“Archive video has clearly exploded all over the internet, but live video hasn’t. We think it’s because more flexibility is needed that no single product can meet, but an open platform can.” That’s what Justin.tv VP of Marketing Evan Solomon tells us in announcing the opening up of the service’s API.
The API, which has been in closed testing for about a month now, will now be available to anyone who wishes to use it, for free. Justin.tv can do this because they’ve made live video cheap to serve. Their internal network has capacity for some 100 million hours of video viewing per month, we’re told. For some perspective, that’s roughly 2.5% of media giant Comcast’s capacity, but Justin.tv is run at a fraction of the cost.
And it’s not like it’s totally free with no strings attached. The initial launch of the API will be supported by ads. And eventually, a payment platform will be built-in to the API as well for developers who wish to service live video ad-free. In those cases, there would be revenue sharing with Justin.tv, we’re told. Still, the ad-supported free model makes it very compelling next to Stickam’s StreamAPI and Ustream’s offerings, both of which charge per view hour.
But costs aside, the key here is the access to the live video. Justin.tv is just one company and needs to maintain its core product, which means side projects like Camtweet, which was unveiled at our Real-time Stream event earlier this month and was built using this new API, aren’t going to pop up everyday. But with developers given access to the same tools, now Justin.tv doesn’t need to worry about doing all the work, it can have the community help is making cool new live video applications.
And just to give developers so ideas of what they can do with this API, Justin.tv internally made a few simple live video apps besides Camtweet. They are:
- A group chat application that allows an arbitrary number of broadcasts to be displayed on a single page as people join
- A Mac OSX dashboard widget that plays live video, allows search and includes a chat room–you can download this here, but please don’t share the URL http://soda.berkeley.edu/~kfb/jtv_dashboard.zip
- An automated event widget that can be embedded anywhere–once you setup an event the widget shows a countdown timer, automatically switches to a live video broadcast and then creates and displays a highlight clip after the event ends
- A baby monitor that alerts you when something happens in the broadcast–you can try this one out here http://www.slumbervision.com/
You can get access to these, dig into them, and get documentation on Justin.tv’s API wiki found here. You can also find the source code for Camtweet, which has been open-sourced, on Github here.
I suspect we may see the other live video services follow suit with free, ad-supported APIs. We watched them all rush to serve live video on Facebook’s platform last month, but opening it up to any app developer on the web for free is potentially much more interesting.
i cant wait too see what people do with it
jtv is the best.
This is so great for Justin.tv to do. I got a chance to play with Cam Tweet, and the live broadcasting on Facebook. I am very much impressed with what Justin.tv is offering. With this API available to everyone, so many new ways of streaming live media will make it’s way to the internet.
You rock, Justin.tv. Changing the internet, well for me anyway.
sounds very exciting. The future looks good for live video.
I am selling this away to the boy’s ! Next is 3D, streaming big time, try…. youtube ..”.3D TAYLORVISION.”… IT’S Coming soon!! I am telling you!!… guy’s you want me to work for you contact me, infact you can all contact me!!!!.
Never heard of Justin for tv
Think we should start referring to the company/site as JustIn.tv yet? as in “This Just In dot TV?” As in Live?
I think this is an excellent wee spin on the name “justin.tv” but maybe and this is a big maybe?, the guy’s at J.tv have been waiting for the penny to drop on the concept name, which the team at J.tv gave to such a great service for us all out here desperate to go live! into a world of broadcasting which otherwise is just in our wildest dream’s of our wee budget?. Now wee spin with joy! thank you to Evan Soloman and the rest of the team at justin.tv hot off the press? Respect from just me at http://www.seeglasgow.tv I will certainly be making great use of the gift thank’s, Brian Murphy.
AS A POST REMARK TO MY OWN REPLY ,I REPLY WITH AN APPEAL? IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE WHO CAN HELP ME SET THIS SITE UP AS I HAVE LITTLE IT KNOWLEDGE, OH!! WHAT IS THAT I HEAR YOU MUTTER WITH DISBELIEF AND PITY ? DONT BLAME YOU BUT IAM AS SUCH ONLY A ONE MAN TEAM SO FAR! YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET ME ON TWITTER SOON UNDER C GLESGA TV CHEER’S DEAR FRIEND’S.
Great thinking on the API… This is going to be a killer plugin for startups who op in the collab/knowledge-sharing space.
Very interesting…should be neat to see what people do with this!
I’m also amused by this quote in the 2nd bullet under examples of API apps:
“you can download this here, but please don’t share the URL “…..
MG sounds biased. Stickam has better API
Even if stickam’s API is better, you have to pay for it while justin.tv’s API is free
Yep, haven’t written about it before. And didn’t link to it in the story.
Agree with Derek
*facepalm*
MG has been perfectly fair in his coverage.
Hello. great stuff!! i m going to use it!
Where is the link to the group chat application?
Hi,
It’s about time they came out with API ! I luv their live service, now I want to use thier API etc.
http://wirePost.com
Can anybody give me a link to a example “event widget” would luv to see it?
Where is the link to the group chat app?
Yeah, where is the group chat app? Bump?
Justin.tv is nothing more than a pirates bay. I’m surprised the MPAA and television networks haven’t gone after em.
They have no business model and no business.
Run by a bunch of college kids.
KRod! I see you have the same pubuesent difficulty in using h/c, l/case, when typing, anyway you say? they have no business model? that’s cos their unique, I relate! did Neil Armstrong have a Moon Walk or not? or was he copying the futuristic view of M,Jackson, NO! ,CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT iAM ANSWERING TO OR SHOULD I SAY ON …”.H/CASE PUBUESENT PROB”, and as far as my envy stretche’s ! …..it’s usually a bunch of College Kid’s who make the first $500million! before their 30 yr’s old!!! I will go with their gift! thank you!….silly billy!
I saw this article on them awhile back:
Child porn?
http://www.inqu...ackdown-coming/
no need! jealous?.
Justin.tv sucks. It’s full of Arab soccer and cricket. There’s nothing interesting there EVER!
And yet TC covers this horrible startup that everyone hates. Why, TC, WHY???
2 words.. you’re dumb.
With a maximum country limitations and pushing people for subscriptions, no thanks.
This is very good news. I have been waiting for this. Well done Justin.tv
The only reason people use these
kind of sites are for sports/foreign media that is not cheaply accessible for inmigrants.
Maybe Leo laporte gets some views
but that is about it.
Argentine TV c5n channel uses Justin to broadcast their channel 24/7.
See the rojadirecta lawsuit. media companies want to charge pay per view to see soccer cricket baseball whatever. Now they are screwed with stuff like Justin feeedocast.
Even more so with stuff like P2P TVUplayer sopcast. You get amazing quality streams and it is impossible for media companies to stop it.
I would love to pay a fair price for access to south
erican soccer. But 14 dollars a match is too much
so I will pirate everything. Welcome to the 21st
century. Media and monopolies on information are DEAD
This is great news. I have been a loyal Ustream fan forever, but now that it seems they are getting sued, it’s awesome to have somewhere else to go. The Justin.TV API looks fantastic!
“A Mac OSX dashboard widget that plays live video, allows search and includes a chat room–you can download this here, but please don’t share the URL http://soda.ber...v_dashboard.zip”
Anyone else find that a bit odd? Looks like MG copied some text from an email and didn’t remove the link. I think including the URL in the post probably constitutes “sharing” it.
I would say I am excited but in reality it just means I will waste even more time.
Should be interesting to see how this turns out!
Riff
http://www.online-privacy.tk
That settles it.
It’s time to bring my cat cams back online. Pixel and Dot shall flood the Interwebs with cutez.
I’m with Jay…cat cams FTW! This is a great step towards the next generation of wasting time
MI NOMBRE ES HENRY TENGO 23 DE EDAD SOLTERO SOY DE HONDURAS VIVO EN TEXAS BUSCO DAMA MAYOR PARA AMISTAD OH ALGO MAS FAVOR LLAMAR AL 832-892-7306 BESOS Y ABRAZOS
I have been on JTV for quite sometime now and as everyday goes by it seems as the streaming is getting worse & worse..
Other than that I love JTV, being able to meet new people around the world on here and just hang out. Hopefully the connections becomes better soon!!
thanx admin .
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