uStream has launched a new private label live and stored video streaming service, which they call Watershed.
Watershed is a white-label video solution that gives you access to all of uStream’s features and tools, but with your own branding, both in the video as well as the page around the video. Watershed says they can also stream 16×9 and HD content.
They cite education as a potential use, saying:
For colleges and universities the possible ways to use Watershed are nearly endless. Broadcast class lectures and campus speakers both internally and externally…Conduct a live interview with admissions office personnel as part of an open house…Connect with alumni worldwide via on-campus speakers and events…Deliver live broadcasts of athletic games and coaches’ media interactions.
For online education organizations, Watershed can be used to broadcast live lectures and have students ask questions in real-time. In addition, by using Watershed all of the live broadcasts can be recorded for future viewing as well. And don’t forget about Watershed for admissions open houses and alumni events.
For organizations focused on training and teaching, Watershed can be used to deliver seminars, demonstrations, and customer support in real-time. Audiences can ask questions via text and instructors can adjust their broadcast in response to audience feedback.
Pricing for the new product seems straightforward. For under 1,000 viewer hours a month, you pay $1 per hour. The price goes down the more hours you use. If you stream 1,500 hours a month at $0.75 USD per viewer hour, you would pay $1,125 that month. You get 500GB of storage included. You also get access to their API, which is interesting. I would this would be useful if you did in fact want to stream something like a lecture and wanted to make starting up the stream as easy as possible.
Streaming events at uStream is free, but if you really want to have a stronger say over the look and feel of the presentation, Watershed may be for you.
I’ve had good experiences with the uStream platform, as I’ve blogged about here.