Producing Your Own Online “Television Show” From Home

As a cheap and often under-produced outlet of creative expression, local cable access television shows have been used by budding television hosts and exhibitionists alike as a sort of training ground for the real thing (a career in Hollywood) or simply as a way of sharing ideas that are more than often wacky or “out there”. The most famous use of cable access programming has to be the “Wayne’s World” skits on Saturday Night Live, that were even expanded upon to make two full-length big screen movies, introducing the world to the comedy genius of Mike Meyers. Anymore, today’s generation of up and coming Johnny Carsons and Merv Griffins are turning to the internet to express their ideas, finding how easy it can be to produce and star in a weekly program with the accessibility of millions of viewers worldwide.

Sometimes inspiration for a program, skit, or mini-movie is created after the purchasing of the equipment and simply “riffing” or improvising in front of the camera. While television cameras and assorted equipment for video-production can be relatively expensive, Internet broadcasting production equipment and cameras are not, making for online installments of shows that can be easily done on the cheap. Amateur Scorceses the world over are now starting off with merely an Internet connection and a webcam, allowing for an outlet of expression and the opportunity to hone their ideas before moving up to the next level. With online sites such as YouTube and many others, performers, musicians, and comedians alike are afforded the opportunity to easily express themselves and instantly receive comments and feedback from their audience. This leads to another fantastic aspect that has occurred due to the expansion and boom of Internet broadcasting: the audience. With cable access television, performers more than often got joy mostly from simply being filmed and “doing their thing”, often having show times in the wee hours of the night, after most viewers were tucked snugly in bed, finding themselves catering to a somewhat fringe audience of night owls, voyeurs, perverts, and insomniacs. With the advent of the Internet, it is now possible to find that audience every performer has been craving. An audience that “gets” what the producer and performers are doing and craves for the next installment to be broadcast live, downloaded to their computer for later viewing, or simply streamed from a host site such as YouTube and others.

As online opportunities for creative expression grow and evolve, internet broadcasting solution providers continue to adapt and invent software and hardware that can be manipulated and dialed-in to tailor fit the needs of the online producer, actor, or entertainer.

About the Author: Gregory Demetriades is Chief Executive Officer of Whiteblox, a leading provider of integrated broadband video solutions.

Online Retail Benefits From Broadband Streaming Abilities

How many times have you visited a company’s convoluted website and wish there were more options available concerning the presentation or explanation of their product? A digital image is all well and good, but not all that helpful if the use of this product is problematic once it arrives, due to its three-dimensional usage not being adequately related by a two-dimensional online picture or verbal explanation. The technology available to online retailers involved in the global marketplace is growing and evolving everyday. It simply does not make sense for retailers to ignore these new and exciting advances; they must take advantage of every avenue available to them when marketing their wares.

Broadband streaming of product usage videos is a wonderful tool available to today’s retailers. If a customer considers purchasing the newest baby carrier, let’s say, from an online distributor, it would be enormously helpful to view a video showing this product in action. Several videos uploaded by the retailer would be available for streaming by would-be buyers at their convenience. An interested parent would then be able to see this product, how it is worn, assembled, and even, how to place the baby within safely. Showing a parent and child in all steps of usage would add significantly to the buyer’s confidence in not only the product but also in the manufacturer’s desire and ability to satisfy their needs. But let’s not stop there. Advances in technology would also allow for a live chat, even with video, with store personnel available to answer questions during normal business hours. A virtual face-to-face explanation and demonstration might just be that extra step that encourages the customer to “pull the trigger” on their mouse and make that purchase. In this struggling economy, every advantage possible should be employed to help that all-important bottom line. The virtual streaming product demonstration model works for a wide array of products and services from baby carriers to espresso machines. A landscape architect could show a detailed video of his or her crew enacting beautiful change upon a client’s lawn or garden, a carpenter could stream a representative video of additions or outbuilding construction to prospective clients, and a how-to guru or cooking show chef extraordinaire would be much ingratiated to this technology as a matter of outreach and education to web visitors.

Broadband technology continues to expand and grow as providers and researchers like those at Whiteblox and other firms continue to research and develop new ways to increase and establish innovation within Internet connectivity. The appropriation and implementation of these capabilities would undoubtedly serve online retailers tremendously.

About the Author: Gregory Demetriades is Chief Executive Officer of Whiteblox, a leading provider of integrated broadband video solutions.