blogTV.com Tips & Tricks

 

         

TIPS & TRICKS FOR BLOGTV BROADCASTERS Table Of Contents (Click on the topic you wish to review) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS TIPS FOR LIVE BROADCASTING TIPS FOR RECORDING YOUR BROADCASTS TIPS FOR PROMOTING YOURSELF AND YOUR SHOW TIPS FOR HANDLING THE HATERS TECHNICAL TIPS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS HOW CAN I GET MORE PEOPLE TO WATCH MY SHOW? To start getting more viewers in your show, you can email all your friends, as well as import addresses from various email accounts, and twitter your show. All of this can be done from your show page. The options are located directly under your personal tags in the mini bio section. Embedding your live show on your personal websites or favorite community sites (i.e. FaceBook, YouTube, MySpace…etc) can be an amazing way to draw in viewers as well as make your profile page very distinctively your own. In order to embed your show, from the live broadcast, simply click 'Embed it', copy the code and paste it into your personal website or profile.  It's an instant face lift to your personal pages! Record a promo for your show and spread it everywhere. You can upload your promo to YouTube, Facebook and your Myspace page. Don’t forget about digg, furl, del.icio.us, and spurl! If you have accounts on these sites, go directly there (to promote your show) by clicking on the fast links located under your recorded shows. HOW CAN I GET BLOGTV TO NOTICE MY SHOW? If you have a scheduled show that you think deserves attention, write to kara-hannah at community@blogtv.com. We may help promote your show on the home page and may even hook you up with a spotlight banner! HOW DO I KICK SOMEONE OUT OF MY SHOW? (KICK) Click on the user's name once, and a menu will pop up. Click on the word, 'kick' - the user will be immediately booted from the show and will not be able to return for 15 minutes. HOW DO I IGNORE PRIVATE MESSAGES DURING MY SHOW? (IGNORE) You can choose to ignore the user who is private messaging you, by clicking the word, 'ignore' which can be found when you click on a username and open the menu of options. You may also do this from a private message window. (DO NOT DISTURB) If you do not want ANYONE to private message you, click on the icon of a circle with a check mark in it (underneath the username list) and choose the red circle with the dash through it. This will stop any new private messages from reaching you. IT'S HARD TO CONTROL THE ROOM ON MY OWN, CAN I HAVE HELP? (OPS) Yes, you can grant operational privileges by clicking 'Add Operator'- this feature enables you to give other people in your room the power to kick and ignore others. You should only grant these privileges to users you know and can trust not to abuse the power. Click on the username and then on the words 'Add Operator' from the menu. (CHOOSE WHO CHATS) You do not need to worry about verbal harassment in your chat room any longer, if you choose who is able to chat. In this feature, you simply click on the 'CHOOSE WHO CHATS' button (represented by a pencil icon underneath the username list) and decide whether you want 1. 'Guests can chat' 2.  'Guests can't chat' 3.  'Operators only' 1. If you allow guests to chat, ALL VIEWERS will be able to chat. 2. If you choose not to allow guests to chat, then only registered users will be able to chat as usual. 3. If you all Operators only, then you will choose who chats by awarding OPs (operational priviledges) to your friends only. This method will make sure no one harasses you during your show. * Be careful who you give OPs to. If you see that you are being harassed frequently, we suggest using the 3rd option so that only you can decide who speaks in the room. HOW FAST DOES MY INTERNET CONNECTION NEED TO BE TO BROADCAST? The maximum quality of a broadcast on blogTV requires a 600Kb/s upload internet connection. The maximum bandwidth usage of a downstream is approximately 1000Kb/s. That's why we recommend using a high broadband internet connection with at least 400Kb/s upstream, (512Kb/s and up recommended) for broadcasters and at least 1.5Mb/s download for viewers. HOW CAN I BROADCAST ON THE GO? In order to broadcast on the go you will need a laptop and an internet connection. There are 2 options to get an internet connection when on the go: 1. Use a mobile PCMCIA or PCMCIA Express card that connects to the mobile carrier. We have heard good things about Verizon EvDO cards. Once there will be UMTS (3G) and HSDPA (3.5G) coverage there will be a lot more cards out there for you to use. 2. Connect to WiFi hotspots. There are several hotspots that offer free internet when you are on the go. Please verify when using such hotspots that the upload speed is at least 350Kb/sec. You can test your speed using sites such as: Speedtest.net                    IS THERE A PLACE TO GET LOTS OF TIPS ALL AT ONCE? Definitely! Check out FallOfAutumnDistro's eBook about blogTV: http://viralvideowannabe.com/free-blogtv-ebook/ Back to Top TIPS FOR LIVE BROADCASTING WHEN SHOULD I BROADCAST?  Broadcast whenever you are available to chat and at least be visible on camera. WHAT CAN I DO IF I WANT SOMEONE TO JOIN ME IN MY BROADCAST? Invite a co-host. Broadcasts with co-hosts last longer and are usually more interesting. Invite people to join your own broadcast. Ex) Bring friends over to join you, stop people on the street and interview them. Visit other shows and make friends with the blogTV community, so that when you do have a broadcast, people will recognize your username and will want to come and support you. HOW CAN I KEEP/DRAW PEOPLE TO MY SHOW? Interact with your viewers, keep up with the chat, greet them when they join, say their names when you talk to them, ask them questions, answer theirs, create polls ("Where is the most interesting place you've been to"). Talk, sing, dance, express your feelings. Be active! Don't just sit there and type chat. Look into the camera, not just into the computer screens – imagine you are a TV show host this is just like looking into the eyes of your viewers. Plan your show ahead of time, including the topics you will discuss, the games you will play, etc. Post the current topic into the chat and change it when appropriate, so that newcomers can easily join in. Make your show more dynamic by moving the broadcast to another room, changing something in the background, or changing the angle of the camera. Add additional features/insert video clips to your broadcast by following these links: Manycam.com CamTwist Webcammax.com Welcome guests. They make your show more popular and may be future reg. users on your show. Know the rules of the site. Do not broadcast pornography, nudity, sex of any kind, hard drugs, racism or underage kids. Create your own personality online using "nickfaces" At audio4fun you can get a really special program that does all of the visual effects the sites mentioned above do, and more! This powerful software gives you (Webcam Morpher 2.0 Pro version): High quality virtual webcam   Superior "nickvoice" library   Unlimited webcam recorder   Unlimited background changing ability Tool to create your own new Nickfaces And all in an attractive and intuitive interface Best of all blogTV users get an amazing 50% off for a limited time offer! Go now and make the best of your broadcast! HOW CAN I KEEP PEOPLE COMING BACK TO MY SHOW? Broadcast at a regularly scheduled time and let users know when your next broadcast will be. Encourage viewers to subscribe so that they will get an alert 15 minutes prior to your scheduled show starting. Use the schedule feature in your show page: Click on "Add" (beneath the show info on the left side of the profile page) then the schedule box will pop up. From there you fill in which day and time you plan on broadcasting a regular show. LIVE BROADCASTING FOR PEOPLE WHO OWN THE RIGHTS TO THE MATERIAL This guide will explain how to broadcast video sources other than your basic webcam or camcorder, such as game consoles, your TV set, or other RCA video components. The primary component required in broadcasting different video sources is a video capture card. Capture cards come in different flavors. There are internal PC capture cards which are also used as TV tuner cards. These can be installed in your computer and then selected as a new video source in blogTV's broadcast window or by 3rd party webcam programs. There are also external USB capture cards useful for laptops and Macs. Different cards come with different software and abilities, but some popular manufacturers include ATI, AverMedia, Hauppauge, and Pinncale. Most manufactures make both internal and external USB capture devices. Dazzle, a USB Capture Card made for Mac by Pinnacle & AverTV Purity 3D internal TV Tuner/Capture Card When used in combination with webcam programs allowing picture-in-picture, having a capture card to add another camera or video source is a great way to enhance your broadcast! Back to Top TIPS FOR RECORDING YOUR BROADCASTS HOW CAN I MAKE MY RECORDINGS AS INTERESTING AS MY LIVE BROADCASTS? Decide how long a recorded show will be before starting the broadcast. Make a plan for the show that is going to be recorded (the beginning, middle and end, the development of the "story", etc.). Decide on a topic. If the recording will be an episode of an existing show, start the show by saying something like "On the last show we talked about… and today we're going to talk about…" While recording, try not to chat too much with your viewers, but keep an eye on what is going on in the chat. If you chat with your viewers, remember to do it verbally, and not by typing, unless it is not relevant to the topic. If someone is conversing with you on the chat or asking a question, repeat what he is saying verbally. For example: "Nunu is asking what I'm eating. Well, Nunu, I'm eating…" Keep it short and interesting. Remember you are recording. It is very rare for people to watch a video on the internet which is longer than a few minutes. Back to Top TIPS FOR PROMOTING YOURSELF AND YOUR SHOW HOW CAN I MAKE MY SHOW MORE EASILY ACCESSIBLE ON THE SITE? Create an interesting show title and make sure to add an equally interesting show picture so that passers by will see it and become curious to know what is inside. HOW CAN I MAKE MY SHOW STAND OUT MORE ON THE SITE? Create a show logo and profile/showpage banner. This is great for branding and creates automatic broadcaster recognition. HOW CAN I GET MORE PEOPLE TO WATCH MY SHOW?  To start getting more viewers in your show, you can email all your friends, as well as import addresses from various email accounts, and twitter your show. All of this can be done from your show page. The options are located directly under your personal tags in the mini bio section. Embedding your live show on your personal websites or favorite community sites (i.e. FaceBook, YouTube, MySpace…etc) can be an amazing way to draw in viewers as well as make your profile page very distinctively your own. In order to embed your show, from the live broadcast, simply click 'Embed it', copy the code and paste it into your personal website or profile.  It's an instant face lift to your personal pages! Record a promo for your show and spread it everywhere. You can upload your promo to YouTube, Facebook and your Myspace page. If you have a Facebook account, you can add the blogTV application and broadcast from there. This way, all your Facebook friends can automatically be included in your audience. Don’t forget about digg, furl, del.icio.us, and spurl! If you have accounts on these sites, go directly there (to promote your show) by clicking on the fast links located under your recorded shows. HOW CAN I GET BLOGTV TO NOTICE MY SHOW? If you have a scheduled show that you think deserves attention, write to kara-hannah at community@blogtv.com. We may help promote your show on the home page and may even hook you up with a spotlight banner! Back to Top TIPS FOR HANDLING THE HATERS IS BLOGTV A TROUBLE FREE ENVIRONMENT? Although most of the members of the BlogTV community are here to have fun and make friends, there are always a few party poopers who try to spoil the fun for everyone else. Please read the following to find out how you can handle the trouble maker. HOW DO I KICK SOMEONE OUT OF MY SHOW? (KICK) Click on the user's name once, and a menu will pop up. Click on the word, 'kick' - the user will be immediately booted from the show and will not be able to return for 15 minutes. HOW DO I IGNORE PRIVATE MESSAGES DURING MY SHOW? (IGNORE) You can choose to ignore the user who is private messaging you, by clicking the word, 'ignore' which can be found when you click on a username and open the menu of options. You may also do this from a private message window. (DO NOT DISTURB) If you do not want ANYONE to private message you, click on the icon of a circle with a check mark in it (underneath the username list) and choose the red circle with the dash through it. This will stop any new private messages from reaching you. IT'S HARD TO CONTROL THE ROOM ON MY OWN, CAN I HAVE HELP? (OPS) Yes, you can grant operational privileges by clicking 'Add Operator'- this feature enables you to give other people in your room the power to kick and ignore others. You should only grant these privileges to users you know and can trust not to abuse the power. Click on the username and then on the words 'Add Operator' from the menu. (CHOOSE WHO CHATS) You do not need to worry about verbal harassment in your chat room any longer, if you choose who is able to chat. In this feature, you simply click on the 'CHOOSE WHO CHATS' button (represented by a pencil icon underneath the username list) and decide whether you want 1. 'Guests can chat' 2.  'Guests can't chat' 3.  'Operators only' 1. If you allow guests to chat, ALL VIEWERS will be able to chat. 2. If you choose not to allow guests to chat, then only registered users will be able to chat as usual. 3. If you all Operators only, then you will choose who chats by awarding OPs (operational priviledges) to your friends only. This method will make sure no one harasses you during your show. * Be careful who you give OPs to. If you see that you are being harassed frequently, we suggest using the 3rd option so that only you can decide who speaks in the room. HOW DO I NOTIFY THE MODERATORS THAT A BROADCASTER IS BREAKING THE RULES? (FLAGGING) All registered viewers have the ability to flag a show, in order to notify the moderators that something inappropriate is going on in a show. Flagging may be used when a broadcaster is breaking the rules, but it may also helps to alert the moderators if a user is harassing the broadcaster or other viewers. Another way of notifying the moderators is by sending a complaint about the user. You can send those to moderation@blogtv.com, and make sure that you include the exact username and a screenshot of the broadcaster or saved document (click the save icon at the top right corner of the chat) of the chat proving the user's inappropriate behavior. Back to Top TECHNICAL TIPS HOW TO CHECK IF YOU'RE USING OPTIMAL NETWORK CONFIGURATION Everything must be done on the computer from which you are broadcasting. Tips: 1. In order to broadcast\watch a show smoothly, make sure you have at least 400Kbits/s of available upload/download bandwidth (upload for broadcasting, download for viewing). 2. Make sure you are not using any bandwidth consuming applications (i.e eMule, Torrent or other internet audio/video applications). 3. In order to check your connection statistics on www.blogTV.com, use the following link: http://www.blogtv.com/techsupport.asp WHAT TO DO IF THIS ICON (yellow triangle with ! in it) APPEARS ON MY VIDEO SCREEN Restart and begin broadcasting again. Go to Start >> Run then type the following command: cmd Use the following command in command prompt: netstat –na Try looking for a line where one of these IPs are shown: 64.124.150.110 – 120 in the middle column. Exactly as seen in the picture below, followed by the number :80 This means that while you are connected to blogTV's video servers, you are not using optimal network configuration. If you see the following line instead of the one circled above, it means that you are using the correct configuration. If you see 80 instead of 1935, then there is a connection problem. The broadcast will not run to its fullest potential and it will cause lag (if you're a broadcaster, this can cause lag to all of your viewers. If you're a viewer, it will only LAG for you personally) In order to resolve this issue follow these steps: Clean your temporary internet files: For Internet Explorer go to: Tools >> Delete browsing history, press "Delete Files…" in the Temporary internet files section. For Firefox go to: Tools >> Clear private data, mark "Cache" and click clear private data now. Open http://www.blogtv.com/techsupport.asp and run the test again to check if port 1935 has passed. Alternatively, you can run the command prompt again and type the following command: telnet fms180.blogtv.com 1935 (this will check if your firewall will allow your computer to connect to blogTV's servers using port 1935). * NOTE: Most domestic networks allow all outbound connections by default. Corporate networks usually block it. Now that you have done it all, try broadcasting again. If you still cannot broadcast properly please email support@blogtv.com with details. WHAT KIND OF HARDWARE DO I NEED TO BROADCAST SUCCESSFULLY? The site will work with Pentium 3/AMD K7 based computers and up (Pentium 4/Athlon XP and up are highly recommended). There's no need with any fancy video cards, a standard video adapter with 64MB and up is sufficient. WHAT KIND OF CAMERA SHOULD I USE TO BROADCAST SUCCESSFULLY WITH? Every webcam that supports 640x320 resolution and 25fps should suffice when broadcasting as long as you remember to illuminate the objects you are focusing on. Make sure you have a webcam with a focusing mechanism, and don't forget to focus on the object before you start shooting. You may also use a DV camera. WHAT KIND OF SOFTWARE DO I NEED TO BROADCAST SUCCESSFULLY? blogTV is designed to work with Firefox Mozilla 1.5/Internet Explorer 6.0 and up. For MacOS and Linux users, using Firefox Mozilla is recommended. HOW FAST DOES MY INTERNET CONNECTION NEED TO BE TO BROADCAST? The maximum quality of a broadcast on blogTV requires a 600Kb/s upload internet connection. The maximum bandwidth usage of a downstream is approximately 1000Kb/s. That's why we recommend using a high broadband internet connection with at least 400Kb/s upstream, (512Kb/s and up recommended) for broadcasters and at least 1.5Mb/s download for viewers. HOW CAN I PRODUCE AN OVERALL HIGH QUALITY BROADCAST? Things such as lighting, angles, background, sound with and without a co-host, etc., can help improve the quality of the broadcast tremendously. HOW DO I GET THE BEST QUALITY PICTURE DURING A BROADCAST? Always focus on yourself or the subject you are broadcasting. Creating a setting or an interesting background can enhance your show. Try to look straight into the camera for your viewers. A continuing side angle shot is usually not as interesting to watch. HOW DO I GET THE BEST QUALITY SOUND DURING A BROADCAST? After clicking "Start Broadcasting," you will see an Adobe flash settings box. In this box, adjust the appropriate volume level with the slider and check the "reduce echo" box. (If you need to go back to your settings, you can always right-click in your broadcasting screen and that will pull up the settings box again.) Make sure you are not too loud or too soft for your viewers. If you are co-hosting a broadcast, use headphones to correct any possible echo problems. HOW DO I GET THE BEST QUALITY LIGHTING DURING A BROADCAST? Always try and light your show evenly (unless you’re trying to evoke a certain moodiness). If you have natural sunlight, it’s best to face it. If you’re using a lamp, a good trick is to diffuse the light by pointing it towards a white wall behind you. HOW CAN I BROADCAST ON THE GO? In order to broadcast on the go you will need a laptop and an internet connection. There are 2 options to get an internet connection when on the go: 1. Use a mobile PCMCIA or PCMCIA Express card that connects to the mobile carrier. We have heard good things about Verizon EvDO cards. Once there will be UMTS (3G) and HSDPA (3.5G) coverage there will be a lot more cards out there for you to use. 2. Connect to WiFi hotspots. There are several hotspots that offer free internet when you are on the go. Please verify when using such hotspots that the upload speed is at least 350Kb/sec. You can test your speed using sites such as: Speedtest.net Back to Top