What it does
Live Channel, as its tagline says, lets you produce, broadcast and edit live QuickTime presentations on the Web in real time. Currently in version 1.2, Live Channel is available in two configurations--a "Lite" version and a "Pro" version. The lite version sells for $199. The Pro version sells for $999. The difference is in the number of features, not in the performance of the program. For most people, the Lite version will suffice. I'm taking a look at the Pro version today, although most of the features I mention apply to the "lite" version as well. Demo versions of both the Pro and Lite configurations are available for download, although only the "Lite" demo will allow you to test the actual streaming capabilities (for 30 days). [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Broadcast options are easily accessible.

I strongly urge you to download a demo because, when I tell you what this thing does, you're not going to believe me. Really, I thought the whole thing was a hoax before I downloaded it. Are you ready to start doubting my credibility? All right, here's the feature list.

• It supports multiple cameras, including analog and digital, with support for FireWire and USB, as well as analog capture cards. It provides live previews of two cameras at a time and can switch on the fly between live feeds.
• It also supports recorded clips, such as QuickTime footage, so that you can switch between a live feed and whatever footage you might have stored on your system. WIth these media clips, you can set the in and out points and also set the clips to loop.
• It has real-time text titling, including scrolling. Or, if you prefer, you can overlay graphics (with alpha channel support). It supports all common image formats, including Photoshop native files with transparency and layer effects.
• It also supports multiple audio feeds, including analog and digital microphone input, as well as audio clips. Clip support includes common audio formats, as well as direct playback of audio tracks from CDs. It also lets you mix and fade live and recorded audio on the fly.
• It has real-time switching and several real-time transitions for live and recorded video. All of them are anti-aliased in real time as well.
• It also has a built-in server so that all you have to do is connect your Mac to the Internet via your ISP, and then start broadcasting. It includes an announce feature for notifying viewers of the location of the stream. If the built-in server streaming from your single Mac isn't good enough for you, it also supports multicasting and unicasting.
• It also includes the ability to synchronize a presentation with rich media on the Web.
• And finally, it allows you to record the whole thing to your local disk as you broadcast so that you can offer the presentation for video on demand. Oh, this includes any synchronized rich media.

Once again, all of this in an application smaller than 1 MB that requires only 24 MB or RAM to run (20 MB for the "lite" version). It runs on anything from a G3 (including iBooks and iMacs) all the way up to a G4 tower. (It does not support beige G3s.)



Live Channel can use any CODEC supported by QuickTime.

The only features the "lite" version lacks are disk recording, support for unicasting/multicasting and multimedia synchronization.



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