Craig Seeman Telestream Consultant - Wirestream
Third Planet Video
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Craig Seeman, Telestream Consultant shares information with TechtalkRadio on the latest version of Wirecast
I consider myself very fortunate for a variety of reasons. My Radio Career started at the age of about 10 with my teachers in elementary school helping me discover my passion for audio recording and interviewing other kids in school. Geeky yes, but for the time in the early 70's, it opened up doors I would find later in life. High School opened up other doors with a full 3 camera TV studio which became my home away from home and spent just about ever moment in the school.
Shift ahead about almost 40 years and the capabilities that those with a PC or Mac have to produce Quality Audio or Video content is empowering users to really create some great shows. For the past couple of years, I have had my eyes on a Hardware Based solution for doing the TechtalkRadio Web Show however the price has kept the product out of reach. Recently I connected with Stephen Heywood of The Tech Buzz http://www.thetechbuzz.net who shared with me information about the software he was using to give his shows a real professional feel. Wirecast.
I had previously looked at a Telestream product which can be used for Free from Ustream.TV with the Ustream Producer package. It was nice however I had purchased a copy of WebcamMax which pretty much did many of the features that the Basic Ustream Producer handled. A version that has extended features also is available at Ustream titled Ustream Producer Pro however it is used only within the Ustream platform. The product is good however with that limitation for around $199 I would want to look beyond and find a product that could be used on Justin.TV, Livestream and Ustream. That's where Wirecast 4.0 comes in and for under $500, users can really have some great features that can be used on other services.
We talked with Craig Seeman who is a Telestream Consultant and really could be classified as a Wirecast Evangelist. Craig knows the product inside out and as a working professional broadcast producer, he shares with us the benefits of the program and breaks down the differences between the Wirecast and Wirecast Pro product. Craig also tells us about some of the reasons this software solution could be a viable option over hardware based production technology.
The Wirecast product is extremely flexible and portability is not complex as it can be installed on a laptop or Mini form factor PC. Multiple Cameras connected to Firewire Cards can be used in conjunction with USB type webcams or even IP Cameras to create a multi camera studio production. Professional looking graphics can be overlayed into the production when needed and the screen itself can handle multiple layers of information. If you are using the product to create Skype Cast, or feature interviews with distant guest over Skype - this can be done easily and not require a ton of set up time everytime you want to add somebody into the show.
A Preview Monitor can give the user room to setup the shot and then take it live once everything is in place. Multiple lower thirds can be assigned to a specific shot giving the technical director, the person selecting which shots go live, complete control. The interface on the Demo we tried out was not clunky or difficult to use. In fact, we found that the product gives you the basics on the surface but allows you to go deeper into the product for added features. If you have produced a video and want to roll that into your Live Video stream, it can easily be set up to run in a picture in picture or Full Screen. You can get to the features of the Wirecast Software what you will probably need however the product can give you more.
The options available for streaming to different or multiple services as well as the different Codecs make this software solution extremely flexible. We also like the fact that you could Stream Live but also record to hard drive during the stream or also just record for having the features of WireCast available and running that video at a later time. Church services, sporting for schools and community events along with education and shows by those having a passion for a particular subject will find the features, the product pricing and the ease of use a strong reason to download the demo and give it a try.
Listen in to our interview with Craig Seeman of Third Planet Video and a Telestream Consultant share info on the new version of Wirecast.
Craig Seeman
