Online video for high schools and middle schools is a great way for schools to communicate and engage their community. From filming events or classroom lectures with a professional camera to using a user friendly, portable flip camera, school faculty and staff have endless possibilities of sharing their message online to students, friends, family and alumni.
For example, several Southwest Chicago Schools including high schools from District 230 and middle schools from District 140 using ClickStreamTV to broadcast their graduations live on the internet. District 230 had first used ClickStreamTV in 2009 to broadcast their high school ceremonies, and once again used ClickStreamTV in 2010. Although colleges and high schools have streamed their ceremonies live for a couple years now, District 140 led the way for middle schools to use this ground breaking technology and stream their eighth grade ceremonies live as well!
ClickStreamTV provided the Southwest Chicago Schools with an easy-to-use, branded video player for the schools to stream their live video of the graduations ceremonies on the web. ClickStreamTV was built for users without any IT knowledge, so any staff or faculty member could use the system. The ClickStreamTV system also provided comprehensive video statistics for the schools to monitor the graduation viewers.
Answering the schools’ need for a simple system for friends and family to use, ClickStreamTV system allows the school’s viewers to watch videos from any computer system, smartphone and iPad. They can also easily navigate through other video content on the schools’ video player, such as past school productions that may be viewed on demand.
With ClickStreamTV’s system and support, District 230 could easily stream their graduation live and add video for on demand viewing, such as the archived ceremony or special events to their ClickStreamTV player.
The schools successfully streamed their live graduation to over 7,000 people who were unable to attend the ceremonies. The system’s automated statistic tool track their video content effectiveness, which helped the schools to evaluate how their videos were received by viewers. With ClickStreamTV, the schools are now able to communicate more effectively with the community by streaming video live or on demand of their graduation ceremonies, sports games, and school productions to special events. They can even improve their email communications by using ClickStreamTV’s Video Email tool, which allows them to target recipients with their videos and messages, and track their effectiveness with the ClickStreamTV statistics tool.
ClickStreamTV supports Open Standards for Online Video
ClickStreamTV, a leading online video solution for small to medium sized businesses, announced today that its video and content management platform supports open web standards for online video.
“First there was Real Player, then Windows Media, Flash technology and now open source standard HTML5 as industry leaders such as Apple and Microsoft have recently noted,” said Kevin Yahl, president of ClickStreamTV. “Due to the constant emergence of new technology, we developed ClickStreamTV with an open source system to ensure that our product was a high-quality, onetime investment that would adapt to future technologies.”
ClickStreamTV, built with open source languages, is able to quickly change its infrastructure to adapt to include new formats for streaming online video. Over the next couple of months, ClickStreamTV will be incorporating HTML5 into the system.
The single system utilizes the proper video formats to deliver video to any online player including Flash and Windows Media; smartphones including iPhones, BlackBerrys and Androids; and other technologies including iPods and iPads.
“We are dedicated to our customers and strive to provide them with a solution to reach their audience regardless of what device they are using to view video,” said Yahl. “Our open system was built to include multiple video formats to provide universal streaming to any computer system, smartphone or media device.”
With ClickStreamTV, video is automatically encoded and stored in multiple formats for delivery to any media system and does not require additional applications for multiple device streaming. ClickStreamTV’s exclusive Speed and System Wizard automatically detects the viewer’s media device and streams the optimum video quality and correct format to the viewer.
ClickStreamTV Now Supports Streaming Video for the iPad
While everyone is worried about their Flash videos not being able to play on iPad’s, ClickStreamTV users don’t have to. As promised, our open source system allows for quick updates and is able to stream to any emerging technologies. No apps need to be downloaded, no IT knowledge is needed.
ClickStreamTV will seamlessly deliver video to the iPad using Apple’s preferred H.264 codec, in addition to Macs, PCs and smartphone devices, including the iPhone, BlackBerry and Android. The iPad is one of the first technologies not to support Adobe Flash, the most common video format used today.
“Apple’s iPad is going to revolutionize the streaming media industry,” said Kevin Yahl, president of Digital One. “We recognized early on that the industry is ever-changing due to emerging technologies and built our system to be adaptable.”
ClickStreamTV’s open source-based platform encodes and delivers video in multiple formats from one central management system, providing businesses the flexibility to reach their greatest potential audience. The platform does not limit video support to one format, but enables viewers to watch video in Flash, Windows Media, and appropriate formats for smartphones and the iPad.
ClickStreamTV’s single system also features an exclusive Speed and System Wizard, which automatically detects the viewer’s media device and streams the optimum video quality and correct format to the viewer.
“We are continuously improving ClickStreamTV to be the most complete, integrated and easy-to-use system,” said Yahl. “Our clients will never have to reinvest in a new streaming solution, download new applications or develop their own extensions to be able deliver video to any device.”
ClickStreamTV clients will now be able to begin using the new encoding feature and deliver video immediately to the iPad.
Digital One today announced extended mobile support for its online video platform ClickStreamTV to include Android smartphones in addition to iPhone and Blackberry support, launched in September 2009.
“Smartphone usage is rapidly increasing, it is essential for businesses to be able to reach their audiences through their mobile phones,” said Kevin Yahl, president of ClickStreamTV. “With the introduction and rising popularity of Android phones, we expanded our mobile support to allow our customers to reach a wider mobile audience.”
ClickStreamTV automatically encodes and prepares video in multiple formats to stream to Macs, PCs, and smartphones, now including the Android, all from one central management system. Users can also select to encode and stream video in single format.
As new phones are created for the market, ClickStreamTV’s open source system will continue to expand compatibility, much in the way it currently adapts its streaming formats to new computer browsers and operating systems, such as the Android.
ClickStreamTV’s exclusive system automatically detects the user’s computer or phone and delivers the appropriate video format and interface to any computer system, browser or smartphone all from one centralized management system.
ClickStreamTV recently announced the online video solution provider is partnering with EC Suite, a global provider of e-commerce, hosting and CDN solutions, to provide enterprise-quality video for small to medium sized businesses (SMBs).
“Over the past 20 years in sports broadcasting radio, TV and cable, ratings have been decreasing as online content viewing has been increasing at an incredible rate,” said Kevin Yahl, founder and president of ClickStreamTV. “We’ve developed ClickStreamTV to allow SMBs a solution to provide high-quality video online that was once only available to large enterprises.”
EC Suite will offer the ClickStreamTV product to provide a simple solution for customers to put video on the web. SMBs can easily sign up and enroll for ClickStreamTV without requiring installation, additional hardware or IT staff to operate.
The ClickStreamTV and EC Suite partnership includes Limelight Network, Inc as the content delivery network to provide high-quality streaming at no additional cost. Using ClickStreamTV, customers can easily stream optimum video live, on demand or generate revenue from pay per view (PPV) video players.
“Due to the movement to online media, there now is a need for businesses to monetize their video content with a pay per view system,” said Yahl. “ClickStreamTV was built to provide SMBs the tools to publish and monetize video online at a price they can afford.”
Monetizing video with a PPV system is possible through ClickStreamTV’s partnership with EC Suite, which enables reliable recurring payment processing for video purchases using ClickStreamTV. However, customers are not limited to using the EC Suite service and have the option of using a provider of their choice for content monetization.
ClickStreamTV’s open source based system automatically delivers video to any computer system, browser or smartphone all from one centralized management system. Video statistics and Video Email tools are also included in every ClickStreamTV package for SMBs to optimize their online video media.
To learn more or start using the ClickStreamTV video solution, go to www.clickstreamtv.com/signup or www.ecsuite.clickstreamtv.com.
ClickStreamTV can now be Self-ProvisionedClickStreamTV: Signing Up for an Online Video Platform
So you’ve made the decision to put video content on your website, congratulations! Most online video platforms (OVP) require you to contact a sales associate to begin set up an account, have your video player designed for you and then you can begin to start streaming your video online. However, going through a “middle-man” can take many days as your information is processed and the OVP creates your account and player for you to use. So what happens if you want to change something about your player, you’ll have to contact your sales associate again. Not only is this process tedious, but it will cost your business money and time. 
ClickStreamTV removes the middle-man, high costs and time frustrations as customers can now automatically sign up online and begin using their ClickStreamTV account immediately, without needing any IT knowledge.
Digital One unveiled an online self-provisioning feature for its ClickStreamTV video management platform that provides small to medium sized businesses (SMB) a simplified way to manage and publish online video.
“We designed the ClickStreamTV system for the SMB market,” said Kevin Yahl, President of Digital One. “Self-provisioning takes ClickStreamTV one step further in simplifying and automating the way SMB’s sign-up and use online media.”
ClickStreamTV’s self-provisioning feature allows customers to automatically sign-up and enrollonline at www.signup.clickstreamtv.com. Customers will have access to their account in minutes.
Once signed up, users will be directed to their Media Control Center, which is where all design, managing and publishing will take place. Users will then create their video player, manage online media and publish video online in minutes.
Customers can customize the look of their website’s video player from designing the player layout, choosing from an existing template or creating one, uploading images such as logos and adding elements including text, links or PDF files to their player.
“As the professional use of online video increases, SMB’s need an affordable, simple system that is easy to sign-up for and will properly manage their media,” said Yahl. “ClickStreamTV is a software as a service (SaaS) product that eliminates IT burdens and reduces high costs of putting video on the web.”
Enrolled users can upload their video content to ClickStreamTV and the system handles encoding, video storage and delivery in one click. The same system allows users to organize video content with playlists and channels, send video emails to targeted recipients and monitor video effectiveness with the system’s statistics tool.
ClickStreamTV’s exclusive system automatically delivers the appropriate video format and interface to any computer system, browser or smartphone all from one centralized management system. With this technology, the system delivers the optimal video stream required and enables internet users to view uninterrupted video content anywhere, at anytime.
Why Use Open Source Technology for Streaming Video?
Technology is always changing
The evolving space of online video calls for a video delivery platform that can always be modified to work with emerging technologies. As history has shown, new, improved technology will always emerge and out date previous innovations. For example, Real Player was the first dominant online video player in 1995, exceeded by Windows Media and then Flash, which is currently the most popular player for online video. Another example is the the introduction of smartphones, which have taken online video a step further from the computer, enabling viewers to watch video when and where they want.
Without the ability to adapt to new technologies, a video delivery platform will not survive.
Open Source – The solution to evolving technology.
Open source technology is not owned by a particular developer or company, unlike Flash, for example, which is a closed source technology owned by Adobe. Open source refers to the method used to design the markup for technology and is released to the public for collaboration. People may freely change and use the open source markup to create their own product or service without dealing with ownership licenses.
ClickStreamTV was built using open source languages including HTML, SQL, Perl, PHP, JavaScript and AJAX. This allows the ClickStreamTV developers to create a unique product that they can continuously change or modify when needed.
Why does ClickStreamTV use open source technology?
Reliability
ClickStreamTV provides a solution to the evolving technology and is able to adapt by using open source markups. Open source technology allows for quick updates, changes/fixes for bug problems and extensions to the infrastructure to make it compatible with new or emerging technologies, reducing the need to build an entirely new product.
Users of ClickStreamTV will never have to wait for product updates or reinvest in a new product. However, with closed or proprietary software, often used by ClickStreamTV’s competitors, developers own the rights to the software and provide untimely changes and upgrade releases for users.
Compatibility
ClickStreamTV also provides a solution to meet the expectations and demands for high-quality video by allowing businesses to reach a wider audience. ClickStreamTV delivery system sends video to any viewer regardless if they are using a Mac, PC, iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile or Flash, Windows Media Player, etc.
No other product has the technology to deliver streaming video from the same encode to any computer system or browser nor can promise compatibility with future developments.
ClickStreamTV Provides Successful Email Marketing Solutions
ClickStreamTV’s unlimited video email capability, a feature of the turn-key, complete online video solution, proves to be a successful tool for email marketing campaigns.
“ClickStreamTV provided us with the flexible marketing tool that we were looking for,” said Ed Sterczek, President of Mass Marketing Insurance Consultants, Inc in Orland Park, IL. “Their video email tool helped us to successfully blend our image when promoting our customized health insurance plans for the members of our client associations.”
ClickStreamTV’s video email tool allows businesses to send video in their email to targeted recipients. The video is sent and launched from a custom branded email template with text and PDF attachment capabilities. Launching the video from the email instead of linking it or embedding it helps prevent emails from being blocked by spam detectors, allowing businesses to reach all of their targeted recipients.
“We are impressed with the results,” said Sterczek. “We now have the tools to accomplish our objectives and allow us to consistently provide high quality marketing support and obtain administrative oversight. The solid expertise and service given by Digital One is an unbeatable combination.”
Video Email comes with ClickStreamTV’s Statistical tool that allows businesses to track which recipients opened the emails to which recipients forwarded them, giving businesses the necessary measurements to analyze their campaign effectiveness.
“With businesses increasing their usage of email marketing, inboxes are being flooded and messages are being ignored,” said Doug Buffone, ClickStreamTV Vice President. “By including video in your email, you increase your chances of being noticed and engage your targeted customer with your message.”
Video Email is included in all ClickStreamTV’s video system packages, which includes Standard, Bronze, Silver and Gold. The Standard package price is $59 per month with a one time set-up fee. Businesses can send an unlimited amount of emails to unlimited recipients.
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ClickStreamTV delivers video to BlackBerry’s and iPhones
Digital One has expanded its turnkey, complete online video solution ClickStreamTV to support streaming video on mobile phones. In addition to its On Demand, Live, Pay-Per-View and Video Email capabilities, the all-in-one ClickStreamTV system will enable mobile users to view uninterrupted video content to smartphones, focusing initially on iPhone and BlackBerry products.
“ClickStreamTV is the complete marketing solution for businesses,” said Kevin Yahl, President of Digital One. “Businesses can now reach their
customers anywhere with their message while enhancing their online presence with video.”
ClickStreamTV’s exclusive Speed and System Wizard detects and feeds the appropriate video format and interface to any computer system, browser and smartphone all from one centralized management system. With this technology, the system delivers the optimal video stream required and enables internet users to view uninterrupted video content anywhere, at anytime.
As new phones are created for the market, ClickStreamTV’s open source system will continue to expand compatibility, much in the way it currently adapts its streaming formats to new computer browsers and operating systems.
“Simply put, technology has gotten our world to a point where people live on their phones,” said Yahl. “It has become their phone, music player, television screen and web browser. They are even making online purchases with their phones. Now more than ever businesses need to be able to reach the customer wherever and whenever.”
Video content is uploaded to the single system and delivered to customers’ and consumers’ desktops, laptops and smartphones. With one click, each video is saved in multiple formats automatically.
Mobile device video delivery is included as part of ClickStreamTV’s standard video system package that bundles On Demand Video Streaming, Live Video Streaming, Video Email and a Custom Player Interface. Standard Package pricing is $59 per month with a one time set-up fee.
Cogent Founder, David Schaeffer spoke highly of online video at ISPCON, a convention dedicated to service providers looking for the next big thing in Internet technologies. Comparing online to video to standard television, Schaeffer makes a point regarding what works and what doesn’t when it comes to monetizing content:
The HBO model already works for cable TV. HBO is profitable. On the internet, music services that charge a subscription fee, such as Rhapsody, are not as successful as those such as iTunes that charge per download. “Pay per use could be the future.”
Schaeffer makes an excellent connection between profitable ventures in current video and how the internet has not yet utilized the same business model. Subscription models provides a barrier to entry that has cut off several potential customers. If video providers are looking to turn their content into cash, they’re going to have to look to successful ventures for inspiration. The pay-per-view model seems to be the most effect means of monetizing content. The step content producers have to take is to form a relationship with a streaming video company that is able to create en e-commerce model suited to their specific needs.
ISPCON: Taking Advantage of Video [ISP Planet]