Leading tech commentator Robert Scoble has gone mad for a new video streaming service for mobiles called Qik. It competes with Kyte and Seesmic but unlike those you do not have to wait for the video to be uploaded. Instead it streams the video straight into the site with a 5 second delay. To use it you download and install the client software – in Scoble’s case a Noka N95 – click on the icon and then start streaming video. Once finished the live stream turns to a recorded video. This could be pretty interesting hooked up to a micro-blogging platform like Twitter, as Seesmic currently is.
Qik supposedly allows you to sign up from Europe but although I registered today I have not yet had the confirmation SMS delivered to me. As soon as I get it I will see if it’s possible to use Qik from the UK.
I have always wondered why Seesmic launched on the Web first, using Web cams, when the greater opportunity is possibly via mobile phone. But no doubt it is easier to scale faster via PCs than mobiles, where there is an inherent data cost for the user.
In the UK a startup called Rawflow has been running a Seesmic-like site called Selfcast, a live peer-to-peer streaming service, for over a year now. This is the consumer-facing side of, RawFlow which provides broadcasters and content delivery networks with P2P streaming services. It has investment from Benchmark Capital.
I was told a year ago that Selfcast would have a mobile phone trial for its streaming service. But I haven’t seen anything about it since. Either I have missed it or it never happened. I have put in a call to the company today and will find out more.
In the UK the 3G network operator 3 famously launched with video calling but could never realistically deliver and consumers turned out not to want it. But video streaming from mobiles direct to the Web could well be a killer application, given our inherent fascination with You Tube et al, which bodes well for Qik and other startups like it.
Yep, it could be very big indeed. A natural extension for youtube and all the others. I’m interested for my own reasons as well.
Video calling never caught on in the UK as the video quality was worse than when RealPlayer first came out and we were all trying to download video clips over crappy modems back in ‘95 or whenever. If it was better quality, there’d be more milage in it, but it’s still going to take a back seat to what you’re talking about here.
Most UK operators have a low cost, flat-rate data plan nowadays, so I don’t buy the comment about there being a (assumed significant) cost to the user. I have an N95 on TMobile and my bill is ~£35 a month, with full 3G unlimited data. Not bad.
Why didn’t O2 invest in this instead of IPTV, eh Mike?
No sign of my sms either Mike. Shame as it looks amazing. can’t believe that none of the mobile operators have developed something like it.
As you can imagine we have received an overwhelming number of requests for invitation to the Alpha release of Qik. Thank you! We are working through these requests and will be in touch soon.
We are also working towards supporting other device platforms. If you’re interested in participating in an early release of Qik for these platforms – send us an email at support@qik.com along with the type of device that you are interested in.
Its running in Germany in all operator networks – its called ViiF. Its implemented on MySpace, Facebook and DHD24 – one of the largest german classified sites. No data flat or Client Download is nessecary because you do a videocall to 22557 – a 5 digit short dial and its up an d running. Try it out!
Mike,
What do you think of this: it’s end-to-end broadcast-level work-flow, seems to be completely off the bloggers radar.
Check out the other apps/products!
forbidden.co.uk/news/press-releases/forlive-2003_09/
Yours kindly,
Shakir Razak
You might want to correct the Kyte link — it’s currently pointing to kyte.com, not kyte.tv.