Get Real and Create Your Own Reality TV Show

Do you have a great concept for a reality-based TV show, but aren’t sure about the next steps? How do you get your show made without getting screwed over? In his new book, Reality Check (Focal Press, $19.95, October 08), successful talk-show host, Michael Essany, takes you from idea…to reality! Loaded with practical, step-by-step advice on the art and business of producing reality TV, this helpful how-to features insights from Mark Burnett, Dick Clark, as well as other top producers in the industry. READ THE PRESS RELEASE

- Consumer generated content and portals
- Distribution of full-length video content
- New distribution outlets for delivering content (Sling, TiVO, IPTV)
- Addition of Flash streaming technology and Podcasting
- Up-to-date market research and data
- New industry pricing data

* Discover how new video distribution channels & devices are affecting your content business
* Learn what you should pay for online video services and what you should expect in return
* Understand the differences between the Flash and Windows Media formats
* Read real-world ROI case studies of what has worked and what hasn't across b2b and b2c verticals

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You'll get a working knowledge of IPTV, enabling both non-technical and technical professionals to accurately analyze the emerging technology and business opportunities. Written by two leading digital media experts with, each with 25 years technology development experience and global insight, this book also looks ahead to IPTVs rapid deployment and future growth.

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 "Video Conferencing over IP: Configure, Secure, and Troubleshoot" - According to author Michael Gough, "For many years, the promise of high-quality, low-cost video calling and videoconferencing has been just out of reach for individual users and small enterprises. The lack of affordable Internet bandwidth combined with primitive hardware usually resulted in disappointing results. That has changed. The capacity has been created, the hardware works, and videoconferencing is within reach. And before you start spending money, you may discover that you already have almost everything you need to get started. This book demystifies the technology behind videoconferencing and provides single users and small enterprises with the information they need to deploy videoconferencing efficiently and cost-effectively."

PRICE: $49.95

A must-have for those in the business as well as for those who want to hop on the Internet video parade.

Useful for producers working in all industry verticals from corporate to entertainment, this book provides an end-to-end technical overview of the webcasting process. Very easy to read with lots of diagrams, it provides step-by-step instructions from audio/video production, encoding and authoring to delivery and business issues, this guide provides both the depth and breadth necessary for mastery of the subject.

* Step-by-step instructions and advice unique to the technical and business challenges of webcasting

* Organized in the order which a webcast is executed, and divided into sections that correspond to the different components of a webcast

* Detailed data on pricing and what you should pay when outsourcing webcasting services

Joe Follansbee's  'Hands-On Guide to Windows Media' is a comprehensive and easy to understand book that explains almost everything you ever wanted to know about Windows based streaming media. Starting with bottom line basics, it progresses up the technical ladder to cover details about DRM, web casting, troubleshooting asx files, and more. It covers how to deliver audio and video messages in a way that meets business goals without compromising quality or breaking budgets. It contains step-by-step examples and code and provides real-world case studies and anecdotes.

Get Streaming - by Joe Follansbee.

This is a great book if you are new to video streaming and putting your videos on the net. It is geared to beginners who need to know the basics before moving on.  It covers the essentials and then edges its way to the mid-range of the technology. Its easy to read, and very well organized. If you want to take the next step after shooting and editing video - putting it on the Internet - this is a very helpful and informative book that will will explain the technology and terminology, as well as providing simple step by step directions to use with many of the most common video editing programs for Windows and Mac machines.

CREATING WEB VIDEO with Adobe Premiere by Thomas Luehrsen

If you are about to take that big step to become an Internet Video Producer, you need to check out this new publication from PeachPit Press. Written by Thomas Luehrsen, this is an easy to read yet comprehensive guide to creating video for Internet distribution. 

The first half is dedicated to the basics of video production and editing. It includes how to pick the right kind of camcorder, what kinds of microphones and audio gear you need, how computers work in relation to digital video and audio, as well as how to capture and transfer your video and audio files from your camcorder to your computer. 

As the title indicates, this is mostly about using Adobe Premiere to edit and create videos for web distribution. However, even if you are using other computer editing programs, you will be able to pick up some very good tips and ideas. If you are an experienced videographer, you should read his tips about shooting for the web and then go directly to the meet of this book, how to compress video for the Internet. In addition to providing excellent tips for compressing using Adobe Premiere, he also covers compressing for QuickTime, RealOne and Windows Media player. The last two sections of the book cover how to design and create web sites, pages and players for streaming video and how to configure and set up your site to actually stream. He includes details for the various formats including RealSystem, Windows Media and QuickTime.

 The included CD includes a demo versions of Adobe Premiere 6.0 and GoLIve as well as a bunch of sample files and videos to experiment with. I would have liked to see the latest versions of the various Web video players included but maybe there wasn’t room. 

Even though the book is a bit Mac and QuickTime centric, I found that the information was very up to date and specific for those who want to jump into web video casting right now. There is very little technical jargon or aimless blue-sky exposition. The facts are well presented and backed up with good real-world examples.

Strongly recommended. Buy this book now.

The Technology of Video & Audio Streaming by David Austerberry (FocalPress)

This book covers everything you wanted to know about the technology behind video and audio streaming, and a lot more. David Austerberry's book provides an extremely detailed and technical look into the technologies that makes web communications and video streaming work.

 The book is covers three main areas - The Basics of Web Technology, Video Streaming, and Associated Technologies and Applications.  If you are planning to take a detailed course or become proficient in a certain streaming media program, read this book first to get the required technical underpinnings. If you are an IT Manager or web master planning on implementing streaming video, this book will be a great first step.