Published May 1, 2006 | 
Published in the May 2006 Issue (#4) Podcast User Magazine (Download)
So what’s a vidcast, and why is it mentioned in a podcast magazine? Simply put, vidcasts are to video, what podcasts are to audio. Yes, that’s right: now not only can you hear what’s going on, you can see it, too. Vidcasts, or IP/TV as it’s also commonly known, is very much in its infancy. Whilst there are many vidcasts available, they pale in total to the number of podcasts. I think the main reason for this is that now it’s much more difficult to produce a vidcast than a podcast, but even that is getting easier and easier.
As it was with podcasts, the first vidcasts were mainly technology orientated. This is understandable as there are many steps involved in putting a vidcast together, but this article isn’t going to explore that just yet. However, over the past few months, more and more non-technology-based shows have been surfacing, and it’s now that the vidcast scene is beginning to explode.
Like any good guest on a talk show, I should make sure to mention my latest in the Launchpad series, Vidcast Launchpad. This site hopes to cover some of the best vidcasts available. While I’m trying to cover many non-technology shows, it’s impossible to ignore the technology vidcasts, especially when someof them are so good. Here’s a brief list to whet your whistle:
1. Port City PD
Recently launched cop show that’s an exceptional example of a drama-based vidcast
2. ScreenCastsOnline
A Mac/iPod video tutorial. A wonderful way to learn many new facets of your Mac/iPod
3. Diggnation
Those young scalawags, Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht, bring us some of the fascinating stories featured on the social bookmarking site Digg: http://www.digg.com
4. The Scene
This one’s probably only for net heads, but it’s a great drama all about the online pirating scene. It starts slowly, but boy, does it hook you in
5. Open Alpha TV
Learn all that’s great and new in home gaming, be it Playstation, Xbox, Gameboy or PSP, presented by your wonderful host, Jenn Cutter
So this vidcast thing may seem really interesting, but what do you need to do to start watching? The first thing you’ll probably want to do is download the latest copy of Apple’s QuickTime. Many vidcasts are produced on Apple Macs or created specifically in Apple’s Quicktime format, so if you want to watch any vidcasts, chances are you’re going to need Quicktime. Another solution that you may prefer is VLC which supports Quicktime as well as many other popular video formats. This gives you the added bonus of needing just one piece of software installed for all the different kinds of vidcasts available. Apart from that, the mechanism to subscribe to vidcasts is exactly the same as for podcasts.
This is certainly an interesting time for vidcasts, but until viewers can subscribe and watch through a television, I don’t think this format is going to have as wide a user base as podcasting does with the various types of MP3 players available to the public. However, I truly believe that the time for an expansion of vidcast popularity isn’t far away. In fact, US viewers can already subscribe to vidcasts through a Tivo box, as they can with podcasts as well.
Published May 1, 2006 | Published in the May 2006 Issue (#4) Podcast User Magazine (Download)
One of the questions I get asked a lot is why do I bother to podcast. I have to admit, when I’m putting a podcast together at 2:00 am, I sometimes ask myself that very same question, but that only usually happens when I’m doing the routine stuff, such as creating the show notes and sending out emails to artists featured on the show. So why do I podcast? It’s certainly not because I have a lot to say. I’m not the most ebullient or verbose of talkers, but I do have a passion for the music I cover and know how to use a thesaurus. In fact, I think I’m a much better writer than I am a talker (or I hope I am); otherwise, I’m in a lot of trouble.
I think podcasts are very much like writing, in that it’s best to try to cover something you feel passionate about, or have a very good understanding of, as this will be reflected in what you say. I still have a lot to learn about creating podcasts, but each show gets a little bit better and my knowledge expands that little bit more. The first few podcasts are always going to be a little shaky, if not terrifying, but once you get over that hump, you start to get that warm fuzzy glow after you finish each show. I’m very lucky in that my best critic is my wife. I record my podcast on a Friday night / Saturday morning, and once the podcast is in the can, I burn a copy to CD for her. She then listens to it on her way to work on the Monday. The first few podcasts revealed that my sound levels were a bit all over the place, especially when played in the car. I have managed to get things on a more even keel now, so my wife now only has to concentrate on the content of the show.
The real payback in podcasting comes when you start to receive emails from listeners, telling you how great your show is. Yes, you may think you are the next Howard Keel or Podcast Paul (don’t forget my tenner, Paul!), but until your podcast is validated by a totally non-partial audience, you have no idea how your show is going down. Boy, though, once you start to get those emails, you start to chomp at the bit to get the next show out, and so the cycle continues.
So why do I podcast? Passion. I love music, and I mean really love. The one thing about having this kind of passion is that you want as many people as possible to share your it with you. When I find a band or artist I love, it’s great to have an outlet, to have the chance to introduce many other people to the same music. So there you go. Do you have a passion? Podcasting now gives you a way to vent that passion and share it with a worldwide community.