1,230.00 - $3,042.99

Description from Monstronix: The AXIS 230 MPEG-2 Network Camera
provides advanced features for demanding security and surveillance
applications. The AXIS 230 delivers 30/25 frames per second of
DVD-quality video and synchronized audio over IP networks. It's also
an infrared-sensitive camera that is able to provide color video under
light conditions, and black and white video under dark conditions. The
AXIS 230 is ideal for installations that require round-the-clock, high
quality video and audio, such as traffic monitoring and airport
surveillance. Other target groups that can benefit from the
combination of full frame rate and DVD-quality video and audio include
casinos, as well as organizations working with LAN-based education,
such as hospitals and universities.

http://froogle.google.com/froogle_cluster?q=IP+digital+video+camera+with+sound&pid=4709277296119956374&oid=9059706194447302517&btnG=Search+Froogle&scoring=p



I guess at this point I would need to ask you what type of connection
you will have at the wedding to the internet, and what the bandwidth
is that you would have available in order to find other solutions for
you.

Thanks, 

Webadept-ga

would like a refund because, the answer was not all that detialed.  I
am very new to this stuff and i don't know much about it.  I need
details on how to hook up and start to finish.