Live Streaming Video Broadcasting and Video Calling Available on the iPhone

Sunday, December 13, 2009

The last 2 weeks have been very exciting for streaming live videos on the iPhone. First Fring (iTunes Link) brought us the first video calling to the iPhone. Sure, it only gets you an one-way, desktop to iPhone video conferencing, but that’s because the iPhone doesn’t have a front facing camera for a two way video calling. Then we got Ustream Broadcaster (iTunes Link). With it, even your iPhone 3G can record live videos and stream them to any browser in the world.

Fring is one of the first Voip apps for the iPhone. The newest update this week allows iPhone users to see live video chats from those using a desktop Skype or Fring application. The quality of the video chat is surprisingly good. And although 2-way video chat is still unavailable on the iPhone due to a lack of front facing camera, Apple’s approval of Fring’s video calling feature is a important step toward iPhone to iPhone video conferencing. With the 4th generation iPhone probably coming next June, we may be getting our wish if Apple includes a front facing camera in their latest iPhone.

Below is a cool footage of video chat on the iPhone. However keep in mind that video chat currently only works through Wi-Fi connection as you watch it.

Last week’s release of Ustream Broadcaster is truly a milestone in iPhone mobile video broadcasting. Now, you can share what you see right now with all of your friends. Just imagine, when you see a fight on a street corner, just send a tweet and all of your followers can be alerted to watch it live. Ustream Broadcaster has great implications for the news industry. Live news footages can be broadcasted by anyone and anywhere that has a Wi-Fi or 3G connection. Yep, the Ustream Broadcaster even works on 3G connection. The iPhone 3G can also use this application to record and broadcast live videos.

Mobile live video streaming technology is here. It is just waiting for us to harness its power. It will definitely change the way we communicate. In just a few years, we may see video calling on mobile phones instead of the traditional cell phone calls. Live video feeds of various activities around the world will be broadcasted on the internet. With so many possibilities, who knows what other applications of this technology will arise to change this world.

This is a post by The Apps Machine