Live Webcam: How to Transform your Computer into an Onilne TV Channel
Have you ever wished you could have your own TV channel where you could broadcast videos? This is now possible, thanks to modern technology. Armed with a good computer, a broadband Internet connection, a microphone, and a webcam, you can transform your computer into a live “webcam” channel over the Internet. If you are not familiar with a webcam, it is a miniature video camera that connects to a computer through its USB port. Its common uses are video conferencing and video chat, but with Internet bandwidth increasing, it is now possible to broadcast live webcam feeds that are more like watching a show on TV.
A live webcam feed is somewhat different from video conferencing and video chat. It is basically a broadcast in which anybody who knows the URL or link to your feed can access it, unlike in video conferencing, which is somewhat private in nature. In other words, a live webcam is real-time video streaming. It is different from watching videos or downloading them because the video is transmitted as it happens, just like with traditional TV.
In order to make your computer run a live webcam broadcast, aside from the aforementioned hardware, you will need the right software to start your “webcam server.” There are a lot of software programs, both free and commercial, that turn webcams into simple TV stations. On Windows operating systems, free software called Windows Media Encoder is one of the most basic and easy to use programs for live webcams.
A live webcam is not only used by people who want to make their own TV channels on the Internet. This technology has many possible uses, the most practical of which is making your webcam a security camera. When you leave home, you can activate the software and switch on the webcam. While away, you can easily monitor your computer or even your home by simply accessing the link through the Internet, no matter where you are. Live webcam directory: ABC Webcam - The ABC of Webcams !
