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IBM Video Streaming

IBM Video Streaming

Overview

What is IBM Video Streaming?

IBM Video Streaming solutions are used to stream virtual events, executive town halls, video marketing product launches, and OTT streaming. According to IBM, the solution is built for privacy, reliability and scale, to optimize video quality, and powered by IBM…

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Recent Reviews

IBM Video Streaming

10 out of 10
February 12, 2024
Incentivized
IBM Video Streaming has proven to be an invaluable tool in our K-12 school district, significantly enhancing educational delivery, …
Continue reading

Thanks IBM

9 out of 10
November 07, 2020
We used it for a 2-hour premier of a movie and a zoom Q&A panel to major healthcare institutions around the country. We were looking for a …
Continue reading

IBM Watson Review

8 out of 10
November 08, 2019
Incentivized
It is used across the whole organization to help my clients to watch interviews remotely whenever they cannot join in person at our …
Continue reading
Read all reviews

Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Popular Features

View all 31 features
  • Video link sharing (93)
    9.0
    90%
  • Live streaming (95)
    8.3
    83%
  • Video quality / Bandwidth controls (92)
    8.2
    82%
  • Mobile compatibility (87)
    8.1
    81%

Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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N/A
Unavailable

What is IBM Video Streaming?

IBM Video Streaming solutions are used to stream virtual events, executive town halls, video marketing product launches, and OTT streaming. According to IBM, the solution is built for privacy, reliability and scale, to optimize video quality, and powered by IBM Watson AI for video…

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.ibm.com/products/video…

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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11 people also want pricing

Alternatives Pricing

What is Vimeo?

Vimeo is a video experience platform. They enable anyone to create high-quality video experiences to connect and bring ideas to life. They proudly serve their growing community of nearly 300 million users — from creative storytellers to globally distributed teams at the world's largest companies.

What is Vidyard?

Vidyard is an enterprise video platform built to turn viewers into customers with in-depth insights and robust integrations with different customer relationship management (CRM) and marketing automation platforms.

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Features

Video Marketing

Features related to using video marketing content, as well as marketing videos themselves.

6
Avg 7.1

Video Platform Integrations

Integrations between the enterprise video platform and other business applications.

7.6
Avg 6.3

Video Security

Features related to the security of an organization's content stored on an enterprise video platform.

8.1
Avg 8.6

Video Player

Features that support playing and watching video content that is hosted on the enterprise video platform.

7.2
Avg 8.3

Video Analytics

Features related to collecting and analyzing data around video streaming quality, viewer behavior, etc.

7.5
Avg 7.4

Video Hosting, Management & Storage

Features related to hosting, managing, and storing video content.

8.2
Avg 8.4

Video Engagement

Features to engage viewers around video content, particularly for live streams.

8.2
Avg 7.9
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Product Details

What is IBM Video Streaming?

IBM Video Streaming solutions are used to stream virtual events, executive town halls, video marketing product launches, and OTT streaming. According to IBM, the solution is built for privacy, reliability and scale, to optimize video quality, and powered by IBM Watson AI for video search and automated closed captioning.

IBM Enterprise Video Streaming can power security-rich video communications ranging from employee town halls, to trainings and department meetings, to digital events – boosting engagement from virtually anywhere. This cloud-based solution includes AI-driven deep search and the ability to track usage down to the individual user level with metrics as detailed as when content was accessed, device information, geographic location of the viewer and completion percentage.


A free trial is available: https://ibm.biz/Video_Streaming_Trial



IBM Video Streaming Features

Video Marketing Features

  • Supported: Lead generation
  • Supported: Video personalization
  • Supported: Audience for distribution
  • Supported: eCommerce
  • Supported: Support for advertisements
  • Supported: Video SEO

Video Security Features

  • Supported: Video access controls
  • Supported: User management
  • Supported: SSO support
  • Supported: Password protection
  • Supported: Video link sharing
  • Supported: Embed restrictions
  • Supported: Internal video
  • Supported: External video

Video Player Features

  • Supported: Player customization
  • Supported: Embedded videos
  • Supported: Video quality / Bandwidth controls
  • Supported: Mobile compatibility

Video Analytics Features

  • Supported: Streaming quality reports
  • Supported: Per viewer tracking
  • Supported: Per video tracking
  • Supported: Video analytics dashboard

Video Hosting, Management & Storage Features

  • Supported: On-Demand video
  • Supported: Live streaming
  • Supported: Impact of streaming on network
  • Supported: Video upload & format support
  • Supported: Video library / File management
  • Supported: Video portal
  • Supported: Video downloads
  • Supported: Video editing
  • Supported: High definition support
  • Supported: Closed captioning / Transcription

Video Engagement Features

  • Supported: Audience polling
  • Supported: Audience Q&A / Live chat
  • Supported: Video comments

Additional Features

  • Supported: Scalability
  • Supported: Enterprise Security
  • Supported: Quality of Service
  • Supported: Integrated Content Management
  • Supported: Multi-CDN Delivery via SD-CDN
  • Supported: Cloud-based Transcoding
  • Supported: Social Sharing with Facebook and Twitter Integration
  • Supported: Integrated Chat
  • Supported: Live Analytics Dashboard
  • Supported: Auto-Recording
  • Supported: Custom Branding
  • Supported: Lead Capture
  • Supported: Live Playlists
  • Supported: Support for Professional Encoding/Production Gear
  • Supported: Enterprise Support Plans
  • Supported: Managed Event and Production Services
  • Supported: Enterprise Content Delivery Network (eCDN)

IBM Video Streaming Screenshots

Screenshot of the viewer's portal experience (channel page).Screenshot of how the automatically generated closed captions can be edited if necessary.Screenshot of the Analytics Console.Screenshot of the Watson Media CMSScreenshot of the viewer's portal experience (channel page).

IBM Video Streaming Videos

IBM Video Streaming Competitors

IBM Video Streaming Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationApple iOS, Android, Mobile Web

Frequently Asked Questions

Kaltura, Dalet Flex, and Vidyard are common alternatives for IBM Video Streaming.

Reviewers rate Video link sharing highest, with a score of 9.

The most common users of IBM Video Streaming are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).

IBM Video Streaming Customer Size Distribution

Consumers0%
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)15%
Mid-Size Companies (51-500 employees)50%
Enterprises (more than 500 employees)35%
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(205)

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-25 of 126)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
February 12, 2024

IBM Video Streaming

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
IBM Video Streaming has proven to be an invaluable tool in our K-12 school district, significantly enhancing educational delivery, professional development, and community engagement. It enables on-demand access to recorded lessons and professional development resources, facilitating a flexible and personalized learning environment for both students and teachers. Additionally, it promotes inclusivity by streaming school events and meetings for broader community participation. Its use across various stakeholders, including students, educators, and parents, has fostered a more connected, informed, and supportive school community, addressing the diverse needs of our district effectively.
  • IBM Video Streaming allows for the integration of interactive elements into video content, such as quizzes, polls, and live Q&A sessions. This can make learning more engaging for young students by making it interactive and fun, thus increasing their attention and participation.
  • Teachers in a K-5 setting can access and share professional development materials and teaching resources through the platform. This can help them stay updated on the best practices for early childhood education, innovative teaching methods, and subject-specific strategies, ultimately benefiting their students.
  • IBM Video Streaming provides the capability for teachers to create a library of on-demand educational videos. This is particularly useful for young learners who may need to revisit concepts multiple times to fully understand them. It also supports differentiated learning by allowing students to learn at their own pace.
  • Young students often benefit from visual aids in their learning process. IBM Video Streaming can deliver high-quality video content that includes animations, demonstrations, and visual explanations of concepts. This can be particularly effective in subjects like science, math, and reading, where visualizations can enhance understanding.
  • The platform could benefit from a more child-friendly interface that is easier for young students to navigate. Simplified menus, larger buttons, and more intuitive icons would help make the platform more accessible to K-5 students, enabling them to find and view content more independently.
  • Integrating more seamlessly with other educational software and platforms commonly used in K-5 settings, such as learning management systems (LMS) or classroom management tools, would streamline the educational process. This could include single sign-on capabilities, easy embedding of videos into other platforms, or synchronization of educational resources across platforms.
The teacher uses IBM Video Streaming to record and upload instructional videos on various subjects, such as math problem-solving techniques or grammar lessons. Students watch these videos at home as homework and then apply what they've learned in class through collaborative projects and hands-on activities. This approach allows the teacher to spend more time providing individual support where needed.
Eugenio Fajardo | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
In Universidad Iberoamericana A.C. we use IBM Cloud Video for our conferences, some classes and some important events that must be streamed. Our experience using this system has been very good. The service is commonly used in our auditoriums and classrooms but we're looking to bring this service to mobile schemes. The easy use and excellent quality of video are the stronger points of the service.
  • Easy use.
  • Video quality.
  • Customization.
  • The ability to secure a specific published video with a password. Not all channels.
I think that the scenarios where IBM Cloud Video is well suited are for example:
  • Medium / large or massive conferences.
  • Medium / large classes.
  • Important events that need performance and quality.
The scenarios where it is less appropriate:
  • Customized security for published videos that must be private.
  • Very small events, classes or conferences that don't have a lot of public [audiences].
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
IBM Watson Media's Video Streaming is excellent for broadcasting video behind a gate while also providing smooth functionality. It offers many customizable features for various needs within our organization and for providing informational videos to our audiences.

The off-air feature allows for select videos to play prior to scheduled broadcasts--essentially, it allows for teasers/trailers to play before the actual featured videos. This proved extremely useful for our organization to provide a looping informational trailer before we launched our scheduled programming.

In addition, the live feature integration is phenomenal. The platform integrates with Zoom and this feature takes precedence over scheduled playlists which is a exceptional aspect because the user has the ability to schedule transition videos of specific slides that will be interrupted when those on the Zoom side are ready to go live. My organization used this for a live Q and A session to further engage the community and spread awareness of a lesser known form of dementia.

Finally, the support team was beyond responsive and accommodating. Any and all questions we had with setting up the platform, hammering out the details, and configuring the videos to run smoothly were addressed by the communicative and attentive IBM support team.

Overall, this is an incredibly advanced and feature-packed platform that would serve any and all video requirements an organization may need. It is well worth the investment and I highly recommend it.
  • Video scheduling
  • Integration with live platforms like Zoom
  • Off-air video capabilities for trailers and informative pre-feature clips
  • Use of Q & A/chat box for delivering messages to panelists in external platforms like Zoom
  • Superb technical support services
  • It isn't always user-friendly or straightforward, but the technical support team will assist in any way they can to walk users through the platform.
Best for
  • Pre-taped/scheduled videos
  • Providing access to specific video content over a certain period of time (e.g., limiting access to a video for a week or a month)
  • Provides gated features so access to content can be restricted or emails/viewer information can be collected.
  • Extensive metrics to determine video reach/viewership, which proves great for reporting to marketing departments.
Not best for
  • Videos you do not mind having available anytime
  • A library of content that you do not wish to place behind an access gate
  • One area of improvement on the platform is the ability to customize confirmation email send outs to video registrants.
November 07, 2020

Thanks IBM

Todd Graham | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We used it for a 2-hour premier of a movie and a zoom Q&A panel to major healthcare institutions around the country. We were looking for a reliable platform to provide the utmost clarity in streaming of a motion picture that was made. Also integration with Zoom was important.
  • Clarity.
  • Streaming capabilities.
  • Ease of use.
  • Integration with Zoom.
We wanted a reliable streaming service with national experience and name. We worked with a great team at IBM that gave us the opportunity to produce a program and guide us along the way.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I manage live streaming for our university’s central communications office. I’ve used Ustream/IBM Watson Media's Video Streaming to centralize the streaming of major university events to one channel. I’ve also helped our smaller division set up their own channels for their events.

[Updated review on 10/2020: I decided to update this review after IBM stripped one more piece of useful functionality (a simple YouTube integration) without notice this week, and after many months of glitches in their web CMS and cloud platform. We have been a "metal plan" (self-serve) customer for years, and unfortunately, I can no longer recommend this product that deliver excellent performance for a good price. The price now is too high for what it currently delivers, relative to market peers. Save your money and look elsewhere if you're budget is below $20K per year for a live/VOD platform for your company.]
  • Rock-solid performance [updated review on 10/2020: not as reliable as 12 months ago]
  • Good video management system back-end [updated review on 10/2020: glitchy, waning engineering support]
  • Easy for non-technical users to grasp quickly
  • Invoicing - would like to see email notification/automation [updated review on 10/2020: Improved - of course, because it helps them collect $]
  • Updated templates for embedding channels on web pages [updated review on 10/2020: No major changes]
  • Beefing up event notification and functionality and subscription opportunities (this was stripped away earlier) [Updated review on 10/2020: Nothing new here]
Very solid performance. Friendly, supportive and responsive customer support. Great job to those on the front lines. You’ve kept me from canceling a few times in the past!

[updated review on 10/2020: IBM has very solid streaming infrastructure in place, and a live stream very seldom has any issues. But many other aspects of their streaming service has had significant glitches recently. If you're a "whale" customer looking to spend $50K a year or more on streaming, IBM may serve you well. But if you're a small to medium-sized business who wants to significantly over-pay for IBM Video's so-called self-serve, or "metal" plans, you will find great customer support but significantly lacking engineering support and product management. You could probably get a much better deal with Vimeo and other vendors in the sub-$15K annual range.]
Score 4 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Ustream to live stream research sessions to clients that can't attend. We give clients a URL an unique password.
  • Reliable service - we hardly ever run into technical difficulties
  • The back end is rather complex and has lots of unnecessary sections. It is not intuitive.
The service itself is very well suited to quickly setting up streaming for clients. however, the tech support is almost non-existent, and the help desk team do not read emails properly, so if you ever run into a technical issue, or an issue with your account, you won't be able to get it resolved easily.
December 09, 2019

Elementary

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Streaming our worship service to our community and stakeholders.
  • Ready access
  • Easy notice
  • Update on viewership
  • Renewal experience has not been easy.
  • Credit card expiry and early notice would be good.
  • Functionality could be better when in use.
Well suited for studio environments, not so functional for mobile use.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Livestreaming all school events from concerts to sports
  • high-definition video
  • graphic capabilities
  • multiple channels for streaming
  • titling capabilities
  • preset keying options
  • I initially saw dropped broadcasts due to usb conflicts with different accepted video mixers--this could have also been due to mixer/computer incompatibility.
  • A handier GUI for audio instead of adjusting audio going to the audio window separately
  • Some preset titling revealers for sports livestreaming would be helpful.
  • An ability to link with existing scoreboards for livestreaming
It is most likely suited for accepting input from any mixer and showing those cameras. I have not seen how well it is able to represent multiple cameras within mixers or if that is even possible. I do like the virtual display capability for separate monitors--I cannot vouch for how easy that is to set up.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use IBM Watson Media's Video Streaming for our weekly Sunday Service broadcasting, and occasionally special events. We are able to use IBM's tools to track viewership and even integrate the stream and chat function into our website to reach people all over the United States. This is especially great for our elderly community and the rare occasion services are canceled due to bad weather.
  • Ease of use.
  • Flexibility of using different streaming software.
  • Great interface for viewers with no extra work.
  • Occasionally, I've had issues with losing connection, making it impossible to stream.
  • Metrics can be a little confusing to find accurate viewer numbers.
  • The web interface can make finding certain things like chat windows difficult to find.
IBM Watson Media's Video Streaming is great where the user would like have control over their in-house video system, and not have to think about it once it hits the RTMP. It's flexible enough that you don't have to be wary of using or not using specific components.
Where it would be less well-suited is someone who is not at all familiar with streaming and would need an all-in-one plug-and-play system. That being said, this is easy to use.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use video streaming for the online classes that we offer as part of our Master of Biblical Studies curriculum. Our online students can watch the classes live, or they can watch a recording of the class at their earliest convenience. We connect two IP address cameras to the video streaming platform (one on the students and one on the professors), and we control the cameras with an iPad. We also connect to the professor's computer as a Remote Desktop (3rd camera) to show PPT slides that he is showing to the class.
  • The streaming platform is easy to navigate from the back end. It does not take extensive training for someone to step in as a video live stream producer.
  • I like the functionality to create numerous channels to stream and host varying content.
  • Although the platform has the capability to produce a complicated stream with a lot of moving parts, it is also user-friendly enough for an iPhone user to set up a simple stream on his or her phone very easily.
  • When using a Remote Desktop source, it is very hard to connect the computer's audio to the stream. It has never worked well for us. And we have often had to use the audio from the room itself as opposed to directly from the computer.
  • The chat feature can be more natively integrated into the video source (chats could be overlayed on the video itself as opposed to the side). It would make the interaction more prominent.
  • The video editor could be significantly improved. It would be nice to be able to clip more than just the beginning and the end of a recorded video (i.e. if you want to clip a 10 second section from the middle of the video, you need to export the entire recording, import the file into a video editor, edit the video there, export the video out of the video editor, and then import the new file back into the Ustream channel).
It's better for a recording scenario than it is for a live scenario when you want rich and timely interaction. Because of the 20 second delay between what is live and what the UStream end-user is seeing, it makes meaningful interaction not as seamless as you would want it to be.
November 16, 2019

IBM Watson Media Review

LeShawnda Fitzgerald | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Ready For Spanish uses IBM Watson Media streaming to teach our weekly kids Spanish classes to our online subscribers. This platform is used by our online teachers and allows us to broadcast and embed our pre-recorded and live Spanish courses.
  • It allows us to stream without special equipment. We mainly use our phones.
  • The quality of the videos is amazing and I love the fact that videos auto-save and you can download and edit them for later.
  • The program allows you to create playlists so that we can stream on our online channel 24/7
  • I'd like the option to be able to upload the videos directly to Vimeo.
  • The download speed could be faster.
  • The program is great and was perfect for what we needed.
I've already recommended this to other business owners who are looking for streaming ways to monetize their membership platforms. It is also very user friendly so you don't need to be a technical expert to use it.
Joshua Iley | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
As an Audio Visual Event services provider, we use IBM Watson Media's Video Streaming for all of our live streaming needs for various clients. There are several factors that we feel make IBM's service the leading choice, including it having a rich, customizable interface, multiple channels, security features. Using the service with multiple corporate clients allows us to offer a customized solution for different clients, while keeping a uniform interface for our technical specialists.
  • Channels - Having a channel that can be customized, and having a single link that can be shared before the event without having to update links to attendees is key. Attendees then being able to access the same link to view past broadcasts is important.
  • Security - Password protection on a channel is great for those looking to have limited access or monetize a stream.
  • Having separate Q&A and chat windows is great. Some events use one or the other, or both.
  • Increased security - I would love to have channels be inaccessible to searches on the website, but still accessible via private link.
  • A separate mobile app that presenters could use just for the Q&A and Chat module would be fantastic.
  • Support for multiple hardware encoders so there could be a failover.
IBM Watson is perfect for webcasts, especially in a corporate environment. It is not well suited for 2 or 3-way web conference-style communication.
November 08, 2019

IBM Watson Review

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It is used across the whole organization to help my clients to watch interviews remotely whenever they cannot join in person at our facility located in Milan. We use it whenever it is requested by the client. We also use it to record our sessions, download the videos and make these available for watching at a later stage to reference.
  • Streaming video.
  • Recording sessions.
  • Easy link connection.
  • Password access to be able to view different projects.
  • It does not allow for the streaming of two different languages at the same time, with the possibility to record in both languages on two different files.
  • You cannot record a session for more than three hours.
  • You cannot see the name of people who are connected as viewers.
IBM Watson Media is well suited for any streaming of video content with sound. You can stream right from your laptop. I never tried from mobile as we always use it from a fixed PC connected with a digital camera and audio system.
Frank Irzyk | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use IBM Watson Media Video Streaming to be able to provide parents and staff the ability to view significant public events in real-time and in recorded formats. Often parents and off-duty staff and even staff who are not able to leave classroom situations are able to view and participate in activities provided by the Overbrook School For The Blind and are able to view events in a time convenient to them. Students get a real kick out of being able to view performances that they were involved in after the fact. It is a bonus that the video and audio are crystal clear.
  • Stream and record significant events.
  • Stream and record staff events and meetings.
  • Stream events with moderately priced equipment.
  • Better opportunities to stream using wireless connections.
  • Simpler user interface.
IBM Watson is well suited for event streaming.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We are a multi-site teaching facility. IBM Watson allows talks and presentations from one site to be streamed to other locations or to staff members at home. Due to the low-cost hardware required, any PC and a simple capture card, it outweighs more expensive solutions.
  • Low cost hardware requirement
  • Low cost subscription model
  • Easy to use
  • Automated subtitling included in subscription
  • More generous streaming capacity included in standard package
  • Better online video management tools - I discovered very old videos were being stored without my knowledge
Low viewership streams are where IBM Watson excels, this is not due to IBM's bandwidth capacity obviously! This is more down to a subscription model that, in effect, punishes you for having a popular stream.

There is no obvious security, so confidential data cannot be streamed using this service.

For a "quick and dirty" solution, this works well.
Beth Jinkerson | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
My church uses IBM Watson Media's Video Streaming to webcast all public assemblies for Bible study and worship of the church that meets at 138 Providence Road in Oak Ridge TN. We are a congregation of about 145 members drawn from Oak Ridge, Clinton, and Knoxville and surrounding rural areas. The webcast serves members who are homebound or otherwise unable to attend in person. We also make the assemblies available to interested people around the world.

IBM’s video streaming service is cost-effective for us since we are such a small congregation. We are able to use open-source free products to support our video stream, making this a uniquely accessible approach to a service that is of primary importance to our mission statement.
  • This service allows multiple viewers to either set up a free, ongoing account or watch anonymously without getting an account.
  • Whether or not the viewer logs into an account or views anonymously, they can participate in the chat room, another feature of IBM’s software. Here, one can ask questions, make comments, and ask for technical support. Our webcasting team also uses this chat room feature to manage/test technical details related to webcast quality and other specific settings for the stream (I.e., sound, image, camera focus, etc.).
  • The ability to auto-record is another useful feature for us. The company offers a generous 1000 hours of recorded content per month, which is more than enough for our roughly 4 hours of streaming per week on average. This makes it possible to save an entire year of worship and study time for playback.
  • Occasionally, we experience a form of static that lasts for about 1 to 2 minutes. It appears in the live stream and in the auto-recorded file, but not in the live worship assembly. It occurs roughly 1 in every 4 hours of webcast time. I wish there was a way to trace the source of that recurring static. The diagnostic tools could be more robust.
  • It would be nice if the chat room allowed a user photo/avatar for each user to personalize that a little more.
  • I have wished for a way that an admin could use a “laser pointer” on the video window to point out something on the feed that other live viewers could see.
  • It would be wonderful to have a mini-tutorial for viewers who are not technically savvy that would inform them of how to get to the site and explain how they can use the software. For example, how they can see and type in the chat room, how to maximize the screen and make it smaller. Some of our viewers are in nursing homes or otherwise limited in capability to learn to use this on their own.
This software is ideal for any size church. The ability to purchase a modest number of viewer-hours per month for a reasonable cost (no-ads) is hugely important for non-profit organizations. Being able to live-stream, record and watch from the archives is also great. Finally, the chat room allows for a more interactive experience than traditional tv broadcasting.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Once a year the school hosts a sporting event that attracts a large number of people. Basketball and Soccer games are played simultaneously at two different venues on campus. Some families may have more than one child participating in either event. We were tasked with providing a way to allow anyone the ability to watch a live stream on their mobile device or computer while behind a password-protected website. USTREAM has been our go-to solution to make the live stream possible. It has also opened new avenues in terms of getting content delivered to more faculty, staff, and students for other events, including special guest speakers and schoolwide announcements.
  • Simple to use with easy configuration, setup, and integration.
  • Allows for multiple channels with independent URLs.
  • Low latency, less than 10-15 sec lag in some cases.
  • Recording capabilities and management of recordings.
  • It's a cloud-based product, which has more latency than on-premises.
It's well suited for multiple streams of input, and local and remote access.
Eli Garfinkel | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use the IBM Streaming platform annually to provide a way for sick or incapacitated members of our congregation to see and hear our High Holy Day services in the fall. Our health-challenged congregants appreciate this service, as it allows them to feel like a part of our community even though they can’t physically attend. The service also helps those who find themselves out-of-town during the holidays.
  • It makes video streaming extremely simple. Anyone with basic computer skills can set it up.
  • It is very reasonably priced and the service is much more reliable than free options.
  • The quality is good.
  • A few have complained about the audio quality, but I am not sure that this is an IBM Watson issue. It may be a microphone problem or an issue with users' speakers.
  • I would like the system to be more compatible with Chromebooks. The audio was unacceptable when I used my Chromebook for live streaming, but good when I used my Mac.
  • I'd like the silver plan to include more user hours.
Whenever you need reliable, reasonably priced live streaming, IBM Watson is your answer! It's very good for places that don't have expensive cameras and large technology budgets. I like that I can "set and forget" it; we're not allowed to fiddle with technology during the holiday, so it's very important that our streaming service works reliably.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use the streaming service to live stream events and AGMs to remote audiences. We often get asked if there are registration stats or viewer stats. However, the options offered on the platform is limited. The service gives us an easy platform to stream via RTMP that has an embedded player.
  • Easy to set up
  • Easy to customize, although there are very few options.
  • The player is simple for the audience to operate
  • Stream from the webcam through the browser is a great function, although we don't use it.
  • It means your platform can be used with professional cameras with nothing but a BLACKMAGIC web presenter or a BLACKMAGIC ATEM Mini, both of which are cheap and affordable.
  • Limited stats
  • No registration options
  • Vimeo is not as "well known" as other platforms
Suitable for:
Livestreamed events
Anything that needs a "white label" player embedded.
Large audiences.

Not suitible for:
AGMs, stock holder meetings or anything that requires stats or registration and automatic reminder emails for attendees, Check the webinar add on on zoom.us, this service provides all this but the video quality and requirement to download their program is confusing and annoying to attendees.
Ryan McGarry | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use the streaming platform to stream user test sessions to our research partners and across the entire company. It enables everyone to see our testing as it's happening, to see our methodologies, and to communicate our test results live.
  • Streams high-quality video and audio.
  • Shows multiple feeds (camera and screen share) in the same view.
  • Quickly change video sources to participant testing sessions.
  • Sometimes bandwidth causes video quality to become very low.
This is an excellent platform for customizing multiple video and audio sources into a single view (e.g. screen share and user's webcam).
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use it for our annual conference, which takes place once a year. We live stream the sessions over a 4 day period. It gives us the ability to allow anyone to view our broadcast (with the link). Also, nice to allow comment streams.
  • Once set up, very easy to start/stop streams
  • Review saves streams, editing information
  • Sharing saved streams with others
  • Easy way to save streams and download later
  • I do not like the free version going away. It allowed us to keep streams available when we aren't live streaming (once a year).
  • Allow editing of multiple stream information (like the name).
Well suited for larger events where you don't know your target audience's availability to social media or their experience. Give them a link and they view. Also, they can go back and watch previous streams all in one place.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Currently, it is used to stream externally to our "customers". It is used in a house of worship, so we stream our worship services out to our congregation. This allows people who can't attend in person to feel connected to their community. It has also extended our reach into two retirement communities allowing them to age gracefully.
  • It just works!
  • Reliable.
  • Handles different devices, formats and bit rates automatically.
  • Support isn't all that helpful.
  • The online interface is lacking, hasn't changed much in 9 years.
  • No HLS ingest or other ultra low latency options.
Well suited: Small business without video experts or development team. Set it up, forget it, it just works for basic needs. Basic HTML embeds integration like websites.

Less appropriate: large streaming events (10k+ viewers), where analytics are core to your measurement of success. ULL streaming situations. I'm not aware of native app player support.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Our team uses it live stream content to our website. It is being used by two departments. It allows our company to live stream events internally and externally, generating brand awareness.
  • Ability to create multiple channels for live streaming
  • Quality and reliability of the broadcasts
  • Easy to use and integrate with our website and social channels
  • Bloated user interface
  • Difficulty navigating between channels
  • Analytics Console could greatly use improvement (i.e. dynamic reporting)
Well suited for live streaming events on a website or social channels. Can't think of anywhere it would be less appropriate.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use it to stream events for my clients for public or private use. It give me the ability to stream on a private platform to clients that don't want YouTube or Facebook.
  • I like the password protection
  • The embedding options are great
  • The feedback and support functions are great
  • Playlists and scheduled broadcasts are good
  • I would like more branding options
  • I downloaded recorded streams that were of a lower quality than my actual stream quality
This platform is suited for people that don't want to use free public platforms that are full of adverts.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We livestream a range of events, from our graduation ceremony to live Q & As. Essentially livestreaming gives us wider access to our stakeholders, be it colleagues, families of our students, prospective students or current students themselves.
  • Storage of footage is excellent, clear and easily managed.
  • Syncing to our streaming system is easy.
  • Reliability is always good.
  • The preview functionality of saved footage can be very laggy.
It suits a lot of our streaming in regards to having chat functionality and also as a lot of streams are to education establishments it is often much more user friendly in comparison to more social channels like youtube or facebook in regard to accessing whilst on site. To clarify, YouTube and Facebook are blocked on a lot of school's ICT systems so they struggle to access content on there, Ustream/IBM Watson always works.
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