There’s a poorly kept secret in Silicon Valley: A lot of people are using their iPhones to stream live video over the web. The reason this is kept secret is because technically, no one is supposed to have such an app on their iPhone. You see, Apple has not allowed any of these live-streaming apps into the App Store. One reason is because these apps use hacks to get the iPhone’s camera to record video. But another is undoubtedly because AT&T does not want live streaming video clogging up its network. But if Apple and AT&T think videos like this and this were shot on something like a Nokia N95, they’re dreaming.
Even the video-crippled iPhone 3G has proven to be a great tool for shooting streaming live video, and now with the launch of the iPhone 3G S — which actually supports video, the implications are huge. Companies like Qik and Ustream should be shouting from the rooftops, “Finally!,” right? So why is everyone so quiet when it comes to using the iPhone 3G S for streaming live video? Well, because it’s still far from a sure thing.
Speaking with representatives from Qik and Ustream — two of the leading live streaming video companies — both seem to be completely in the dark when it comes to any streaming live video from the phone functionality in the new device. Obviously, they’re both very interested in it (and that’s probably an understatement), but it sounds like Apple and AT&T aren’t too interested in talking to them about it, right now.
The iPhone video capture problem is now out of the way, as Apple announced it has opened its video APIs to third parties, but that doesn’t mean that live streaming video output will be okay, Qik co-founder Bhaskar Roy tells us. He says that his team is currently digging through the new APIs in the iPhone 3.0 software, but it’s hard to know anything for sure until they get their hands on the actual iPhone 3G S hardware, which will be available next week.
And while it would be easy to blame the life or death of such functionality solely on AT&T, the whipping boy when it comes to all problems iPhone-related lately, it could well be Apple’s APIs that are limiting such functionality. “I haven’t heard specifically about AT&T’s concerns,” Ustream founder John Ham tells us.
Still, there’s good reason to think AT&T is plenty happy not to see any live streaming video apps anytime soon on the iPhone. It has been widely reported that AT&T is prohibiting iPhone apps like the Sling Player from streaming video over its 3G networks due to bandwidth concerns. This is true even though AT&T allows the same app to work over its 3G network on other phones. It’s crap. And we could be looking at getting handed the same plate of crap when it comes to sending live streaming video from the new iPhones.
And it seems pretty unfair to these video startups trying to provide their service to customers. “Currently, viewing YouTube videos on the iPhone presents a load that is likely larger than the aggregate amount of bandwidth used by many individual broadcasts [on Ustream] at any given moment,” Ham notes. That’s interesting because YouTube, which is owned by Google, obviously has had an official app on the iPhone since day one, and AT&T doesn’t seem to ever complain about that.
Why any of this matters is because live streaming video from your phone is proving to be an invaluable tool for certain circumstances. Despite its popularity, most people still don’t carry around Flip cameras at all times, and even if they did, those don’t stream live to the web. But having such a tool that is always on you, on your phone, with such capabilities is huge. How else could we get great videos cornering Google co-founder Sergey Brin at a conference or the Google Goats?
AT&T has been working to overhaul its 3G network, upgrading to High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) which can run at 7.2 Mbps — which the new iPhone will work with. Of course, that won’t start happening until “later this year,” so our best hope for live video support over 3G may be then. If we don’t have such a capability at least by then, that’s just pretty pathetic — no matter whose fault it is.
This is a must have for me. No live streaming video, and I’m sticking with my old 2G iPhone.
I’ve enjoyed streaming breaking events like my cats sleeping and waking up when I tell them I am streaming them live on the Interwebs. I’ve done this on WiFi, 3G, and even Edge using Qik.
I’m sticking with my “enhanced” 3g until I get a clear indication that the 3gs does what I want. Or, until there is an “enhanced” way to use the 3gs.
pfizer joke in there? or enzyte?
Well, I’m already a balding old guy so…
How about Orb? If you want to stream live TV on your iPhone (2G, 3G or 3GS), this is all you need.
Apple will allow live streaming on the next iPhone, which they plan on releasing probably around October 2009.
“If we don’t have such a capability at least by then, that’s just pretty pathetic — no matter whose fault it is.”
Two and a half years ago very few people in the tech press cared anything about cellphones. Now 480p video capture with editing capability isn’t good enough. It has to stream video otherwise it’s “pretty pathetic”. Pretty luxurious complaints, if you ask me. Especially when no background info is provided. Do we know what the cell systems can actually handle? How many simultaneous streams of the expected bitrate could one cell tower handle?
None of this matters to Techcrunch I expect. Hate is what brings the clicks, especially Apple hate.
I can slightly agree with your point, but considering the fact that its possible on other carriers and that iPhone users are already paying a premium, all parties involved should really find a way to make this happen on the iPhone. There really is a space here that could explode if someone such as Apple were to support it with their huge and ever-growing user base. Maybe we will see it happen when we see the front facing camera that is bound to happen some day…soon.
Yeah we’re clearly all about the Apple hate here. Please let the other commenters know.
Haven’t you guys heard of videocalls? That’s exactly what we’re talking about multiplied by 2 (both directions).
Any “decent old” 3G phone (made by European or Asian producers) had a VGA-camera beside the screen already 5 years ago so that the two parties can see each other while talking. But not iphone, Android, RIM..
Also, the operator 3 has promoted videocalls since they started their operations in Europe.
Could this difference be because of the network speeds/quality available in NAM is lower, or any other ideas?
I find it funny that Yahoo won’t allow this story posted on MyYahoo. I had to click to techcrunch to read it. You have to wonder why…
Although I am very hapy with the ability to record and upload video directly from my iPhone (12 Seconds, Zannel and Twit Video app here we come), I have been eagerly awaiting at least a Qik app on my non-jailbroken iPhone. I jailbroke my 1st gen iPhone a week before the 3G was announced last year and used Qik for a little while. Soon after I installed the iPhone 2.0 OS update and have been patiently waiting. Now that video is here, I would be very disappointed if Apple did not find a way to make this work. Shall we point the finger at AT&T again?
Maybe, though we’ll see what these guys find in the APIs, but considering Qik was wondering on the iPhone 3G, I’m sure there’s a fairly easy way to make it work on 3G S, but I’m also sure AT&T won’t like that idea too much.
So potentially you’re saying that all iPhone generations may get functionality if the APIs allow or am I misreading the context?
Ok, my conspiracy theory fizzled…I can get the story on MyYahoo now.
But while we’re on the subject of the iPhone, why so many rules? No slingbox, no streaming video… it’s a crap phone anyway, still no Voice Navigation! A potential app from TomTom with no release date or pricing…may or may not ever see the light of day.
What makes you think that it would never see the light of day? Its simply not released yet.
hey, AT&T is not the world. And apple delivers to other countries as well
btw, here in Germany we have 7.2Mbps for a couple of years
It’s usually network operators who stunt mobile innovation. In the end it’s consumers who end up losing out. Operators like 3 are pushing boundaries with the mobile internet compared to the rest such as the current ‘Free Skype Calls Forever’ package, shame the iPhone isn’t with them.
Hope it can stream video, it could do great things for adoption of new services. I wrote a bit about it
http://mobilein...ile-tv-popular/
Why, in all the HSPA 3GS news are people so focused on the download speed (the 7.2 number being thrown around). I’ll just be happy that the 3G will no longer be HSDPA only, but full HSPA (including the other part HSUPA). The iPhone 3G still uses 2G to do requests. This one should be called the iPhone 3Gfr (for real).
I think the problem here is that the cell site towers can’t handle 1000’s of people watching video simultaneously. Each cell site tower i think covers only 12 miles and costs about a hundred thousand dollars to build, so if everyone was using video on their phones, they would need to put 100’s of cell site towers in each suburb. Someone needs to invent a way to increase each cell site tower bandwidth to 100Gbps.
Perhaps WiMAX might fit the bill… but the cell carriers are fighting it tooth and nail.
I think it’s not AT&T being a bad guy, but the networks just aren’t ready for the level of data that iPhone customers use. If you talk to them off the record, they’ll readily admit they weren’t expecting this type of data usage. They have put billions into the 3G network, and I honestly don’t think any of the American carriers can truly handle this for a variety of reasons.
I don’t have much hopes for HSPA, but think the best thing that can come out of this is the acceleration of 4G networks.
I totally agree with ” Ham notes” Unfair! AT&T is stop progress, just don’t upgrade or buy iPhone 3G S! We the people want, Live streaming Now Damn, biatch!
Not livestreaming, but, from a video download perspective there are companies (Poptiq, PrimeTime2Go,…) doing the cache-over-wifi thing just to avoid the carrier/bandwidth concerns.
Video just screams “use unlicensed spectrum”.
As Flixwagon (http://www.flixwagon.com) were the first to introduce the iPhone live streaming, I would look that direction for a creative solution….
The phone has not even be released yet…I don`t believe anyone should be jumping to conclusions yet! Lets for a second be grateful for the progress being made…and especially be grateful to Apple for their overall contribution to enriching all our lives!!!
Authorized live streaming from iPhones … coming soon, without a doubt. And, eventually — and despite the nay-sayers — mobile live streaming will become a natural part of our everyday communications. And, in ways we can’t even yet imagine.
Peter Csathy
CEO, Sorenson Media
Former CEO, SightSpeed (live video communications)
The phone has not even be released yet…I don`t believe anyone should be jumping to conclusions yet! Lets for a second be grateful for the progress being made…and especially be grateful to Apple for their overall contribution to enriching all our lives!!!
The Native You Tube upload App was already shown at the conference.
What is the big deal here, if folks can upload to youtube 10 sec later who cares if you cannot stream live Do you seriously think 10 people will watch me filming my cat and they cannot wait for 30 sec to be uploaded to you tube ?
These days we tivo our shows, we hardly watch live tv or even cnn. You tube is popular because it is not live I can watch it anytime I want, Your cat will survive if she is not live and 30 sec delayed . Get a life !
At&t stopping global progress. What gives.
Well, no particular BW limitation in Europe, so I’ll enjoy streaming video live from France
The phone has not even be released yet…I don`t believe anyone should be jumping to conclusions yet!
APPLE has dropped the ball here not letting Ustream and the others in the app store.
Youtube videos consume TONS more bandwidth than a few thousand live streamers on Ustream.