Archive for the 'Vidcast' Category

• Website : The Venice Project

Creating buzz for a new product is a difficult thing, but when done successfully, can lead to big time exposure. Ginger was a case in point, later morphing into the Segway personal transport device. Couple that with an invitation only policy for initial versions and you get people clamouring at the gates for a sneak peak. Google’s Gmail service is probably the best example of that tactic. Mix the the two together and you end up with something quite special, that something special in this case is The Venice Project (TVP), the next creation from the people who brought you Kazaa and Skype.

TVP is a new media system, delivering on demand content. Currently the content isn’t it’s strongest feature, but as more and more content providers sign on, you can expect some great programs. There’s currently no support for vidcasts, but this would be an incredible addition to TVP and indeed podcasts would also make this a real killer app.

The current version of the software is Windows only, but a Mac OSX version is in the pipeline. It’s currently quite resource hungry, causing my 2.6ghz PC with 1 gig of ram to splutter occasionally, but nothing that distracts too much from the viewing experience. On my work machine, a Pentium Duo with 2 gig of ram, it runs like a dream.

The user interface is simple and smooth. It could probably do with some slight simplification, but seeing as most users are either going to be using a keyboard or mouse, these simplifications can wait until a simple remote is available.

This is a product with great potential. The download is relatively small at just under 11 megabytes, but it certainly packs a nice punch. For pre-release software, it’s very robust. I haven’t had a single problem or crash so far, but some beta testers are reporting problems with installation. This is usually a conflict in software or hardware installed.

As this is streaming video, it’s bandwidth usage is pretty high, about 300 meg an hour. For anyone with bandwidth restrictions, this is worth noting. You wouldn’t want to leave the software running and go away for a few days, but it’s nothing that’s a great surprise, given the medium.

So early indications are that it’s coming along nicely. Whilst not quite ready for a full release, more and more beta testers are being given the opportunity to sign on. Vidcast Launchpad itself is a beta tester. Beta testers can get the opportunity to receive invitations, which they can send out to their friends and colleagues. This is a great idea, as it allows TVP to control the uptake, but constantly stressing it’s servers more and more.

Definitely something to keep your eye on.

• Publisher : Participatory Culture Foundation
• Platform : Windows, Mac, Linux
• Download : Download
• Cost : Free
• Star Rating : 9 out of 10

I’ve tried out Democracy a few times, but it never seemed to do what I wanted, in the way I wanted it. I was more used to using Juice to download my Vidcasts, but it was always then a pain to view them, as you had to go to the downloaded directory and well I won’t go into specifics, but I always wanted a more streamlined approach.

Recently I bought an LCD TV for our living room, one which I made sure had a VGA port. So once the TV was installed and set up, It wasn’t long before my Mac Mini moved from the basement and joined it to become our living room Internet gateway and media center. I tried keeping track of my Vidcasts via the Google Reader, which I’m also a great fan of, but with video’s greater Internet demands, I wanted to move back to something that would download my episodes, to make the playback more reliable. So I decided it was time to try out Democracy again, and wow is it every different. Actually maybe not different, but I find the perception of software can change vastly, when you really have an interest in using it. But anyway Democracy has now firmly established itself as my Vidcast catcher, but all is not sweetness and light.

My main machine for Democracy is my Mac Mini, albeit one of the early models, with a paltry 256meg of memory. The software runs fine, but it does seem to spend a lot of time playing catchup. One of the reasons for this, is that the software is mainly coded using Python, which is an interpreted language. The benefit of this however is that it’s relatively straightforward to create a version that runs on other platforms, in this case PC, Mac and Linux. The downside is that it’s not as fast as a compiled language. I thought that the Mac was the main culprit, but I also installed Democracy on my PC running Windows XP, which is a beefy PC with a gigabyte of ram. Democracy does indeed run quicker, but not as quick as I would have expected. That’s about the only downside I could find.

Not only is Democracy a great Vidcast aggregator, it also has a great directory which makes finding new Vidcasts a doddle. Fear not though if you can’t find your favorite Vidcast, you can also add a new Vidcast by just using it’s RSS feed address, the one that usually looks like http://www.indielaunchpad.com/rss.xml. The player is also great, enabling you to view Quicktime (one of the popular Vidcast formats) videos in full screen, which the basic (free) Quicktime player can’t do.

Conclusion : Almost as good as having Tivo for your PC. This software has come a long way. For $20 this software would be a steal. For free it’s a total no brainer.

• Tagline : Tech Web News Video
• Website : commandN.tv
• Subscribe Link :
  
• Parental Rating : G
• Star Rating : 9 out of 10

Originally started as a low key video experiment, I can still remember the very first episode, recorded on an Apple Mac laptop with an iSight web camera. Cerainly not the recommended setup, but it did the job and just look at them now. Originally hosted by Amber MacArthur and Mike Lazazzera, ex co-hosts of the cable show Call for Help, they are now joined by Amber’s brother Jeff amongst others, with Mike now working on other things, but certain to return for the odd guest spot.

So what is commandN.tv? The very name implies something to do with Apple computers. While I think the earlier shows were very Mac orientated, but they now cover much more general technology material. The pace of the show is very relaxed, which has got a lot do do with Amber and previously Mike, who had a great chemistry. I can actually remember Amber in the early days of Call for Help, when the show relocated from the US to Canada. I hope she doesn’t mind me saying, but in those early days she came across as very nervous, but has gone on to develop a great screen presence.

Now up to it’s 73rd show, it’s released on the whole every week, with each show around the 20 minute mark, which I find a very digestible length. The professional experience of everyone involved is obvious, as everything about the production is spot on. Certainly a definite vidcast to subscribe to for anyone with the smallest interest in what’s happening in the technology world.

Conclusion : A great vidcast for the technology geek, with some less nerdy stuff for those just getting to grip with technology.

• Tagline : Cult adult puppet show starring Dr Rabbit and Nursey Lamb
• Website : Fluffy TV
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• Parental Rating : 18
• Star Rating : 7 out of 10

I can remember when I was a kid, listening to my brothers Derek and Clive vinyl album in secret. It was done in secret, because if my older brother would have caught me, he’d have given me a good slap, and if my Mum or Dad would have caught me, god knows what might have happened. For anyone not familiar with Derek and Clive, it was a very risque series of albums recorded by Dudley Moore and Peter Cooke. Actually it wasn’t risque, but out and out filth. That being said, even though it was filth it was very funny, especially when you are a 12 year old. Listening to them now, they are still funny, if you haven’t heard them in a while, but the humor soon wears thin and so it is with Fluffy TV.

The basic premise of the show is pretty unique, especially in the vidcasts I’m aware of. The whole show consists of several segments hosted by a variety of hand puppets. These are not your common or garden hand puppets. These puppets make Eddie Murphy seem like Mary Poppins and I’m not joking. I would name some of these segments, which feature regularly in the vidcasts, but even that would force me to use some of the underlined words in a school dictionary. I’d also be force to use some words scrawled in, by over enthusiastic defacers.

Conclusion : Whilst some of the episodes are seriously funny, I found the humor soon wore thing. Probably a vidcast to drop in to view now and then.

• Tagline : A three minute daily videoblog based in New York City.
• Website : Rocket Boom
• Subscribe Link :
  
• Parental Rating : 15
• Star Rating : 9 out of 10

If all new readers were as effervescent and bubbly as the host of Rocket Boom, Amanda Congdon, the news wouldn’t suck the life out of you, with it’s tails of doom and gloom. As it is, the news is grey and so’s the bleedin’ weather at the moment, but don’t get me started on that. I’m English after all, the weather is our favorite pastime.

Rocket Boom is a 3 minute, daily vidcast of news, with an arts, science and technology bent. What really makes this vidcast work, is the ever expressive and enthusiastic Amanda. Started in October of 2004, there’s certainly not many vidcasts older and certainly not many released as frequently. You’re not going to hear about the latest murders downtown, or what’s happening with the latest drug busts, but you can be assured that a smile or two is coming your way.

The subject matter covered is diverse and there’s even the occasional guest presenter, which usually means those particular episodes aren’t as light and jovial, but it’s always entertaining stuff.

Conclusion : For a brief respite to the everyday drudgery, this is a great way to while away a few minutes. Even if you have no interest in the days subject matter, Amanda is always a pleasant distraction.

• Tagline : Cooking for the Hapless Nerd
• Website : Ctrl+Alt+Chicken
• Subscribe Link :
  
• Parental Rating : G
• Star Rating : 9 out of 10

If you ever wanted to see a total spazz in the kitchen, look no further than Alex Albrecht, the Diggnation Demi God. OK maybe that’s a bit extreme, maybe a bit of a tit is more apt. This is a programme showing nerds how to cook the dishes that will please the “Laaaadies!”. Oops and “Meeen!” depending on your jiggy preferences.

The first episode had Alex, ably assisted by Heather Stewart, preparing Chicken Cordon Bleu. I’m not going to spoil the ending, suffice to say, there’s room for improvement. A lot of improvement, with the cooking of course. What really makes this show is the enthusiasm, even if it’s not backed by the requisite skill. However that’s not really needed or required, as this is what makes the show. It’s nice to see a cooking show where everything doesn’t come out perfect. Even the “here’s one I prepared earlier” moments, sometimes don’t go to plan and I love it.

So far there have only been three episodes, but I’m looking forward to many more. Tech shows are great, but the target audience is a lot smaller than for more conventional shows and it’s these shows that will see the explosive take up of vidcasts. Alex is also apparently working on a sitcom, also coming from the Revision 3 stable, the makers of Diggnation, Martin Sergeants’ Infection and Systm, so he’s a pretty busy bunny at the moment.

Conclusion : A great show if you aspire to prepare anything more than cheese on toast, all in the inimitable Albrecht fashion.

• Tagline : Video Tutorials for Mac and iPod
• Website : ScreenCastsOnline
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• Parental Rating : G
• Star Rating : 9 out of 10

Let me just get this out of the way. If you have an Apple Mac, you need to subscribe to this vidcast straight away. There, that’s done and I can now get on with telling you all about ScreenCastsOnline.

OK, so what’s it all about. Well usually about 10-20 minutes, but all puns aside, each episode covers some facet of the Apple Mac. From using the Apples’ built in tools, to getting the most out of some of the most popular applications. There’s also the odd featured utility and application, that our host Don McAllister thinks might be of interest to his audience. All of this is presented in a 640×360 resolution QuickTime video file, which is great to watch on your PC (yes you don’t need a Mac to watch) or Mac, but maybe a little small to see all the detail on your iPod Video. However this isn’t some dry man in a suit, extolling the virtues of the Mac, this is a hands-on video covering each subject actually on a Mac. In fact you never see the host Don at all, maybe he has a more of a face for podcasting. What you see is the screen of the Mac, as if you were sitting in front of it. Every mouse movement, and key press. This makes it so much easier to take what you learn and put it into practice.

Some of the recent vidcasts, cover things like .Mac accounts, using Garageband, getting the most from iPhoto as well as numerous other subjects.

For me the thing that really holds these vidcast together is our host Don McAllister. Talk about an effortless presentation style. If there is anyone that can take the techy edge off of computers, it’s Don, which is great as it means you don’t have to be a computer nerd, to get the most from this vidcast. Maybe we’ll see him step over to the dark side, but I’m not holding my breath and thankfully I have a Mac, so I can enjoy the vidcast and actually gain something from it.

ScreenCastsOnline was one of the first regularly produced vidcasts that came to my attention and it’s also one of the first to introduce a paid for subscription model. Now don’t fly off the handle, shouting “Sell Out”, the free edition is still available and every bit as good as it always was, but remember this kind of content can be expensive to make and indeed the amount of money required, is a lot more than your common or garden podcast.

So there’s a paid subscription available, what’s that all about and what do you get for your $25? As well as access to the regular format vidcasts, which now include and extra 10 minutes or so of content for paid subscribers, you also get HD (high definition 1280×720, which looks absolutely gorgeous) and ED (enhanced desktop, for computers with slightly less processor power) version for 6 months. During that 6 months, you also get an extra episode each month, that is only available to subscribers. You also get access to all archived shows and a promise that no ads will appear, which do not yet appear in the free version, but may in the future. Last but not least, you also get a DVD of the entire back catalogue, which makes for great value for money.

Conclusion : This is the kind of content, that’s just been waiting for the vidcast scene to explode. Now you can have quality educational content delivered to your computer. Don has taken the leap of faith and now working fulltime at ScreenCastsOnline and we wish him every success for the future, as this is a vidcast that deserves to do well. Fantastic stuff.

• Tagline : Breaking News, Broken Reporters
• Website : Goodnight Burbank
• Subscribe Link :
  
• Parental Rating : 15
• Star Rating : 9 out of 10

What do you get when you cross real news with a couple of anchor people who have clearly seen better days (or are just awful)? Why Goodnight Burbank of course. Our two anchor people in question, clearly have a hate, hate relationship and I can’t help be reminded of an old British show called “Drop the Dead Donkey”. The vidcast is between the 5-7 minute mark and only covers their on-air antics and pauses between taped material and outside broadcasts. The show covers real news items and I have to say the satire is sometimes very close to the bone and I love it.

Our main protagonists are Gordon Winston-Smythe, a poncy British, mistake of a man, who would clearly poison himself, if he bit his own tongue and Susan Jones, or Ho-ness as she corrects Gordon’s pronunciation, all too frequently. Popping in on occasion is Trisha Sakamoto, the poor weather girl, who sometimes only gets a couple of seconds to tell the good people of Burbank what’s happening with the weather and even when she does get the chance, does it pretty badly.

With three episodes available already and another 5 in the can, I’m looking forward to seeing how the on-air relationships gel or in this case dissolve. The secret to good comedy, is having characters you can believe in and actors who can portray them to their fullest. Goodnight Burbank succeeds on both counts. If you need a further fix, you can always read Gordon’s and Trisha’s blog.

The only one thing bad I really have to say about the vidcast, is it’s way too short. I watched all three last night and it seems like it took all of 2 minutes. Always the sign of a well written show, but I’m a greedy git and I want more… lots more.

I have to admit, I thought I recognised Hayden Black, the writer and actor behind Gordon. He looks very similar to Phil Jupiter, a popular British comedian, but it’s not him.

Conclusion : A great show, that would no doubt have a cult following on TV. In any case it deserves to spread like wild fire across the internet.

• Tagline : The UK’s Favourite Sex Therapist Reveals Our Darkest Bedroom Secrets
• Website : Doctor Cockney
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• Parental Rating : 18
• Star Rating : 8 out of 10

Nothing pricks up peoples ears more than the mention of sex. My wife could talk about Martha Stewart, decorating and cooking, without barely a flicker of recognition in my poor Neanderthal brain, but one whiff of the word sex and it doesn’t matter it it’s oral sex, Essex or insects, I’m then the most attentive listener you can imagine. So when I saw a mention of Doctor Cockney, I was interested to say the least. I do have to admit, that also being a Cockney helped, but never the less, what I found was most entertaining.

The basic premise of the vidcast, is that Doctor Cockney, our suave, bespectacled, cue-ball host, goes out onto the streets of London and asks random people all about sex, be it their sexual preferences, kinks, turn ons or funny stories. What results is very entertaining, especially when he talks to some of the older indulgers in carnal delights. A vidcast is released every 1-2 weeks and usually runs at around the 5-6 minute mark. I’d love to see the occasional show at around the half hour mark, as this is very amusing stuff.

Conclusion : A great show for a bit of light relief. Anyone looking for something a bit fruity, need go no further. This is 100% clean smut, if there’s such a thing. Think Carry On, with a hint of Dr Ruth (for the frankness) and you’ll be on the right lines. If you’re on the streets of London, watch out, he could be “Comin’ at ya”.

• Tagline : NYU student Brian Sandro has a secret: he and his friends pirate hundreds of millions of dollars of illicit Hollywood movies in their spare time.
• Website : The Scene
• Subscribe Link :
  
• Parental Rating : 15
• Star Rating : 8 out of 10

This is probably unlike any drama you will ever watch on conventional television. The show centres around our main character Brian Sandro, a NYU student who pirates movies for the sheer thrill of being the first to release on the Internet, along with his other nameless Internet friends. Collectively they call themselves CPX and are only know to each other by their Internet handles, Teflon, Pyr0, Slipknot, C0da and Trooper. What makes this drama unusual is the way it all unfolds. We have our main character Brian as a sort of Webcam movie in the top left of the screen, the rest of the screen is dedicated to Brian’s desktop, it’s here where we read the messages going back and forth between the group members, Brian’s long suffering girlfriend Melissa and the mysterious Luckychi2203.

Whatever your views on pirating movies, there is would you believe an unwritten code, that says you will not sell out, to make a fast buck. However Brian finds that an offer from the mysterious Luckychi2203 is too good to pass, especially since his father has been taken ill and he is having trouble making the payments on his tuition.

The first episode I watched, was a little slow, but this is mainly because it takes a while to remember how the cast of characters all fit together. Remember the only person you see live, is Brian, but that may change later, I’m so far only on episode 4 and it’s just beginning to heat up, when the group find out that the movie they’re been working feverishly to rip has already surfaced on the Internet. They smell something fishy and it’s going to be interesting to see how the story unfolds.

The first episode appeared sometime in late 2004 and they are still being released every 2-3 weeks. They’re currently up to episode 19, so I have a ways to go before I am up to date. At around 15 minutes, they are around the perfect length, to just squeeze one in before I come to work.

Conclusion : If you are a tech head, you will no doubt really enjoy the format of the show. For anyone else, it’s going to be a case of suck it and see.