Anybody have any experience with live webcasting both video and audio? How do you do it? Whats the most cost effective way? Whats the best and cheapest hosts?

Any info at all would be helpful.

TIA

i know that you can broadcast video and audio with programs such as vlc, but that might not help you...

helps me a little, I did not know that before, and I happen to use vlc for most of my playbacks so I really like that program.

So I will try to use vlc.

But IM just wondering if anyone knew the whole process in a nutshell, and how feasible/expensive it could be for a small operation and a small budget.

~Thanks

I sometimes stream music on a Shoutcast server, but I dont own that shoutcast server, i am just one of the "DJ's" that regularly broadcast there... I currently use Winamp with the SHoutcast plugin as the client. But I'm sorry, I cant really tell you about the process "as it"..

thats ok, it might have been a little presumptous to think that there would be a huge amount of knowledge about the subject on a game dev forum. I guess Im in for a little more research than I had thought...

AFAIK you need a special server to stream to and setup costs can be about 500 USD with about 100 dollars a month, then you have to broadcast with an equilibrium between output quality and data stream limitations.

So therefore obviously if you are going to pay that much you would want a mailing list to notify of upcoming events, or you would have to have a few thousand in capitol to finance you before you "catch on"

I guess I was hoping someone would tell me about a site where I could make my own streaming server with linux or some other cheap way around it

Im always looking for an alternative..

I could be all wrong also, I really dont know anything about it.

edit:maybe you could answer these questions:

1)do you get a lot of listeners on that program you do?
2)How do you notify them of upcoming events?
3)Can people chat with you as they are lsitening via chat room?
4)what is the most interesting thing you like about it?

Well first of all, this is a Radio that is for players of Anarchy Online, so every "DJ" has an Ingame character to represent him when he is on air and attend to ingame parties and the such (yes, I know, very nerdy)

1. Depends on the Time and Date, but usually about 14 to 25 (and even more on some big events)

2. Through announcement posts in the game forums and of course by announcing upcoming ones on the programm while broadcasting.

3. Well, they can contact us in-game, we even have chatbots set up so people can send in their song wishes and greetings, etc... which are then automatically forwarded to the DJ currently on-air.

4. The fun! Yes it's actually great fun, and having the direct response via the ingame chat or just seiing people having a great time, getting compliments... A rough mix of everything which makes the overall fun.