Qik has released its mobile video streaming application for jailbroken iPhones to the public. The service allows users to broadcast video live from their phones using Wi-Fi or the EDGE network which can be viewed on Qik’s site or through its embeddable player. Unfortunately, the application is only compatible with phones running the 1.1.4 firmware, which has been obsolete for nearly a month since the introduction of the Apple App Store. If you’ve got a phone running the old version, you can download the app after signing up here.
Users running the 2.0 version of the software will need to wait for Qik to release a compatible version, which the company expects to do in the near future. Unfortunately, it’s likely that the application won’t be available through the official App Store, as Apple still hasn’t enabled video capture using the phone’s integrated camera. Until Apple changes its mind, you’ll need to jailbreak your phone – something that the vast majority of iPhone users are reluctant to do.
If you’re feeling really adventurous, you can try downgrading your phone to the 1.1.4 firmware using the instructions here, but we haven’t tested them and there’s a good chance that you’ll fail miserably (don’t try this if you have an iPhone 3G).
Qik has offered a private beta service for months, but only recently launched to the public. Besides the iPhone, the service supports a number of other phones, including models offered by Nokia, Motorola, and Samsung (you can see the full list here).
Unless this gets on the App Store (and from what everyone is saying, is doubtful) it will sadly never take off. FAIL.
On the contrary – it could just be the killer app that pushes people to jailbreak their phones.
I agree. No official Application and Qik will never truly get off the ground with iPhone users. The normal person is NOT going to jailbreak their phone just for the Qik app.
I don’t quite understand why Apple has to create a video recording mechanism. Why doesn’t Qik just use what they are using on jailbroken phones? (Of course I don’t have much experience at all with the iPhone SDK so this is probably impossible as they say).
flixwagon did this recently as well: http://www.flix...48c0136f7d4007b
I’m very anxious to be able to do it on jailbroken 3g iPhones. I’d rather use qik, but Ill try flixwagon if they come out with one first
Damn it Qik. Your usability sucks ass. I have the app working. But can’t seem to signup/see my vid/have any idea what’s happening to the vid after I record it.
What Zaid said… nowhere to login through the app!
Hi guys,
The instructions above aren’t quite complete. Please sign up first at qik.com/sign_up — then you’ll receive an SMS that will get you going. Thanks!
No one is going back to 1.1.4! Let’s hope they get it working with the lastest fireware shortly.
@William Stay tuned
Michael, I did sign up. And it gets even more confusing. I click on the link in the SMS. It shows me some text about unlocked iPhone.
Then it tells me I need to signup if I haven’t already. WTH? That is what I was trying to do!
@zaid just launch Qik now, you should be all set
@michael: where can I see my videos?
(linkback) Qik – Thrive or Fail? [VOTE] – http://www.thri...rfail.com/789e8
@zaid the videos (if public) appear on the qik homepage, and also on your qik profile — email me if I can help
with such a cool app one would hope that the coolness would rub off on its users and/or the stuff they produce… alas, it has not
http://webpoet....ce-un-imparted/
Sweet. Works pretty well! Thanks for the help in setting up.
Qik is crap – I’ve been waiting more my invite confirmation for months. They shouldn’t be announcing support for new devices until they’ve provided support for the ones they previously announced that people have signed up for.
@corey
We’ve recently opened up signups for all supported devices; we’ll be contacting all previous signups soon, but until then if you enter your phone # again on the signup page it’ll update your account and let you get started immediately.
Nothing new here, Flixwagon’s 1.1.x iPhone client was already out there:
http://www.into...ith-iphone.html
Strange – Techcrunch giving such a nice post to Qik’s launch but mentioned nothing about Flixwagon’s Iphone launch, more than 2 weeks ago. Is someone being paid???
Also, Zaid, I’ve downloaded Flixwagon’s app when they launched and handled great without “comments” technical support – give it a try.
This is an update of Qik’s previously-released private alpha, and an opening of the sign-ups so anyone who hasn’t already upgraded to iPhone OS 2.0 can get it now without waiting.
Key features:
- live chat built-in
- supports live streaming at up to 320*240 resolution
- supports live streaming even over Edge, if you select the lower resolution and “min delay” options. Note that Edge offers a pretty low bit-rate, so don’t expect too much in the way of video quality… but you can be live under those conditions with Qik.