Do you have a question about ClickStreamTV or any of our services? We've created a list of some of the Frequently Asked Questions by people like yourself. If for some reason you can't find the answer to your particular question, click here and ask us and we'll respond back to you personally within one business day.
What is ClickStreamTV ?
ClickStreamTV is a service that enables websites to stream video. With ClickStreamTV videos can be seen on by anyone, anywhere, anytime. What that means is users can go to your website and regardless of whether they are using a PC or a Mac or an iPhone or a Blackberry, they can view your video.
Why is ClickStreamTV better than YouTube?
There are a variety of reasons for this including (but not limited to):
- Video is delivered in your customized, branded video player, in an uninterrupted stream, which results in a more professional delivery.
- When videos finish playing on YouTube, their service suggests related videos, which can often either be one of your competition or something different entirely. By clicking on these it will either introduce your potential customer to your competition or it will change their focus to something different entirely - either way both of these instances are detrimental to your business!
- You keep the viewer on your website with no risk of losing their interest and chance of returning.
What is streaming video ?
In layman's terms, think of it like a television broadcast. Streaming video enables visitors to view your video in 'real time.' The difference between streaming video and progressive download is streaming video never downloads to the viewers computer. A progressive download allows visitors to view video as it slowly downloads to their computer.
The more technical definition is Streaming video is a sequence of visual data that is sent in compressed form over the Internet and displayed by the viewer as it arrives. Streaming media refers to the combination of visual and audio data. This guide uses the term streaming video to refer to visual data that may or may not contain audio. With streaming video, a Web user does not have to wait to download a large file before seeing the video or hearing the sound. Instead, the media is sent in a continuous stream and is played as it arrives. The user needs a player, which is a special program that uncompresses data and sends video data to the display and audio data to speakers.
Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered in a constant stream to the viewer (instead of having to be downloaded). Flash and Windows Media formats are the most popular and viable formats for streaming media.
Why is launching the ClickStreamTV player better than embedding a video on my website?
Embedding the video on your site not only takes up a lot of real estate on your website, it also keeps all your videos in one centralized location. By keeping your video library on the ClickStreamTV player, they are all grouped together and easily seen by your viewers. You ensure that viewers see all of your videos rather than leaving it to chance that they will visit each individual page where your videos may be.
Why does the ClickStreamTV interface launch over a website?
The ClickStreamTV interface provides a single point of video library reference for viewers, and simplifies navigation of your website. As recent Nielsen reports and the PEW Internet & American Life project notes, online media keeps viewers focused on a website ten times longer than static content will. Since the interface launches over your home website without any external distractions, viewers will stay focused on your website and your media, and the customizable interface creates a prime branding opportunity for your organization's message.
Is it easy to do a live stream?
ClickStreamTV has designed our system so that anyone can use it. There is no need for any extensive web knowledge or an IT staff.
How can I make money from streaming video?
Think of it in the same manner as you pay to see a movie. With ClickStreamTV's Pay-Per-View system visitors can pay to see your content. Whether it be educational content for business or colleges, athletic contests, church services, entertainment or anything else you can imagine.
What difference does it make if content is streamed, rather than downloaded?
Streaming media delivery is similar to broadcasting on your computer, meaning you will see and/or hear continuous picture and audio as it arrives. Your only wait is to allow a few seconds for a "buffer" to be built up, which helps the content avoid interruptions caused by internet traffic problems. Users are able to view the content without storing it on their computer.
In contrast, downloading content may take minutes or hours to complete, causing you to have to wait to watch and/or hear it. Progressive download formats have to be fully or partially downloaded before they can be watched. Also, unlike streaming videos, videos with downloading and progressive downloading formats are stored on your computer's hard drive.
In addition, streaming video's direct content-to-consumer delivery is more difficult to pirate than video in download formats, making it easier for you to maintain and control the dissemination of your content. Since downloaded content is stored on a computer, it can be easily copied and dispersed.
What is the best encode rate for my video?
The initial answer is the higher the rate, the better the quality but this is dependent on whether your viewers can support that fast of a stream. We recommend nothing less than 300 Kbps (kilobits per second) as this will be sufficient for most normal viewers.
How can I estimate my monthly rate of bandwidth usage?
ClickStreamTV has a bandwidth calculator that estimates this for you.
Click here to access the Bandwidth Calculator.
How many people can watch my video at once?
There is no limit to how many people can watch your video simultaneously.
What is a CDN?
"CDN" is short for Content Delivery Network.
Why are CDNs important?
CDN's are important for a variety of reasons. In addition to CDN's housing your videos taking the stress off your network, they have numerous 'hubs' across the country. This allows your video to be delivered to your viewer from the hub geographically nearest to them, that way when a user requests to see your video it streams from the closest hub thus delivering a fast, continuous, stream – alleviating any lag time or traffic delays.
In addition to this, CDN's use specially configured media servers that deliver video more efficiently than normal web servers.
Can I do a live stream and then save it for on-demand viewing later?
Yes. Be sure to use a digital camera when streaming your video. When you are setting up your encoder you check the option where to save the video as it streams through.
Is it easy to get started?
It is extremely easy to get started. Many of our clients have literally no web experience and no access to an IT staff and all were pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to get started and operate on their own.
How much does it cost?
ClickStreamTV's monthly plans start as low as $59 a month with a one time start up cost of $349 and come with a 30 day money back guarantee. Customers are not required to sign any long term contracts. Contact us via email (
info@clickstreamtv.com), phone (1-877-98-CLICK) for additional pricing plans and packages or simply
click here to view all of our programs.
How many videos can my ClickStreamTV online video library hold?
There's no limit to the number of videos you can add to your video library. Whether you've got four or four hundred videos, ClickStreamTV's turn-key streaming media interface will display them in an organized, professional manner.
Why does my website need to include video content?
Good question. Online video has had a profound impact on both the Internet and the corporate world and has become the single most important media tool for businesses worldwide. As noted by recent Nielsen reports and the PEW Internet & American Life project, online media keeps viewers focused on a website ten times longer than static content will, and 75% of broadband Internet users report watching online video daily at home and at work. When you offer video content on your website, every viewer becomes an engaged participant in your company's message.
How much technical experience do I need to use ClickStreamTV?
None. Our user-friendly interface transforms a once-complex process into a single-click solution. The reason why you don't need any special tools or staff to easily put video on your website is our online Media Control Center, an easy-to-use video management and publishing system that is accessible anywhere at any time.
Do viewers have to have a PC to watch ClickStreamTV video?
No. We're totally format-neutral, meaning that all operating systems and web browsers are compatible with our interface.
What's so special about the ClickStreamTV Video Email Tool?
As a totally new way to distribute your video message, Video Email is a great example of how ClickStreamTV doesn't just put video on your company's website - it fully integrates video with the rest of your website.
Video emails contain thumbnails that launch the ClickStreamTV interface (from individual videos to entire playlists) when clicked. Tracking and viewership rates for your video emails are located in the Media Control Center, allowing you to analyze the effectiveness of each email campaign. This standard feature of ClickStreamTV helps drive traffic to your online video library.
What are my limits on emails I can send at once or per month?
UNLIMITED. ClickStreamTV allows you to send an unlimited amount of video emails each month to an unlimited amount of recipients.
What is encoding?
Encoding is the conversion of a file from one format (usually the original format) to another. These include Windows Media files, Flash Media files, iPod video, and more. You don't need any special IT staff or knowledge to create multiple encodes of your files – just a click of a button and a few spare minutes. Upload your content to Digital One's online encoding system via an FTP client (a program that uploads files to the Internet without a browser, thereby cutting back on technical problems associated with browser uploads).
What video formats do you accept?
This is both an easy and a complicated answer. ClickStreamTV supports the following listed formats however, there are exceptions where the codec's embedded within are not supported by our system. To learn more about this, click here.
- .ASF
- .AVI
- .DV
- .MOV
- .MPEG
- .MPEG-1
- .MPEG-2
- .MP4
- .WAV
- .WMV
- .WMA
Why do you offer multiple video formats?
We believe that streaming should be a democratic process. Our multi-format technology can deliver videos in Windows Media, Flash Media and more, including the option to add new video file formats in the future. Additionally, ClickStreamTV also offers multiple bit rates (or streaming speeds) for each video.
The Speed and System Wizard checks each viewer's technical specs (such as browser type, operating system, connection speed and plugins) and then determines and delivers the best video type for the viewer. No user interaction is required in this automated compatibility check, creating a seamless, platform-neutral experience so that everyone can watch your videos.
