Podcaster Training: Using Video as a Platform for Podcasting

October 24, 2008 by Rob White
Filed under Podcaster Training

Image by motionblur via Flickr

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Ok, you got a webcam for your PC and now are looking for a way to utilize it. You have a podcast and like to watch YouTube videos and you see Chris Pirillo and Leo LaPorte use their cameras to lifecast and do their shows and you start thinking that this would be a neat thing to do too!

But wait! How do you go about doing this video thing anyway? Well, before you jump in with both feet, prepare to sink before you swim! Producing a video show is a lot harder than it looks, believe me, I know!

Tonight, we will discuss how to get started producing videos for your podcast. Don’t mistake this as going straight video, because, you aren’t ready for that, just yet! Like with anything new, you must learn to crawl, then learn to walk, before you can learn to run with it.

Let’s look at crawling:
Start by making sure your webcam or digital recorder or whatever type of camera you are using, is properly hooked up to your PC. Next, go to SuperWebCam or ManyCam and pickup a copy of this free software for adding effects to your camera streaming. There is a commercial version of this type of software called VidBlaster that you may want to look at later, once you are up and running.

Now, install and setup the software you chose to download. Go to the Source area of the software and see if your camera is detected. If it is working properly, you should see images streaming from your camera (most likely you, if it is pointing to you, of course). This will help you to determine if your camera is setup and operational. Once this step is completed, you are ready to move on to the next step.

Ok, the next step is to actually produce a video. I’m not gonna cover how to produce a YouTube video in this lesson, however, I will go over how to “go live” to produce a live, interactive podcast with your camera.

In order to “go live”, you will need to go to a live, video streaming service, like uStream, Justin.tv or Stickam, just to name a few, and setup a free account. Once you have your account, you are ready to “go live”!

Now, in order to do this video thing right, take some extra time and get your clothes, hair, face, etc. in order, because unlike traditional podcasting, people will actually see what you look like and like always, appearances count!

Depending on the streaming service you chose, you will have a broadcast or go live button that will open up a broadcast window in your browser. This window will allow you to record, broadcast and even set your audio and video quality settings. You will have an option to choose your camera and audio source, such as a microphone, and then, you are ready to broadcast your show to the World!

I said earlier that producing a video stream is harder than it looks. Here’s why. Think about your podcast or live show you are currently producing. You can usually take a few minutes before the show starts to prep, get your notes together and then call in and go for it. With video, you must give yourself enough time to make sure your equipment is functional, that your streaming service is working, your PC has been rebooted before you do this so that you have enough CPU resources, and then you have your show notes ready and your audio is working and THEN you are ready to start your show. Video, as anyone that does this, takes longer to prep for than an audio show does. This is just the nature of the beast.

So, there you have it, in a nutshell. Going video by itself is easy enough to do, however, if you want to do audio and video podcasts at the same time, make sure you have enough CPU resources (a fast enough and powerful enough PC) and enough bandwidth to handle both. Otherwise, you may find your video stalling, freezing or simply not working at all and your audio may suffer too with breaking up or dropping out. Doing both isn’t for the faint of heart. You have to really be prepared to do this and make sure your equipment is up to the task too. If you have an older, slower PC with little RAM memory, then you most likely won’t be able to make video function with the audio podcasts at the same time, but maybe by itself without the extra overhead of the audio podcasting.