General Setup

• 1). Choose a streaming format. Popular streaming formats include Flash, Windows Media and Real Media. Which format you choose depends on your application. If you want a format anyone can access regardless of whether they use a Mac or PC, consider Flash or Real Media. If your users are all on Windows platforms, Windows Media may be the best choice.
  
  
• 2). Download the live encoder for the format you choose. Each company mentioned makes the streaming encoder available for download at no cost from its website.
  
  
• 3). Choose a media streaming host and set up an account. Providers may specialize in a specific streaming platform, or provide several streaming platforms.
  
  
• 4). Note the configuration instructions provided with your account. The streaming host will provide you with the URL of its streaming server you will use to connect to with the encoder software you downloaded.
  
  
• 5). Embed the HTML script for the Web page provided by your streaming host and publish the Web page to your Web server.
  
  

Live streaming with Flash

• 1). Download and install Flash Media Live Encoder.
  
  
• 2). Select your webcam from the "Device" pull-down menu.
  
  
• 3). Click the "Stream to Flash Media Server" check box.
  
  
• 4). Enter the URL of the streaming server in the "FMS URL" field.
  
  
• 5). Click the "Connect" button.
  
  
• 6). Enter your user name and password for the account.
  
  
• 7). Click the green "Start" button. Your webcam video should now appear when you load the Web page.
  
  

Live streaming with Windows Media

• 1). Download and install Windows Media Encoder.
  
  
• 2). Click the "Broadcast a Live Event" button from the "New Session" window, then click the "OK" button.
  
  
• 3). Select your webcam and microphone from the device pull-down menus. Click the "Next" button.
  
  
• 4). Accept the default "Push to Windows Media Server..." option and click the "Next" button.
  
  
• 5). Enter the server name and publishing point using the fields provided and then click the "Next" button.
  
  
• 6). Click on the desired streaming bit rate, depending on your Internet connection speed, and click the "Finish" button.
  
  
• 7). Click the green "Start Encoding" button to begin streaming video to your Web page.
  
  

Live streaming with Real Media

• 1). Download and install RealProducer.
  
  
• 2). Click the "Device" selection and choose your webcam and microphone from the Audio and Video pull-down menus from the "Input" tab.
  
  
• 3). Click the "Output" tab and click the blue "+" icon.
  
  
• 4). Click the blue "+" button to the right of the "Output Servers" section.
  
  
• 5). Choose "Helix Push" from the pull-down menu, click that selection in the "Server Template" window and click the "Add to Job" button.
  
  
• 6). Click the "Start Job" button from the main menu to begin streaming.