CNET Editors' review
Justin.tv is a live video blogging site that combines a live video feeds and public chat rooms. It launched with head blogger Justin Kan's daily schedule--which loosely resembled a content programming guide. Entertaining bits of content are archived for later viewing, complete with a blog post with context for what's going on. The entire production was run through Kan's backpack, which holds a laptop hooked up to an EV-DO card, and people had the option to call or text message Justin with feedback or comments about what's going on.
Mundane moments aside, Justin.tv was pretty entertaining with even just one person to follow. In about 10 minutes of watching, we felt like we were inside his head, in a "Being John Malkovich" kind of way. Since the trial run, the service has opened up to others who wanted their own channels. It's now a large live streaming network that also keeps archives of everything that's streamed online. Each video room includes live chat and simple ways to share the live and archived content, either on blogs or social-networking sites.
Chatters can discuss what's happening on various shows with other viewers (using Lingr, the live updating chat service), and Justin.tv also has added Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace integration to its service. This lets members sync up their accounts to filter chat room content and pinpoint their friends from those social sites, as well as spread the word about what they're watching by pushing out Facebook and MySpace status messages or tweets on Twitter. The entertainment is endless, so if you're looking for a way to kill some time, this is a worthy option.
Publisher's Description
From Justin.tv:
Justin.tv is an online community for people to broadcast, watch, and interact around live video. With more than 41 million unique visitors per month and 428,000 channels broadcasting live video, Justin.tv enables users to create real-time connections with others around the world. Justin.tv's live video platform scales to support massive audiences by measuring demand in real-time and intelligently replicating streams to additional servers to meet that demand.
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All versions:
3.0 starsout of 2 votes
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Current version:
3.0 starsout of 2 votes
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"Site has many downfalls making webcasters feel uneasy"
Version: Justin.tv
Pros
It is an extremely easy way to start social webcasting with easy to use tools to get your on the path to your own internet channel. This makes it very simple to start your own lifecast, broadcast, or video sharing site.
Cons
There are several users of the service whose soul purpose is to try to out other users of the service for what they claim is illegal activity. These people are not in a position to make such calls as they are not authorities, but JTV condones it.
Summary
Lately, Justin.tv has suffered declines in viewership, for several reasons. Many are attributable to the profileration of accounts created by 13-17 year olds causing floods of 18+ viewers to leave the service. Justin.tv's terms of service [http://www.justin.tv/user/terms_of_service] allow those aged 13 and up to create accounts and start webcasting, regardless of if the sub-18 crowd has parental consent. This has caused the service to suffer many nights of social forum peep shows committed by those younger than the age of consent. Anyone who attempts to notify staff of these issues is summarily dismissed from the network, with no reason given.
Other reasons for viewership declines stem from the viral blogs that have been created to out those who visit those channels. Many of the blog creators, such as http://justin.tv/Mr.%20MacGregor and Anthony TT, are just as perverted as the registered users of the service they are trying to out. Anthony TT is a prime example of someone who needs to be outed himself. Anthony TT is a computer repair technician from Providence, RI who records chat logs and video clips to feed to Mr. Mac. Unfortunately, NONE of the information is verified before it is posted to the blog site, and many times causes innocent people to be outed for no reason. Anthony TT has fabricated several of the postings, via use of photo editing software and bogus account screen names, similar to the users' screen names he's trying to out, to try to pin the perversion on people who dislike his personal webcasts on his many usernames; such as: http://justin.tv/The_Computer_Store The_Computer_Store, http://justin.tv/Telemarketer_Torture Telemarketer_Torture, and http://justin.tv/Randall_Stevens Randall_Stevens. The Computer Store account shows Anthony at his place of business taking questions about computer problems; but at night, The Telemarketer Torture account is used by Anthony to harass http://www.Craigslist.org posters and telemarketing companies, and The Randall Stevens account is associated with a roleplay character Anthony uses to show his homosexual tendencies as a fecalfeliac. He tends to prey on broadcasts which have dial-in numbers via Google Voice or Skype. This group hides behind First Ammendment rights and Google's unwillingness to police it's own blog service, http://www.Blogspot.com, for validity.
Several long-time broadcasters, who do not participate in the perversion; have had their reputations ruined, accounts banned, or places of business harassed. This has caused a substantial amount of quality broadcasters to leave Justin.tv and move their webcasts over to other services, such as http://www.Ustream.tv. Justin.tv refuses to ban these users from their service, is unable to fully do so when they do, and seems to fall on deaf ears when complaints are lodged against such acts. It is merely easier for them to ban the complaintant rather than resolve the issue.
One other issue with the Justin.tv service and sub-18 users is that Justin.tv does not heavily police the ads placed on their site. This has caused several condom and sex shop ads to be displayed on channels of sub-18 users. The site is very slow to rectify such issues, when they occur. -
"where hobbyist producer display their channels"
Version: Justin.tv
Pros
Exciting and new views on today's media and programing
Cons
As each channel is run by individuals so program content is limited to the broadcasters desires
Summary
Justin.tv is a great place to hag out and chat with others who enjoy programs and ideas to your liking
