Revisions for Streaming Quartz Composer

Resources

The streaming of digital imagery, including imagery associated specifically with Quartz Composer, typically involves an integration of several related but separate items of third party software, third party services and a variety of broadcasting motivations and techniques. The purpose of this topic is to aggregate appropriately related internet broadcasting resource information and to provide a discussion venue for Quartz Composer streaming advocacy and activities, with a focus on Quartz Composer related internet broadcasting activities which showcase software from kineme.net.

Streaming Software

Third party software which does the actual streaming. Typically, these tools access imagery provided by external cameras and built-in webcams, but they can also access output from virtual software cameras which are acting as hosts for Quartz Compositions and/or which are acting as screen capture tools for Quartz Composer related imagery generated by other applications.

• Adobe Flash Player A low definition, browser based freeware streaming tool. Adobe also offers Flash Media Live Encoder for Windows which is capable of high definition encoding and streaming in the H.264 and VP6 codecs. Of significance; MacNN reports on a public announcement from Adobe Blogs that FMLE is currently in private beta testing for the Mac.
• QuickTime Broadcaster and QuickTime Streaming Server Freeware streaming accessories from apple.com.
• Wirecast Commercial broadcasting software from telestream.net.

Virtual Cameras

Software broadcasting accessories that can act as intermediaries between hardware cameras and streaming software. Virtual cameras work by simulating hardware camera output. They can be used for screen captures and for the addition of various digital effects. Some are capable of the hosting and realtime presentation of live Quartz Compositions as effects, in which circumstances they can also be utilized as stand-alone hosts for Quartz Compositions.

• CamCamX Commercial QC capable virtual camera software from b-l-a-c-k-o-p.com.
• CamTwist Freeware QC capable virtual camera software from allocinit.com. CamTwist is capable of layering multiple Quartz Compositions in user adjustable effects chains. Video Tutorials
• ManyCam Freeware virtual camera software from manycam.com. QC capable; a QC image filter containing a ManyCam plugin appears at /Library/Compositions for use in QC or elsewhere.

Live Video Broadcast Hosting Services

Broadcast hosting services receive the stream and make it available online for viewing, typically by rebroadcasting output from the browser based Adobe Flash Player. Most hosting services also accept high definition streams from Flash Media Live Encoder and/or QuickTime Broadcaster and Wirecast:

• Ustream.tv - Adobe Flash Player, FMLE and Wirecast capable. Live and archived broadcast hosting. Dedicated Ustream encoders available.
• Livestream.com - Adobe Flash Player, FMLE, Wirecast and Quicktime Broadcaster capable. Live and archived broadcast hosting. Dedicated Livestream encoder available.
• Justin.tv - Adobe Flash Player, FMLE, Wirecast and QuickTime Broadcaster capable. Live and archived broadcast hosting.
• Stickam.com - Adobe Flash Player. FMLE and Wirecast capable but not available to all users. Live and archived broadcast hosting.
• BlogTV.com - Adobe Flash Player capable. FMLE and Wirecast capable (select HQ as broadcast type). Live and archived broadcast hosting.
• Bambuser.com - Adobe Flash Player, FMLE and Wirecast capable. Live and archived broadcast hosting. Capability to re-stream live video to the Facebook News Feed.

Audio Video Conferencing Clients

Using the virtual cameras listed above, live quartz compositions can also be streamed from the Mac via most common AV conferencing clients. iChat is an exception in that it utilizes a private application programming interface to access camera imagery. iChat therefor does not currently access virtual cameras directly, but there is potential for a work-around using the ManyCam plugin.

• Skype One to one cross-platform AV conferencing.
• aMSN One to one cross-platform AV conferencing with MSN Messenger.
• Yahoo Messenger One to one cross-platform AV conferencing.
• AIM-iChat Multi-user AV conferencing. Cross-platform via AIM only.
• Google Wave (via extensions) Multi-user cross-platform AV conferencing.
• ooVoo Multi-user cross-platform AV conferencing.
• TinyChat.com There is a plethora of browser based, cross-platform, multi-party conferencing sites on the web. They come and go. Some allow for substantial numbers of participants in a single conference. Audio latency is an issue with many. TinyChat is listed here as a typical, currently existing example.

QC Capable Visualist Accessories

While these tools don't directly input to streaming software, they are nonetheless capable of hosting and presenting live Quartz Compositions and are accessible for streaming via virtual camera using various screen capture techniques:

• Quartz Composer Freeware Xcode Developer tool from apple.com.
• VDMX Commercial VJ software from vidvox.net.
• CoGe Freeware VJ software from coge.lovqc.hu. In beta.
• ArKaos GrandVJ Commercial VJ software from arkaos.net. QC support in ArKaos GrandVJ is currently in beta.

QC Streaming Related

Assorted and sundry QC capable video applications which are useful in association with web broadcasting:

• v002 Screen Capture 2.0 Quartz Composer 4.0 plugin. Screen capturing tools for QC capable applications.
• BoinxTV Commercial QC capable pre-streaming video accessory from boinx.com. Record and edit live QC enhanced video. Useful for pre-recorded broadcasts.