QuickTime broadcaster

A QuickTime Broadcaster patch (eg: to Apples QuickTime streaming server) would be pretty cool ... stream QC to a wide distributed audience, delivered through a number of currently possible channels, viewable through any any QuickTime player installed machine and even into SecondLife. I wouldn't mind receiving quotations for this.

mattgolsen's picture
Re: QuickTime broadcaster

I might be wrong, but I think Vade's Movie Patch supports this. I haven't tested it though.

dust's picture
Re: QuickTime broadcaster

yeah this would be very cool. 1 dropping broadcast.sdp or .mov into QC and well broadcasting them would be tight. im not sure about packetizing audio with qc but im sure there is someone out there who can convert the DSS code to qc maybe.

leegrosbauer's picture
Re: QuickTime broadcaster

Hi Paul,

It's currently possible to stream Quartz Compositions, worldwide and cross-platform, via Skype and most common audio/video conferencing clients by utilizing CamTwist. All that's required is to put the compositions into CamTwist's effects folder and to refresh the CamTwist effects list from the application's File menu. CamTwist will present a user control interface for the following published composition ports: Strings, Numbers, Colors, Fonts, Indices, Images and Booleans. Controls for X and Y Position Ports will be presented as a 2D position box.

As for your wishes for similar streaming capability using QuickTime Broadcaster; CamTwist supports that too. It will require substantial processing power.

dust's picture
Re: QuickTime broadcaster

i use cam twist it has some cool effects it took awhile for it to show up in skype beta for me but now its working. can't seem to get it to show up in quicktime broadcaster though any suggestions.

leegrosbauer's picture
Re: QuickTime broadcaster

I'm happy to assist in any way I can, dust, but I'm reluctant to encourage a CamTwist help thread here in the Kineme forums because of the possibility of the thread becoming inappropriately lengthy. My Skype username is the same as my Kineme username. We can always talk there.

That said, I'll offer this information: make sure CamTwist is open prior to opening QuickTime Broadcaster and that your iSight or other desired cam has been assigned to CamTwist as a video source. Also be sure to select CamTwist as a video source in QuickTime Broadcaster. If you have other concerns you can post them to the CamTwist forums where you should receive a prompt response. You are welcome to connect with me via Skype as well, if you would like, as is anyone else. Be advised that I'm merely a CamTwist user, however. I have no special claim or access to any unusual information.

Regarding your comment about CamTwist's effects. For purposes of this particular discussion, that's pretty much the entire significant circumstance behind the combination of CamTwist and our own Quartz Compositions. Once dropped into CamTwist's effects folder they become yet another streamable effect accessible from the effects list.

dust's picture
Re: QuickTime broadcaster

cool i'll add you to skype i don't have many friends on it but have been using it for years. i use it as a telephone. i got free skype time for a bit when i was developing some voxeo stuff a few years back since then i have been hooked. the beta version will let you stream your desktop or desktops so that is another way to stream a qc file without using cam twist. i'll add you my name is dustin o'connor but my user name is either gretchenoconnor my daughter (babycam) or ter.maximus is what i usually use, both are connected to my gmail so depending on the system im using i might have a different name. i got a server so we could test broadcaster as well its beta so i don't think the camtwist quicktime component works with the beta machine but maybe we could get working on my development machine.

leegrosbauer's picture
Re: QuickTime broadcaster

Great. Skype contact request received and approved. I like Skype a lot, myself. It's a wonderful conferencing tool, particularly in regard to cross-platform considerations. As for streaming desktops, neither Skype nor CamTwist can hold a candle to the screen sharing capabilities of iChat. I generally advocate for utilization of all methods and combinations thereof, as varying needs may dictate.

Again, everybody welcome. Tools are mostly only useful to the extent that they are actually used, in my opinion.

gtoledo3's picture
Re: QuickTime broadcaster

You are so enthusiastic about CamTwist that you are actually going to coax me into using it... I do have it downloaded.

... I guess the new Vade video output patch could likely send to QuickTime Broadcaster though... hmmmm, that could be wild.

leegrosbauer's picture
Re: QuickTime broadcaster

Let me know if I can be of any assistance, George.

Regarding single compositions; if vade has a patch that can be used in lieu of an entire second application such as CamTwist, that would indeed be the more desirable solution. It would save dramatically on processing demands. For multiple compositions, such as in a QC effects chaining scenario, the presence of a third party broadcasting application to host the multiple compositions would seemingly remain valuable and perhaps even necessary.

Edit: I had earlier posted in this space that I was experiencing high processing demands when using CamTwist and QT Broadcaster together. I'm going to retract that observation pending further testing with one or another of you folks in here. I'm suspecting that I may have been using improper QT Broadcaster settings. Currently, when I point my own QuickTime Player at the QT Broadcaster/CamTwist combo, everything is working well and without notable strain.

leegrosbauer's picture
Re: QuickTime broadcaster

Follow up reportage:

Dust and I spent several hours this evening testing out the QT Broadcaster/CamTwist combination. We have agreed and can report that the process works quite well. There are some required port forwarding and broadcast addressing considerations and it's clear that a knowledgeable relationship with QuickTime Broadcaster would be an asset to any folks embarking on this usage. Regardless, it does seem to work respectably well, easily enough at various broadcasting resolutions, and without excessive taxation on the processor.

At this juncture I would therefor again encourage folks to look over the potential. It's a very useful conferencing and broadcasting technique. There is significant and under-utilized opportunity in several QC related communication and presentation areas here.

dust's picture
Re: QuickTime broadcaster

so after lee and i got done testing a manual unicast with qtb, i have been successful at creating an automatic unicast in conjunction with a dss or darwin streaming server. this by no means is a plugin for qc but i will illustrate the steps involved into doing a unicast from quartz composer without making a plugin.

  1. get cam twist
  2. put your comp into cam twist effects
  3. get quicktime broadcaster
  4. get darwin streaming server
  5. open cam twist and load your qc file up. >tools preview will let you know if it is working.
  6. open quicktime broadcaster select video source to be cam twist for now.
  7. install dss or darwin streaming server.
  8. when asked for user and pass make one
  9. when asked for mp3 password make one 10 when asked for ssl secure connections hit next leave alone unless your selling your streams. 11.choose port 80
  10. make sure server is running 13.click general tab and click on movie broadcast password. 14.make password has to be different than your admin and mp3 passwords.
  11. now go back to quicktime broadcaster and click on the network. 17.choose auto unicast. in host put your computers ip or the additional servers ip that you installed the dss or darwin streaming server on. a MBP should alone serve 400+ people.
  12. enter you admin user and password for the darwin server you set up when you installed it. 19.click tcp 20.your ready to go click broadcast

you should now be broadcasting your qc file to everybody who wants to view.

you can access your stream with the following

rtsp://74.69.194.83/mystream.sdp