Customer Reviews

Internet World Guide to Webcasting: the Complete Guide to Broadcasting on the Web

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3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Peggy Miles knows a lot about Webcasting - and this book which is a bit dated today gives you a good overview of the issues and thinking behind Webcasting but it is NOT the place to go to find out hardcore information about doing an actual cast yourself. There is no real discussion of the server setup, no real discussion of audio issues and how to do remotes. If you're planning on doing producing a Webcast it's a book worth having but you will need a lot more than this book to really feel you know what to do.

The book is dated! lets face it, 1998 when this book was published is history in this business. The Author does cover the industry as a whole but if you are looking for a current book with "Meat" you will be dissatified as I was.

This outstanding book provides information on the business opportunities webcasting can bring. It is a must read for anyone thinking about using webcasting for business, whether as part of a major corporation's internal training program or as a stand-alone live internet radio station.

Starting with an introduction for webcasting, the book defines three types of webcasting: streaming, on-demand, and push technologies. The discussion describes each of these technologies, providing excellent examples of how each are used and comparing them with similar off-line technologies (such as TV).

The book continues with a look at the opportunities webcasting can provide in business, including which type to use and whether the use of webcasting is feasible. Other chapters discuss developing both an effective website and the content to be webcast, how to market the webcast, and issues with managing the website. Information about important considerations such as maintaining the website, measuring the success of the webcast, and budgeting for various types of webcasting are included.

In the final section of the book, the author provides an excellent review of the legal and regulatory issues involved with webcasting when the book was published in April of 1998.

The author is Peggy Miles, President of Intervox Communications and an internationally known expert in webcasting. A founding member of the International Webcasting Association, she also moderates several key mailing lists supporting the webcasting industry. There are simply few more knowledgeable people of the webcasting industry.

Throughout the book, the author uses case studies to highlight her points. These case studies provide clear examples of webcasting ideas and techniques that are working for others.

The book's treatment of webcasting technologies focuses more on the background and potential business uses of each, rather than on specific products. As a result, the book does not suffer from the technological obsolescence that is apparent in other books about the rapidly evolving webcasting and streaming audio industry.

I most highly recommend this book for those interested in using webcasting technology in any business setting, from a traditional radio station planning to webcast their programming to a project officer assigned to create a webcast to give the company the competitive edge possible with webcasting.

Review by Mike Powers, Radideo.com Guide, December 1999

Very few times I have read a book so well prepared and presented. For people who has some knowledge about Internet but not very much informed about the webcasting techniques, its a great book to read. Certainly worth the money you pay for that.

Fabulous Book...it's the next step in broadcasting