If you're not getting it already, you know it's coming. Your client or your company exec is going to start hammering you to get them live streaming -- for an event, an earnings report, education or training, a product unveiling or internal company broadcasts. But you've heard it's expensive and complicated and if you're like many of us, you have no idea where to start.

Here's a solution I really like -- the new Cleaner Live from Media 100.

Introduced this week, Cleaner Live has several things going for it. First, from my briefing by the Media 100 folks, it looks like an incredibly simple solution. Second, it's a relatively inexpensive solution for live streaming (previously, you had to buy a dedicated, expensive system that pretty much tied you to one vendor for upgrades. This is only $2,995 including the DV accelerator card. And since it's software-based, not hardware, you won't get stuck upgrading an expensive hardware solution the next time Real comes out with a new version of its player).

Third, it's from Media 100, a company that tends to know what it's doing (witness Cleaner 5, CineStream, iFinish 4 and Media 100 i).

Cleaner Live delivers real-time, high-quality capture and Internet streaming in both the Windows Media and RealSystem 8 streaming formats -- simultaneously. Cleaner Live is priced at $2,995.

Click image for larger view.

Typical system setup. Click image for larger view.

Besides giving the live streaming capabilities, Cleaner Live is, in itself, a workflow solution. When doing a live stream, the simultaneous broadcast to Windows Media and RealSystem 8 is just automatic. And the user at the other end can still choose any bit rate they like without extra work on your end. In addition, the live event can be captured for in-demand streaming later.

"Roughly twenty percent of the people will see the live event," explains Michael Glass, product manager, "and a good 80 percent will see it later on. Cleaner Live can save the DV quality and/or the live stream, grabbing it on the streaming server as it goes out. Then, you have either the live stream to play on demand or the DV quality to edit, which is more often the case."

Features include:
-- Accept input directly from DV cameras using a IEEE 1394 Interface PCI card and cable, included with Cleaner Live

-- Encode multiple data rate streams of Windows Media and RealSystem player formats simultaneously

-- Decode DV content in real time using Media 100's DV Accelerator PCI card, also included with Cleaner Live

-- Save full-resolution DV input streams to disk for later editing

-- Optimize saved content for interactive streaming (you can use Media 100 Cleaner 5 for encoding, for example)

-- Preview Windows Media and RealSystem streams before and during live webcast

-- Monitor digital flow meters to assess throughput in frames, bits and bytes

-- View status of key functions instantly with Traffic Monitors with "red/yellow/green" status indicators

-- Get online help during webcast using context sensitive guidelines

-- Save multiple settings files and restore previous configurations instantly

Minimum System Requirements:

To optimize the live streaming experience, Media 100 recommends the following minimum system requirements:

-- Microsoft Windows 2000

-- Pentium III 733 MHz CPU

-- Dual processor configuration required for simultaneous Windows Media and RealSystem output

-- 128 MB RAM (256 MB recommended)

-- Two available PCI slots

-- 16 MB graphics card with DirectDraw support

-- 1024 x 768, 32-bit display

-- CD-ROM drive and sound card

-- NTSC or PAL DV camera with IEEE 1394 port

-- Network connectivity to support desired streaming bandwidth

Cleaner Live also works seamlessly with Media 100's CineStream for content design and interactive video authoring, and Cleaner 5 for on demand Internet streaming.

"Cleaner Live is a breakthrough. It delivers high-quality video live over the Internet, supports both the Windows Media and RealSystems formats, and it's affordable," said John Molinari, president and chief executive officer of Media 100. "We see many organizations and individuals taking the next step to live streaming. Cleaner Live lets you broadcast from where the action is. That can mean the concert floor, the factory floor, or the boardroom where the CEO is rolling out the new company strategy. Cleaner Live turns a Windows 2000 personal computer into a live streaming studio."

Media 100 not only has the capability of hosting such events for you, they also have a service division so if you need a bit of help, it's available.

First customer shipments are scheduled for April 2001. Cleaner Live can be purchased from Media 100's resellers, or directly from Media 100 at www.media100.com or calling 1-800-773-1770. Additionally, detailed information on CPU performance requirements and compatible cameras and graphics cards is available on the Media 100 website.

 

 

 

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