Live Video: The easy way to quickly add live video -- with audio -- to your web pages

In this article, I'll show you the easy, no hassle, way to add your live video feed (with audio) to your web pages.

It'll take less than ten minutes, no special software required, no hosting charges, no bandwidth fees. You can have a 24/7 live video feed from any video source, including your web cam, workshop, seminars, even from on the road.

Live video on the web

Until recently, setting up a live streaming video feed on your web pages could be quite difficult and expensive. It often required special web cam software, video encoder software, a video server, a web host with lots of bandwidth, and a person with sufficient technical expertise to set everything up, and resolve the inevitable problems.

For most people, the skills required and expense involved was just too much to deal with.

But no more.

In this article, I'll show you how to set up your own live streaming video feed (with audio), in ten minutes or less, and all you will need is a video input source, Windows XP, and a connection to the internet.

An example of a live video feed

I've set up my own live video feed from my office, but in most cases, it will be inactive (and even when it is active, I've turned the audio off for security reasons.) If it is active, you'll see the stream below.

Again, the above cam is probably inactive (because I don't always want to display the goings on in our office or studio).

If my feed is inactive (which it will probably be), you see another example of a video feed at http://twofriendskeywest.com/webcam.htm - a bar in Key West, Fl.

The ten minute guide to setting up your own video feed

Here are the steps needed to add a live video feed (with audio) to your own web pages.

1. Connect a video device to your computer. The video device can be a web cam, a camcorder connected by firewire, or any video device recognized by windows XP.

   In my video feed above, I have connected an Intel Pro Video PC Camera Web Cam (which I purchased on eBay for $5.00) to my lap top computer via USB.
   
   

2. Connect an audio input source to your computer. If you want to include audio in your live stream, you need to have an audio input source connected to your computer. This is usually a microphone.

   If you are capturing video via a firewire connected camcorder, the audio captured by the camcorder will be delivered via firewire, and that can be used as your audio source.

   On my video feed, I use the on board microphone on my lap top computer as the audio source.
   
   

3. Sign up at Camstreams. Camstreams is a service that will host your live video stream (with audio) for free.

   Sign up is free, and they provide (for free) the software you need to enable your video feed.

   Your video feed can be set to appear on the Camstreams site, as well as on any web page on any site on the internet.

   To sign up, go to Camstreams.
   
   

4. Download and install the Camstreams encoder software. The Camstream encoder software is what pushes your live video stream with audio from your computer to the web.

   After you install the Camstream encoder software, do the following:

   • Start the Camstream encoder software (by clicking on Camstreams Encoder Icon on your desktop).
     
     
   • Click 'options', and select your video input and audio input devices.
   Then click 'OK' and 'Live' to go live.
   
   

5. View your video stream. When you sign up with Camstream, they will give you a link that you can use to view your video broadcast on their site. My link is http://bridgewater.Camstreams.com/
   When you set your Camstream encoder software to 'live' mode, you will want to view your video so you can see what it looks like on the web. Note - there is a 13 second delay between live video and the web video.
   
   
6. Add the video stream to your own web pages. When you log into your account at Camstream, you will see an option labeled 'show html embed code'.
   If you click that link, Camstream will show you the html needed to include your web stream to any web page. Copy that code and add it any web page on your site.
   
   

That's the entire process!

Limitations

Currently, by default, Camstreams will limit your video feed to about 15 viewers at a time. If you expect to have more than 15 people viewing the stream at the same time, you can request Camstream up the limit.

Additional Features

From your Camstream control panel, you can choose to enable a live chat that will be displayed along with your video feed. You can use the chat to converse with visitors to your feed. The chat feature is free.

The Camstream control panel also provides statistics about your feed, relating to how many people have visited, are currently visiting, and other related details.

Potential Uses

The potential uses for a live video feed like this are almost unlimited. These could include:

• Live video feed of your office
• Live video feed of a day care center
• Live video feed from a tourist attraction
• Live video feed from a retail center or mall or bar
• Live video feed from a trade show or workshop
• Live video feed from a construction project
• Live video feed from a barn or corral (animals)
• Live video feed from moving auto, truck, or motorhome

If you choose, you could create a google ad supported web page for your feed - see Creating a single page revenue generation machine with google ads - live feed example for more details.

Some notes

I set up my live video feed using my laptop computer and a lightweight, portable web cam. It works great, no problems.

I've also tested the live feed by sending it via our wireless network. Again, no problem. It works perefectly.

My next step is to test the live feed with our cellphone internet connection. If this works, it will allow me to broadcast a live video and audio feed from our motorhome on our next trip. (My early testing suggests this should work.)

The big limiting factor is the speed of your up connection to the internet and the quality of the video capture device you use. If you have at least a 128k connection speed to the net, and a decent video capture device, you should have no problem delivering high quality video and audio on your web pages.

If you enable audio, be careful on what you say, and make sure everyone in your office knows the audio is being sent to the web.

After Sonya (my wife) called me a 'butthead' while my web cam was broadcasting, I decided it might be wise to turn off the audio feed.

Share your feed

If you create a video feed, feel free to post a link to it in our discussion forum. And if you have any suggested uses for video feeds, post those as well in our discussion forum.