Fans Across the Globe Can Tune In Online for the Interactive Justin Bieber Experience

Movie Opens in RealD 3D, Digital 3D and 2D Nationwide on February 11, 2011

HOLLYWOOD, CA (February 7, 2011) – Paramount Pictures has teamed with Livestream to present the live movie premiere of JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER SAY NEVER. The live 2 ½-hour purple carpet event, which will begin airing online tomorrow, February 8th, at 5:00 p.m. PT, marks the first time Paramount will stream a movie premiere exclusively on Livestream. For a truly communal experience, fans worldwide can watch together as the purple carpet event is streamed free at http://www.livestream.com/bieberpremiere and http://www.facebook.com/JustinBieber. Twitter users will also be able to view the live stream’s minute-by-minute coverage on Twitter.com by going to http://twitter.com/justinbieber.

In addition, fans can tune in early, beginning at 4:00 p.m. PT, for an exclusive behind the scenes look at Justin – with special celebrity appearances and never before seen clips – as the countdown begins for his movie’s premiere at L.A. Live in Los Angeles, while also being able to participate in real time via Twitter and Facebook. Fans will also be able to watch live wherever they are on mobile devices.

The Livestream ON Demand functionality will also provide fans tuning in from different time zones around the globe the chance to relive the event highlights throughout the following day.

“I’m so grateful for everything that I get to experience, and I know I couldn’t do any of this without my fans,” said Justin Bieber. “What a cool way for them to experience my movie’s premiere with me!”

JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER SAY NEVER is the inspiring true story and rare inside look at the rise of Justin from street performer in the small town of Stratford, Ontario to internet phenomenon to global super star culminating with a dream sold out show at the famed Madison Square Garden in 3D. It is directed by Jon M. Chu and produced by Scooter Braun, Justin Bieber, Antonio “L.A.” Reid, Usher Raymond IV, Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz.

JUSTIN BIEBER: NEVER SAY NEVER in 3D will open nationwide on Friday, February 11th.

To share this exclusive Justin Bieber event with your friends, see the attached embed code or visit http://livestream.com/bieberpremiere/share for more options.

[Reblogged from the original by Rod Clark on Feb 4, 2011 at 2:29 PM]

Finding a cost-effective solution for the backhaul of news feeds from the field has always been a challenge for news stations.

Traditionally, news organizations have relied on expensive satellite- or microwave-equipped ENG vans. More recently, broadcast backpacks that aggregate the video stream over multiple cellular data networks have become a popular alternative.

With the release of Teradek’s Cube video encoder, news organizations have an elegant solution to stream HD video to the station over a single IP network connection. Cube is a camera-top, H.264 HD video encoder that mounts easily to any camera using a 1/4-20 screw or hotshoe mount. It can stream HD video up to 1080p30 over IP.

The unit is about the size of a deck of cards, so it doesn’t impede in the mobility of even the smallest camera rigs. The Cube, which uses only 3.5W of 9V-24V DC, features both wired Ethernet outputs and WiFi. Buyers can choose between HD-SDI or HDMI inputs.

The encoder uses H.264 High Profile (Level 4.1) video compression and features a built-in scaler to convert from 1080 to 720 or 480 resolutions. Users can choose a resolution and target bit rate based on the availability of IP bandwidth. Typical bit rates for HD are between 2Mb/s and 4Mb/s; SD bit rates are typically less than 1Mb/s.

Getting video onto and retrieving it from the public Internet presents challenges, but Cube simplifies the process. The unit features RTP push to easily broadcast from behind firewalls, and on the receiving end, the station has several choices. One option is to host a computer with a public IP address, which most stations likely already have installed, and direct the video stream to it. Another is to use Cube’s native Livestream integration. Users with a Livestream account can simply log on to the unit’s Web user interface and enter a user name and password to begin broadcasting via their Livestream channel. Livestream users can choose between public webcasting or making the channel private so news from crews in the field can stream privately and discreetly back to the station for broadcast distribution.

The wide implementation of 4G cellular data networks in 2011 means that journalists can use a Sprint Overdrive, Clear Spot or similar 4G WiFi hotspot to bring along their own broadband WiFi access point. Where an entire ENG van only year ago was reduced to a backpack, it now is reduced again to the size of two decks of cards. Data rates with this approach are high enough to provide Blu-ray-quality video over a single IP data connection.

The increase in mobility as compared to a traditional ENG van means that, for the cost of a lift ticket, newscasters can report live from the summit of the local ski resort rather than the parking lot. Sportscasters have successfully tested a direct-to-Livestream connection from a large radio-controlled helicopter and are planning to use Cube to broadcast aerial footage of professional surfing and automobile races when the 2011 season begins.

News organizations employing IP video solutions have a competitive advantage in the market, with greater mobility, lower cost and the ability to put significantly more feet on the street on the same budget or even for a profit. With pervasive WiFi coverage and 4G availability, IP is the future of backhaul.

NEW YORK, Jan. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The Associated Press, the world’s leading source for news and information, brings online viewers the excitement of the Oscars, Grammys and the Golden Globes with coverage of the 2011 Awards Season on AP Live, which offers two months of entertainment news, interviews, and live streaming from the red carpets of Hollywood’s three biggest award shows.

AP Live 2011 Awards Season, powered by Livestream, is available two ways: online at www.livestream.com/aplive and as a widget embeddable on any website. Coverage kicked off last week with news about the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards nominations and runs through March. Red carpet coverage begins two hours before the Globes on Jan. 16, the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 13 and the 83rd Annual Academy Awards on Feb. 27. AP Live coverage also includes a multimedia interactive, on-demand video, reactions from the nominees, fashion commentary, and a behind-the-scenes look.

Viewers can send in their questions through Facebook (www.facebook.com/APLive) and Twitter and AP correspondents on the red carpet with handheld devices will relay the information directly to celebrities.

“AP Live is the single source for the best coverage of the Golden Globes, Grammys and Oscars for online viewers and our customers,” AP Global Director of Entertainment Products Michael Dutton said. “We’re giving viewers the kind of access they can’t get anywhere else by allowing them to interact directly with journalists on the red carpet in real time.”

AP Live is an online channel powered by Livestream that provides immediate, interactive access to live entertainment news and interviews from in-studio and the field. AP Live is available in several configurations that combine live video, on-demand video archives and real-time social media connectivity through Facebook. On the net: http://live.ap.org/ and www.livestream.com/aplive.

[reblogged from the original on Mashable on November 10]

by Jennifer Van Grove

Live streaming video service Livestream has just released a Facebook application for Page owners that offers admins a simple way to stream live video from their Facebook Pages.

The Livestream for Facebook application works in conjunction with the Livestream Procaster software for PC and Mac and gives Page owners the ability to stream live to their Facebook Page with a single click. The application is also fully customizable, supports Facebook chat and has features baked in that encourage Page visitors to share activity on their walls.

While live streaming services like Ustream and Justin.tv have been around for years, they’ve remained relatively niche in nature and have yet to really break outside the tech and entertainment bubbles. Before today, brands could work with these services to build custom live streaming video experiences into their Pages, but for a cost. Facebook, for instance, partnered with Livestream to power its Facebook Live channel.

Livestream’s do-it-yourself Facebook application for streaming video will no doubt help to popularize the live streaming movement for brands and businesses, especially given that the application is free to use, easy to install and works within Facebook’s familiar (and often viral) confines.

The application is now available through Livestream or Appbistro.

[reblogged from the original on TechCrunch on November 10]

by Alexia Tsotsis

Livestream, the live video streaming service that has hooked up with Facebook in the past for Facebook Live, is launching another partnership with the social networking giant. From today onward brands with a Facebook fan page can manually link up their Livestream channel to their page and host live video on Facebook for the first time ever, for free.

The Livestream For Facebook application allows you to take your current Livestream channel and embed it onto your Facebook page as well as manage multiple tabs and customize your viewer. Livestream also plans on added Facebook Credit capability for Pay Per View services in the near future.

As of today, interested users can download the Livestream Procaster here or find it on Appbistro and start live streaming video in one click to Facebook, their Livestream channel, their personal website and/or phone.

This move is a harbinger of the next step in live video streaming, social. While both Livestream and Ustream have been providing white label livestreaming on Facebook for about a year, this is the first time this feature is available on DIY basis at no cost. Big brands that have already signed up include Ford Explorer, Maroon 5, and The Women’s Conference.

Says Facebook’s Erin Kanaley, “We have seen a growing need by brands and artists wanting to live stream inside their Facebook page to engage their community. While we are platform agnostic, we are excited to see Livestream deploying the first self-service application to enable live streaming within Facebook pages”

Livestream broadcasts over 1.4 million channels and boasts 22 million unique monthly viewers, supporting both ad free and ad sponsored viewing. In the same space as Ustream and Justin.tv, the video streaming service has $12.7 million in funding led by Gannett.

[reblogged from the original on NewTeeVee.com on October 14]

by Ryan Lawler

Livestream is ramping up its efforts to court music labels and Hollywood studios with the opening of a new office in Los Angeles. And the startup’s first hire for the office is new Jeff Varnell, who was poached from Livestream competitor Ustream.

Varnell joins Livestream as its new executive vice president of business development, and will lead the new L.A. office and studio. Also joining him on the west coast is Livestream head of production Otto Cedeno, who is relocating to L.A. to head up operations and production there. In addition, Livestream plans to add three director-level hires to strike partnerships in three main verticals: music, movie studios and brands.

Sound familiar? That’s the same type of template Varnell followed when he led the media team at Ustream as director of business development there. While he was on board, Ustream found some significant traction with studios and brands that wanted to use live events — like streaming red carpet movie premieres — to drive interest in their products. Livestream is hoping that it too can strike similar relationships.

Livestream CEO Max Haot said in a phone interview today that the company wants to ramp up the live streaming and turnkey production services that it offers to media companies. “With these live streaming premieres, it’s usually the same department that is buying pre-roll,” Haot said, “but it’s more effective for [consumers] to watch a 20-minute movie premiere” than to watch a two-minute video trailer.

The strategic initiative comes as Livestream tries to get more aggressive about growing its business. According to Haot, the startup has generated more than $5 million in revenue, and has reached profitability already this year.

Photo of Hollywood sign courtesy of Flickr user Sörn.

To celebrate the release of Hands All Over, Maroon 5 will be performing live from Facebook Headquarters in Palo Alto, CA on Thursday September 30 at 7pm PT / 10pm ET. The live broadcast, which will include the band taking questions directly from fans via Twitter and Facebook, will be streamed on Livestream.com and Maroon 5′s Facebook Page. Fans can also watch from their mobile devices at Livestream’s Mobile platform.

After a three year-hiatus, the Grammy-winning quintet Maroon 5 have returned to the music scene with their highly anticipated third studio album, which was released on September 21. Produced by rock studio legend Robert John “Mutt” Lange (AC/DC, Def Leppard, The Cars), Hands All Over is a killer hybrid of rock, pop, funk and R&B.

To find out more about Maroon 5, visit their website at http://maroon5.com and don’t miss the celebration live at http://livestream.com/maroon5.