Broadcasting 101

This Christmas season I had the good fortune to see in action a free web-based broadcasting application that worked very well.

At the church I attend, two services were broadcast over the Internet using http://www.justin.tv ("just-in" tv). The equipment used included:

1. a netbook
   
2. an Internet connection (wireless broadband card/dongle from Sprint, although one from any provider should work)
   
3. an account at http://www.justin.tv

The stronger the signal, the better will be the results (less buffering). I can only imagine how clear the viewing would be if the computer were attached to an ethernet cable!

In any case, this is one easy service to use. It's free. It doesn't require sophisticated equipment. It's easy to set up and be broadcasting live streaming video and audio within mere minutes. There's also the capability to chat with the justin.tv broadcaster while the streaming is in progress.

Of course the possibilities are endless:

1. broadcasting church functions to shut-ins is one such application
   
2. the broadcast of school-based activities and performances for folks who otherwise couldn't attend
   
3. Students could set up a quick and easy channel for broadcasting school routines, menus, and morning announcements, giving them practice with public speaking