Case Study: Going Mobile With Webcasting

Looking Forward
All of NetStreamLive’s webcasts to date have been in Windows Media format, though StreamP supports additional formats, and Holloway plans to expand into live Adobe Flash streaming in the future. The Stream software’s expandable codec architecture also enables the easy addition of more formats in the future, avoiding the obsolescence that plagued Holloway’s previous webcasting equipment.

"Windows Media usually introduces a latency of around 20 seconds," says Holloway. "That’s not a problem if immediate feedback isn’t an issue. But in a situation like a live auction"—NetStreamLive has worked with the Livestock Marketing Association and Fasig-Tipton, a horse auction company—"seconds count, and Windows Media latency isn’t acceptable."

Beyond the technical benefits of Digital Rapids’ products, Holloway also respects the expertise and outstanding support of the Digital Rapids team. In one instance, Holloway was having trouble getting the StreamP PCMCIA card to work in older laptops; Digital Rapids’ Dan Englert tracked down contact information for the card vendor so Holloway could get more information about drivers and compatibility. "That kind of accessibility, patience, and attentiveness is what makes Digital Rapids’ support so valuable."