A glimpse into the near future of broadcasting... A recent series of shows from Oprah featured call-in guests via Skype (free internet based phone and video software). The shows featured Ekhart Tolle and were packaged for podcasts, live XM radio and webcasts. The visual quality was very good - although they did have some drop outs (typical for Skype). Since their draw was worldwide it worked very well for more interaction than just phone callers.

The fact that Skype is free software and most laptops with a webcam work just fine as a high quality audio and marginal video source - knocks a big hole in the broadcast products world of expensive dedicated boxes. This webcast also set a record demand for bandwidth @ 242Gb/second. A press release from Harpo Productions (Oprah's production company) noted some users experienced connectivity issues due to the extreme demand for audio and video. "Harpo Productions, Inc., Move Networks and Limelight Networks recognize that interactive Internet broadcasting to a mass audience is still an emerging medium, and we're proud to have been pioneers in pushing the industry forward."

Need to get your content out to the world? Choose EAR as your distribution provider and or management company. We can provide up to 16Tbits of bandwidth and an easy browser based solution for managing your content @ $199/month. Contact an EAR network media specialist @ 800-473-6914 or Contact Us online.