Fly Music Man Television is ON THE AIR!!!

We just did our first live webcast from Pete's Saloon in Elmsford, NY during their weekly Karaoke Night -  it was just a test, but the darn thing worked!  WE WENT LIVE FROM PETE'S Y'ALL!!!


We chose Justin.tv as a provider because they were inexpensive.  Justin.tv is a website, one of many, that can host your tv channel - and now the home of flymusicman television.  They offer a free version of the service - but your viewers will have to sit through a commercial before they can watch your channel - the good news is, the "pro" version is only 9.99 per month and gets rid of all those nasty commercials.  It was very easy to set this up and I actually upgraded to the pro version at Pete's after the test was successful.

The next live event will hopefully be much better looking and sounding than this first test, which has now "timed out" but you can see our current line up of programs on our channel here.  The very cool software that led us to Justin.tv is called Wirecast.  We did not use Wirecast for the test (we plugged straight into the web interface at justin.tv) because we have not purchased Wirecast - YET - and the "demo" version adds a visual watermark as well as an audio "watermark" - but it is very cool, and, as a demo, a great way to try this all out.  


Using Wirecast really enhances what you can do with a simple streaming service like Justin.tv, it allows you to "broadcast" live while switching between multiple cameras, add graphic overlays, chroma keys and roll in video clips, just like a live television channel would.  (For example, we hope to be "rolling in" show opens, commercials for the venues, special events and promotional "calls-to-action" to entice our viewers to come to the bar we are broadcasting from!)  There are also very easy ways to hook up wireless cameras with the pro version (just takes money) and you can even broadcast in HD.  By using additional (free) software and a second machine, you can even have other people from remote locations, like perhaps, another bar across town, show up on your video feed choices via the internet - WOW!  It also allows you to record your stream to a hard drive for on-demand distribution.  Think of the corporate, trade show, education, training events, etc. uses for all this!  AMAZING!


Wirecast is truly incredible and for only 449 dollars for the basic version - plus another 99 if you want HD, I can only imagine that many people will want to do this.  Bringing in HD does get more complicated, but again, it only takes money - LOL!  For 995 bucks you can get Wirecast Pro (HD included) - which adds virtual sets and more.  We saw this software demoed at the Moving Picture Collective User Group meeting in NYC a few months back - and after trying the demo, I totally agree with the presenter from the meeting, this software and some extra goodies can replace an entire satellite broadcast truck - at a much lower level - obviously, but in essence, in this new world, a laptop, some gear and this software does just that.


Unbelievable.


This blog, flycameradude.blogspot.com is part of the flymusicman project.  Along with flymusicman.blogspot.com, it tells the story of the journey we are on - to try and invent a way to add a new voice to, and support the vibrant and growing local music scene in Westchester New York - and also, to try to inspire others to give back to those they call "their people".   "LIKE" US ON FACEBOOK Y'ALL!


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