Live Broadcasts Hit YouTube - This Could Change Everything

November 22, 2008 | Posted by: Jayson Schkloven

In case you haven't heard, tonight at 8 PM EST YouTube will braodcast its first-ever live video stream as it hosts YouTube Live, a concert/event in San Francisco.  The event features; international pop superstars live Will.i.am, Akon and Katy Perry; Discovery Channel scientists, the Myth Busters; and amatuer stars born from YouTube fame.  This event is much more than just a few hours of entertainment for the YouTube generation.  This is a head-on colision between online video and broadcast news.

Until now, live broadcasts have primarily been reserved for major television networks with the technological capabilities to stream audio and video via satellite from any location around the globe.  Emerging sites like Qik allow users to stream video via their cell phones but the video quality is relatively low.  If YouTube opens up its live streaming capabilities to it's user base, it could elevate the concept of the real-time news cycle from text-based mediums like Twitter and blogging via mobile apps to live decent-quality streaming video.  Obviously, wireless bandwidth will be a big factor in bringing this concept to fruition as well.  Just imagine, by the time CNN or other network news outfits arrive on the scene of a breaking story with a news truck and camera crew, multiple live feeds have been broadcasting live through YouTube using nothing more than pocket video recorders and cell phones.