14 DAY TRIAL // One of the biggest players in online live video streaming, Justin TV, is launching a new tool, partnering with Facebook to bring live broadcast to every user of the social network. Live by Jusin TV is a Facebook app that allows users to view streams coming from the video service but also broadcast their own. And to make sure it reaches as many users as possible it's free and doesn't even require singing up.
“One of our ultra-secret awesome projects is finally finished and I'm really excited to announce that you can now broadcast on Facebook through Justin.tv,” Justin TV's Tia Marie wrote. “It's really simple to use! Just like on Justin.tv, all you need is a webcam and an internet connection. It's just that easy.”
With the market for video streaming taking off and becoming more and more popular with individual users but also with celebrities or companies, the battle to become the dominant player in that market is also heating up, with Justin TV and Ustream but also some smaller players constantly one-upping each other. There's certainly a demand for online streaming, with recent events gathering record viewers like the US President Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony and Michael Jackson's Public Memorial Service just this week.
Using Justin TV Live is as easy as it gets; you need a webcam and an Internet connection obviously and you're set to install the app. After you configure it for broadcast a “Watch” tab will show in your Facebook Page allowing you to view the video streamed at the moment. The app provides some broadcast information and also integrates with the Facebook live stream box that is becoming increasingly popular at big events and was recently launched to the public.
There already is, however, a similar app from Ustream but it requires users to sign up with the service so the new app might prove more popular even with Ustream's head start.