VIDEO CHAT has become the RAGE at BEEMASTER FORUMS - Let's Talk!

[beemaster]

Hi Everyone:

There are times when it is a pleasure to write a detailed letter to the members and to even have to mentally struggle WHERE to PLACE IT - this will go in GENERAL and in The Communications forum, it is THAT important.

On the 17th of October our member NATE found a program that I will describe in Detail, this should help you understand how we use it, how you can get involved and the ease of using it. First I'll list a bunch of positive then any negative aspects, to help you gudge this GREAT website.

Positive:

It is literally a TV STATION that you create. It allows live feed from a collection of members with cams connected, it allows TEXT messages to describe the person being viewed, a newsroom crawl (that message at the bottom that has details of updates and info to keep you in the know.) it has the ability to STREAM recorder feed, like youtube bee install videos, or other LIVE content to be shown when members are away from the cams.

The way it works is we have 2 different screens: we call the first the STUDIO - literally where the show is produced, cams and messages switched back and forth, recorded feed started, all the stuff they do i a TV news room.

And 2 a room we call LIVE ( they are the two rooms to reduce confusion STUDIO and LIVE) and in the LIVE ROOM you have a full TEXT CHAT FEATURE. You simply start typing, it will ask the first time for a member name, please use your membername here to prevent confusion and then hit enter and all your text chat will be added live as the others text chat too.

In the STUDIO MODE, those with cams and priviledges, can switch the cam you see, start and stop recorded or live feed from all over the net, place still photos to share and much much more.

The NEGATIVES: well... we are still looking for them, but the one that I think sticks out is that since you are creating a single TV Channel, you only see ONE CAM AT A TIME - so someone in the studio mode needs to switch cams to see different content in the LIVE ROOM.

Here are the links you would use - have 2 separate windows open, so you can switch from one to the other (especially if you are using a cam) but the main WATCHING and TEXT CHATTING room is:

http://www.mogulus.com/beemaster2008 - here you see the cams picked from the studio room, along with audio and any messages scrolling or otherwise. It is where you text chat and REMEMBER THERE IS NO DOWNLOADING TO DO, THIS IS JUST A WEBPAGE YOU CLICK THE LINK AND WAIT FOR THE VIDEO AND CHATROOM TO LOAD

The other room STUDIO ROOM is for if you want to share a cam on our live video feed. The link is www.mogulus.com/studio but requires information concerning which TV Studio room you are planning to use, we'll walk you through this when you have a cam to share in our community.

Things you can do with our own TV STATION.

There are lots, let me give some examples. Those of us with laptops can literally go anywhere in the yard (or internet hotspots where you pickup free connections) and broadcast whatever you are doing. That could be Tearing a hive a part for inspection, extracting honey, show grafting of a queen cell, share a family picnic, anything that you would like to share with the members. Just yesterday, I took everyone around my property and gave them a good inside/outside tour of my house and new car. We can REALLY get to know each other UNLIKE ever before.

When there is not much live activity going on, several videos can be qued up and we can stream many beekeeping videos (all in color, you can even make them full screen and with sound of course) this is a TV CHANNEL - Beemaster Forums OWN TV STATION and it has many bells and whistles. Many of which we are just learning now, because it is new to us.

But just imagine, no downloading to go to a room where you can TEXT CHAT to other members while watching live or videos both about beekeeping or just expanding our friendship base. This is a WONDERFUL SERVICE and I urge everyone to try it out.

The more people willing to go on cam, the more fun. But even if we use the chatting features and recorder videos, typing comments about the video or chatting with friends is EASY and download FREE - not having to download and install anything has been a major stumbling block with Ventrilo Voice Chat - a lot of members wish to join in either typing or voice chat, but they are reluctant to download and install software. Those days are over with this software, ALTHOUGH having Ventrilo is NOT going away, I hope it grows - many members currently in ventrilo will not have cams, but they want the ease and fun of voice chat, so having the TV show up and Ventrilo running too IS A PERFECT COMBO and I hope more people decide to install ventrilo too.

So more later as we learn, don't always expect the www.mogulus.com/beemaster2008 to be on the air, but BOOKMARK IT and CHECK BACK OFTEN, especially in the evenings (eastern standard time 4pm-midnight typically) and you surely will find live feed from many cams. We will even stream the golf games and poker tournements so you can see what we do in chat each night.

PLEASE GIVE IT A TRY, I know you will like it - your staff and members here work really hard to make your experience at Beemaster Forums the most unique on the net, this BEEMASTER TV STATION is the latest and most fun service we have brought to the forum in some time, I think you will miss out if you don't tune in and see the people who you have only read things from so far.

AS WITH EVERYTHING BEEMASTER, IT IS FAMILY FRIENDLY - there are Google Ads at the bottom of the page (but they are Beekeeping related links) so you are safe from adult material and we are the same family friendly people you have always known.

www.mogulus.com/beemaster2008 for the live TV SHOW - come check us out.

[Nate]

We now have constant video streaming 24/7.  We have videos that beemaster has created that will replay over and over.  You can also pick through the videos and pick out which one you want to watch via Video On Demand on the www.mogulus.com/beemaster2008 page. 

If you would like to be on camera, submit slide shows, or submit videos to be shown, please contact myself or beemaster.  You can reach me through a pm or on ventrilo.

I hope you all enjoy this.  I think it is a good find.



Nate

[annette]

So I clicked on it and gave my name and started to type. Is this how it works?? Ventro is still up you said, but people can type back and forth on this as well??

[johnnybigfish]

 hey Annette!
 For me, I clicked on it and saw moving people and I could type all I wanted. But, I had to click on my venrilo to be able to get sound from the movies. I've been thinkin' all since last nite aboutwhat webcam I'm gonna get!

your friend,
john

[beemaster]

Hey Annette and Johhny:

We are just starting up what will from this day forward be called BEEMASTER TV a live station, broadcasting member cams when they are online, web videos on beekeeping FROM AROUND THE WOLD OF YOUTUBE and other sites, so you will see many many how-to videos coming as we place them in the play que.

Here is sort of how it works as a Chatter NOT using a cam.

You will go to the www.mogulus.com/beemaster2008 (this address may change if we host the link directly on Beemaster.com - but for now, you will see a video feed to the left of the page (mind you it may take as much as a minute to load the screen initially according to your connection speed.

To the right is the chat room - start typing and as you enter the first sentence, you will be asked for your name (PLEASE EVERYONE - use your membername) to keep everyone there familiar with you :)

Listening is where it can be tough - if it is a prerecorded show, you will hear the audio fine and watch videos to your hearts content, with ir without other chatters. But if it is live, we have a conflict with the Ventrilo chat software, we get an annoying, sometimes painful ecco and reverb if the audio is turned on at the Beemaster TV site.

We haven't figured how a transistion will go, if we will strictly use the Beemaster TV audio with the cams, but it seems unlikely we will drop the Ventrilo because the quality and ease of use is so good.

Beemaster TV though  also has great audio, the video and audio feeds sinc up great when using the cam and mic, and it allows perfect communications between the text chatter and person on cam. Those on Ventrilo though need to be muted or we get feedback issues.

Briefly, there are two channels, on called studio where the cams are running (no matter how many are there whether it be one of a hundred) but in studio, one is chose at a time for the live feed (like regular TV you have a single full screen image up there at a time and a show director changes cameras as the show evolves) mind you we are amatuers in this TV business, but with finding great web videos to fill in during the time we aren't live, and members on cam when we are, we always have the text chat going, so you can watch and listen to the videos or mute them out (sound wise) and just text chat. But the content will continue to get better and we will work out the bugs on audio feedback - it isn't that complicated if you have ventrilo open, you listen to everyone talk including the person on cam - the other choice is for the cam person to mute Ventrilo and to all the talking (but only read text chat, he/she will have no voice chat coming in) and spend time answering the members in text chat.

This last statement is ideal for GUESTS working hives in the yard, demonstrating hive techniques, doing anything where they are doing instructional TV, then we all sit back and listen, they work the mic hands free and can read our text chat and answer our questions.

It is a FINE and FREE SERVICE, something that is a GREAT AID to new beekeepers and a way for tenured members to text chat or come in on cam to share time with us WITHOUT having to download anything, it simply is a website like any other, no software for anyone to run.

Hope this helps. We are growing, sharing - I remember yesterday having Buzzbee walk his computer all over his yard, seeing the Ammish in their carriages hauling hay down the road in the hills of Central, PA. Just the day before I walked around the yard, showed off my new car and neighborhood and then seeing young BuzzbeeJR ironing his Civil Air PAtrol Uniforms in his room, making his family and us forum friends proud that his is such a civic minded young man with a wonderful patriotic future.

You won't find these things everywhere, we work hard to make Beemaster the one site that stands out when you think of people always trying hard to make your internet experience incredible. I hope we always have the talent and interest behind the scenes and throughout the membership to be a place where you not only share and learn beekeeping but make friends along the way.

here is the Beemaster TV link again for those just finished reading this www.mogulus.com/beemaster2008 - remember more video feeds coming for non-live feed times. And more members are joing our cam group every day. Jim134 and Bud1 and 4 others were on cam last night - expect to see lots of interesting feeds coming. On Halloween, I'll be setting up the cam for trick or treaters in my new neighborhood community, just cause we can :)

[winenutguy]

I could see video but could not get sound.  Just an FYI.  Winenutguy.

[beemaster]

There are speaker controls on the USER (you) interface, I ran a check this morning and all the videos had working audio - I also have added 12 more BEEKEEPING videos to the ARCHIVE, so as we go we will have MORE and MORE beekeeping videos and even some messages from the members recorded to play in cue, sort of a this is BLANK member, with a short intro about them.

We can record LIVE video for play back any time, it really is a great great program.

The HELP MODE is a little lacking, I assume there is a webpage with all the FAQs and I haven't seen it yet, but as we get better at using it, the 24 hour BEEMASTER TV will be a wonderful place to visit to learn the way ppeople around the world keep bees :)

I think I have an answer to the ECCO/REVERB issue between Ventrilo Chatters and LIVE TV from Beemaster TV, we'll try it out tonight :)

Thanks again to NATE for introducing us to this wonderful CAM/TV broadcast site - which host THOUSANDS of TV STATIONS around the world. We are a small startup station, but I know that between archived how-to videos and live TV broadcast and of course text chatting, we'll all have fun.

This coming week will be BEEMASTER TV week listed on the calendar, a time for members any time day or night to check out the feed whether live or recorded. And soon, we'll have this mastered and it will have all the look and feel of a quality local access channel - lol.

If nothing else, I hope those who enjoy TEXT CHATTING get out there and come in the chatroom - you can do you texting while seeing members of the forum in the comfort of their homes, or those lucky enough to have portable access with laptops, see what their beeyards look like, and hopefully get to see hive inspections, and I'm really looking forward to GUESTS who can setup things like insemination, grafting, queen marking, etc. We strive for education and always seek fun and fellowship. Seriously, how can you fail if you always aim for greatness :) we have a wonderful team and members (already near a dozen) who have or are getting cams to let the rest of us into their lives, that really says tons about our members, my hat is off to all of you.

So back to learning about Beemaster TV - here again is the link, play with the audio speaker, try full screen, use the chat, get familiar with the features of the users and IF you have cam access or it sounds interesting to you, keep in mind once you have a cam online, you get into the production part of the channel and can help create and produce the look of the show and subtitles, adjust sound etc.

Mainly though, when on cam - I want those on cam to be able to talk to the text chatters, not have it a silent movie or have the on-air talent have to text back. Having the on-air person talking to the text chatter speeds up things and makes it so much more realistic to all. We are all learning now, but it basically is a simple program with tons of features, so the curve should be rather short to master. I'm really thinking it will be the ULTIMATE in a TV CHANNEL 24 hours a day aimed at beekeepers - that is a very realistic goal and something we are proud to be at the frontline of offering it to members and guests.

[johnnybigfish]

You're right John!!
 And this is really a cool deal!
 And thanks Nate for coming into the forums and making this go!
your friend,
john

[Irwin]

You go nate and Thank's to all :-D

[beemaster]

Irwin:

I get a jolly everytime I see your avatar and enjoy hearing you in Ventrilo chat so much.

You remind me so much of a friend I had younger in life who died way to young, we had not been close in the latter years in his life but I heard from a mutua friend he died at 50 years age. Being 50 myself and going through a real health scare here had me thinking of him a lot.

I was glad to see that you gave the Beemaster TV a try, seeing others on cam live is exciting and really paints the final picture of who is who in our group of Ventrilo Chatters and shows a bunch of older men having the fun of a yard full of kids, carrying around their computers and cams, touring their homes and property, seeing them at work and just seeing kids getting to be kids.

Literally I have had the cam setup and had 5 or 6 members sitting at the dinner table with me and my wife, having a symbolic dinner with the members was a great moment in a small way - seeing Buzzbee's Ammish neighbors riding horse carriages and hauling hay around live on his cam was super cool and JUST to be LIVE with someone else SHARING that moment, we are lucky people and need to spread the word here.

Beemaster TV has 2 channels now, allowing us to have two members on cam just by opening two browser windows - now as we evolve, we can have all members create their own studio cam, and bookmark their station addy and literally have many many cams open at once (I know it is a bit of a bandwidth hog, but the technology is there and THAT is what is important)

So we grow, Nate has come to the for-front and found us a Broadcast format that is FREE and reguires NO PROGRAM DOWNLOADING for the members to join in and watch the cams. Downloading has been a trouble with ventrilo, many people just don't like downloading, installing and setting up software on their computers. Others don't like hearing their own voices over the computer and we all understand those issues.

But finally, we have just a link to click on and you get to see the cams, hear them as well when we open the mics (for those who don't know, we still choose to use Ventrilo Voice Chat for audio needs - it is just the best there is) and we silence the mic in the TV station cam rooms. Unless of course we have GUESTS (which we will) doing grafting, insemination, observation hives, building frames, showing us LIVE interesting beekeeping techniques.

There is a future in this and we will make the best of it, we'd like to see dozens and dozens of members take advantage of this simple click and run free LIVE and Streaming TV station we now have. When not live on cam we have many (and soon hundreds) of beekeeping videos from around the world to stream 24 hours a day, so new and learning members can see examples of beekeeping from around the planet at anytime.

NOTE: The videos in our library of videos that stream are ALSO ON-DEMAND, that is right, you can drop down a list from all the available movies and see JUST the ones you want! I really think it is the sharpest feature we have had SINCE the upgrade to this SMF forum software that we use today.

LASTLY, I mention this for those of you who follow such things. When searching a major search engine, we dropped a spot when searching Beekeeping Forums, this has nothing to do with membership or activity or features, any compietition out there can't hold a candle to the features we offer our members - what has happened is that the other major forum added ADVERTIZING using GOOOOGLE ADs on their pages, a sure fire way to get more hits and also a way to bring income to the forum.

But It is a goal of ours, from dy one and for always to be FREE of ADS, we don't want to be beholden to or by anyone except the membership. Our placement in search engines is important, it helps people find us, but it isn't everything and it not going to be part of our forum, you will always have the ability to come here and NOT be subjected to ads from Google or any beekeeping supply company, etc. These forums are for and by the members and we do not need to bow to the pressure of advertizing to pay the few bills that our forum generates.

I will finish by saying the cost of our forums is minimal, thanks to our wonderful host Zunibee.com who gives us ulimited room to grow on his servers. The only reoccuring costs is forum domain name registration, Ventrilo chat server hosting (which is very fair being the most used annexed feature we have, honestly it is a bargain at three times the price) and everything else has little to no cost. Hosting a site isn't free, costs do creap up from time to time, but NOTHING could cause us to go commerial advertizing - That is just a promise from me to you all.

[annette]

I love you John and thank you for the beeforum.

Annette

[beemaster]

Thanks Annette :) Thank was so kind of you!!

Here is a link for 5 cams (maybe 8 by tomight) all on one page, you will see a member EACH TIME they log inn to their cam account - We had 5 cams running tonight and will have 8 very soon. I'm trying to find a perfect number of cams per page, then compile that many cams on a page and keep adding pages.

I know soon members will be adding HOW TO VIDEO that they have done. I want to add hundreds of beekeeping videos to the ON-DEMAND CHANNEL or streaming part of that same channel, having REAL MEMBER building and showing us their secrets and skills.

It will be cool, we are just starting to think of the possibility. What will be a given, we will have the best content on the web for beekeepers, imagine videos on everything about beekeeping and all on demand!

Thanks again,

John

[johnny076]

Hi everyone!

It is a very good sample of Video Chat application, with all its features. It's a light application with heavy stuffs.

To improve it, I recommend download the open source video voice conference application on www,vmukti,com site, study it up and get the positive things like unlimited cameras for unlimited users. I think it could get better  :-D

It does not lose anything to try it because is free.

Thanks,
Johnny.