I need to set up a Webcam stream for a one-time event for 10 to 12 simultaneous remote viewers. We have the camera and computer for shooting the video; how do I set up the server side?
You may be able to do this through your instant-messaging software, and several server software options are available for Windows, Linux and Macintosh. The streaming server software from the open source Darwin version of OS X can be a good choice for media files in Quicktime format. The easiest solution I’ve found for a one-time live streaming event is the free offering from www.camstreams.com, which can support as many as 15 simultaneous viewers depending on the bandwidth settings you choose. Once you register to use the service and install the downloadable software on your Windows PC, you can begin streaming live video almost instantly. The only difficulty is ensuring your firewall does not block the communications port the camstreams.com server uses to connect to the streaming software on your PC. Camstreams provides extensive documentation to assist with firewall configuration issues. Your remote viewers connect to a host name provided by camstreams.com, and their server contacts your PC to establish the stream. You can adjust the streaming settings through the administrative Web page interface provided through your camstreams account. The system is straightforward and seems to work well.
