What will we demo at Video on the Net 2007?
A good demonstration should both spark and answer many questions. We intend to do both. Many of your questions have not even surfaced because Neokast is a new technology. We are not the top down CDN that currently dominates the distribution of short video clips. We are also more sophisticated than even the distributed grid networks. Neither of these tech strategies provide the competitive advantages for content publishers and content viewers that Neokast does.
Lets look at the questions people are afraid to ask about online video distribution…
1. Do we scale? Answer - Like a maniac. A producer streaming at 500 kbps (or whatever) can scale indefinitely at 500kbps.
2. OK, but to a 100,000 viewers? Yes, to a hundred thousand. We could tell you how but then…… just kidding. We have a breakthrough architecture with disruptive protocols that delivers packets where and when you want them.
3. What is the quality of the video? The first thing that needs to be said is video quality is not constrained by our technology but rather by the resources of the users. The quality will scale according to the resources of the viewer and producer. A content publisher with an upload capacity of 500kbps should stream at around 300kbps for video. This will translate to about 640×480 VGA - better than any service you can access. A content publisher with an upload capacity of 2-3mbps (only for the serious streamers at this point) can easily stream DVD quality (1280×720) directly without additional bandwidth support. And real HD (1920×1080) will be supported as well.
4. Is it really “live”? Yes. Latency equal to live broadcast television.
5. More importantly, what about the quality for the viewer? Most of you will be surprised by your download capacity. This is easier since download capacity far exceeds upload capacity. You can check yours here. A 1mbps download capacity is not unusual today for most broadband customers. But don’t worry - if your capacity is less we adjust the stream to fit your resources. We will get you the best you can handle.
6. How easy is it? A digital camera and 380kbps of upload and you are in business. Plug and stream with the Neokast Stream Player. Remember that the stream will only be as good as your camera and upload capacity - but there are many very good, low priced digital cameras capable of great resolution.
8. Can I play with editing my video and then stream it as if it were live? Absolutely, same as live. We will stream your video from a file without delay to the viewer.
9. How long can I stream? As long as your camera works.
10. How much? Free. Our basic service answered in these questions is free. We will have, ahem, a NeokastPro service that costs minimal shekels if you are looking to earn a few shekels.
Got more questions? Please ask us in the comments or email questions@neokast.com