You load an app thinking you finally get to stream video over the 3G network, and instead all I got was a rebooting phone, and pixelated images. We’ve waited this long for that? Come on Ustream, surely we could do a little better.
Ok, now that the whining is out of the way, let me tell you a little about the Ustream iPhone application. It works great, in theory, but there’s a couple of small things that really annoy me.
First the positives, the UI is pretty simple, and there isn’t much guess work needed to get to the settings, you can record locally, or stream to Ustream. You can record at 320×240 or 176×144, and you can leverage your social media contacts to get an audience to your videos. Probably the coolest feature of this whole application is being able to see people commenting on your video, while you’re streaming. Cool right? Well, what about if you want to, you know, face the camera? It’s kind of hard to see a screen when you’re looking at the camera. The next iPhone better have a camera on top of the screen.
Now for the negatives, what is it with the 320×240 resolution? I mean fine, I get that the camera can only pump out some much quality, but why the heck can’t your application do some math and let us use the device in landscape mode. It can’t be that difficult. The video would feel more natural. Video devices aren’t still cameras, so treating video like it is borders on the ridiculous. Also, I can’t seem to view my videos without the phone crashing on me, and rebooting, so if you can handle these gripes, this application might be for you.
Video Shot on a 3G
For the record, I didn’t just wake up. The bad hair is from the Toque I was wearing earlier today. See what happens when you can’t see yourself while you’re recording…
