Broadcast Live Video From Your Cell Phone Using Qik Software - Features
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Qik is available on a wide array of cell phones, including the Nokia N-series phones and a selection of Windows Mobile phones. Other compatible phones include Samsung ACE, BlackJack, Sprint Samsung ACE, Motorola Q9h, Sprint Moto Q9c, Samsung BlackJack II, AT&T Samsung BlackJack II, Motorola Moto Q9c and the Samsung SGH-i600. Most recently, the developers of Qik made the software accessible to BlackBerry users, with the iPhone being next. The software is also compatible with various popular websites, such as Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, Twitter, Orkut and countless others.
So, how does Qik enable us to “share with anyone and everyone what’s going on anywhere and everywhere you go,” as the software’s website claims? According to its developers, it’s possible through four very important attributes: speed, quality, reliability and security. In order to make the video truly live, which enables real-time interaction through chat, Qik’s developers tagged the stream of every path it takes, from the second a person clicks the “stream” button to the video appearing on the web. The path is then analyzed, weighed against various parameters and optimized to ensure speed and delivery. This has allowed users tostream live videoswith as little as a one second delay.
In terms of quality, Qik developers have attempted to develop the best possible video quality from mobile devices through several techniques for which they are filing patents. The techniques, though complicated to those of us who don’t develop software, pertain to examining and assigning importance to the resources available on the device and network, making multiple passes at the stream to ensure the best possible video quality. Keep in mind that the focus isn’t merely on the live stream, but also on the progressively improving quality for viewers who start viewing mid-stream, and for playback after the stream is completed.
Perhaps Qik’s coolest feature is its chat ability. While you stream your video live online, those watching can chat back with you in real time. Their questions or comments show up on your device’s screen while you broadcast. The possibilities are literally limitless: a father on a business trip can watch his child’s first step in real time; a grandmother can witness her grandchild’s birthday without being in the same state; and even more enticing for those interested in blogging, a streaming video blog can be creating using Qik software just by signing up to download the software on the Qik site. Essentially, Qik has allowed users to treat their cell phones like camcorders, recording the world around them either for the fun of it or for the benefit of others.
The Qik website will act as a place where users can share live videos, show recorded video streams and manage their accounts. Downloading the software requires that you create an account on the site, which will allow you to access a multitude of helpful features, such as making all of your recorded videos private so that others can’t access them, or by making specific previously-recorded video streams private. Your video streams are automatically recorded and can only be managed on the site, which also enables users to broadcast their videos live to the entire site in real time.
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