Webcast - Leader In World's Broadcast And Internet Live Streaming Videos/Audios
Webcast is the transferring of large multi-media files using the power of the Internet with the help of the technology called "streaming media." In lay man's terms it is called "Internet Broadcasting" wherein video and audio are being broadcasted either live or recorded. The use of the streaming media technology in webcasting is what makes it work faultlessly. The said technology also takes a single-content source and then it is distributed to the millions of users, listeners and viewers alike.
It was GTE Laboratories, Brian Raila, who took the baby steps in making webcast a source of information for the future. He described the benefits and uses of webcast in 1989 during the New York City InterTainment. The idea he introduced to the public is that any viewers and listeners do not have to download an entire program content just to watch a video or listen to a program and that users in the future are given the power to receive and display information at higher speed.
A year after Raila's concept was released, Internet webcasting came into reality. The name webcast was created as how technology is being described as the means to transfer video and audio using the Internet. At first, the term netCast was considered as a name for the webcast technology; however, the name NetCast is already a known name and using this would cause trouble and legal issues. Howard Gordon, William, Mutual, Peggy Miles, and Mark Cuban are the pioneers of the webcasting industry.
Currently, the biggest webcasters in the media field are the radio and TV stations. They transmit, simulcast, and simultaneously telecast or radiocast their air time over the World Wide Web. The Rights and Licensing bodies offer webcasting licenses to those who attempt to take the broadcasting business with the help of the Internet. At this rate, the commercial sector takes lead with the webcasting technology and this is used for e-learning, investor relations presentations, meetings, and other activities that need general communication. However, please do not confuse internet webcast with web conferencing. These two are two different fields. The webcasting concept is very common to developed nations but is still a growing technology for developing countries especially the ones from the third world. The major challenge in internet webcasting is bandwidth which is not so dependable in other countries. The quality of the audio and video broadcast is dependent on the Internet transmission. So having a broadband cable or DSL for your Internet connection is a must to receive higher media quality although dial-up connection can also be used only that you will need at least a speed of 56 kbps. It is happening now, and in the future, webcasting will be the most prevalent tool in communication. There will be a wide range of organizations that would need the service of webcast providers in making a single point connection to many people in the days to come and this will be utilized for annual general assemblies, seminars, e-learning, and other meetings. Big thanks to the affordable media technology that webcast is now using. The independent media has blossomed and now more and more people are getting online regularly using the technology. Right now, TV and radio broadcasters world wide are dependent on webcasting in doing their media transmissions. In 1999, NetAid made it possible for the poor countries in different parts of the globe to receive Internet and use the technology conveniently. Just recently, the Live8 Concert was viewed by 170,000 people from all over using live video webcast.
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