New Live Stream Tool from AZB

Jerry Forsyth

Jerry Forsyth

Well-known member
We have just launched Streamer Central on the front page of AZBilliards. Streamer Central allows you to see all the current live streams and tune in to them from a single page. You can open and watch as many streams as you wish to keep track of. And as you watch it on AZB you are also watching it on the streamer's platform so they get to count you as a viewer! In this way you can watch as many streams as you wish and support them all with your viewer numbers. We hope to drive a lot of traffic in this way to all the live streamers who bring us the game live from around the world. Now you can watch all the streams you want and know who is online and when.
 
Thanks AZ, Jerry, Mike and crew. I feel that if pool is ever really going to take off streaming will be a big reason why. I'd like to see the day when their are so many veiwers watching pool on stream, that the TV come people begging for a pool show. Johnnyt
 
One of the two streams I am watching now has Danny Harriman against (I Believe) Gabe Owen. I think this is the stream from Tuscon. It is the one from The Hammerzone.
 
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Jerry Forsyth said:
One of the two streams I am watching now has Danny Harriman against (I Believe) Gabe Owen. I think this is the stream from Tuscon.
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Great idea to make things easier!

If anybody is in Tucson, tell Danny to give me a call when he gets a chance.
 
This is cool. I like that you can click on the video and it takes you to the Ustream site with the chat. Great feature. Ron:thumbup:
 
Jerry Forsyth said:
One of the two streams I am watching now has Danny Harriman against (I Believe) Gabe Owen. I think this is the stream from Tuscon. It is the one from The Hammerzone.
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Jerry,

That was the one-hole finals in Olathe, and thanks for all the work you do for us!
 
Now if we can just get all of the streamers to send us their schedules then you will be able to both see what is coming in the next few days (through the Simonis Streaming Guide) and see what is currently playing (through Streamer Central).

As this is Sunday I am eager to see how many finals will be available for viewing today.
 
I really like this idea, but isn't this sort of hijacking peoples streams?

The sites that these stream originate from are usually supported by banners and other advertising. By loading the stream direct, the viewer never sees any of this. For instance Lenny OTR has ads down the page, and they even sell their own shirts and such. By watching the stream direct from AzB, no viewer will ever end up supporting Lenny's site.

Again, it's a great idea, but this seems like a pretty big drawback. What about making it so that when you click the link to the stream, the actual site from which the stream originates from opens in a new frame? That way the viewer stays on AzB, but the streams are still supported.
 
Nathan,

That is EXACTLY what we did. If you click on any of the streams it takes you directly to their own streaming site. We are not hijacking anything here. What we are doing is increasing the viewership for everyone so that they can sell banners to hang around the TV table and otherwise increase their marketing efforts.

Ideally, you can use Streamer Central to connect to everything that is going on, click through to those sites, re-size windows, and watch everything that is going on. We were very careful in designing this application that no streamers would have their efforts minimized, that we would assist their efforts and not detract from them.
 
nathandumoulin said:
I really like this idea, but isn't this sort of hijacking peoples streams?

The sites that these stream originate from are usually supported by banners and other advertising. By loading the stream direct, the viewer never sees any of this. For instance Lenny OTR has ads down the page, and they even sell their own shirts and such. By watching the stream direct from AzB, no viewer will ever end up supporting Lenny's site.

Again, it's a great idea, but this seems like a pretty big drawback. What about making it so that when you click the link to the stream, the actual site from which the stream originates from opens in a new frame? That way the viewer stays on AzB, but the streams are still supported.
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If its hijacking then it's double hijacking......

Didn't On The Break News already do this months ago? as seen here http://onthebreaknews.com/livestreaming.htm

Sorry AZ but I like to support original ideas.
 
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Fair enough. You've essentially linked to their Ustream channels, rather than their actual home pages. Compromises must be made I guess. :)
 
The OTBN setup is very different. Streamer Central actually goes out and finds the streams that are currently active. You do not have to wonder who is on-air and off-air.

Now, I know it is (for some reason) a tradition amongst many posters to try and criticize any new efforts that anyone puts out there, but please at least study what it is we are doing before attempting to nail us with nonsense. AZB really does do whatever it can to promote the sport and those who support it and we had hoped that you would see that in this effort. So much for hope.
 
Jerry Forsyth said:
Now, I know it is (for some reason) a tradition amongst many posters to try and criticize any new efforts that anyone puts out there, but please at least study what it is we are doing before attempting to nail us with nonsense. AZB really does do whatever it can to promote the sport and those who support it and we had hoped that you would see that in this effort. So much for hope.
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Are you serious Jerry? I applauded the idea in my first post. I merely suggested that a slight change be made to better support the sources of the streams, which I feel was constructive criticism. How is that nonsense? :eek:


EDIT: I just noticed Abe's post....so the outburst likely had nothing to do with me after all....hopefully.
 
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I think it is a great idea. I did see OTBTV doing something similar but do not believe they keep things current and plus this is AZB and the people here mostly hang out on here so having something like this here makes sense. The only constructive criticism I can offer is to list the streams in alphabetical order or by viewer count and make the live ones automatically at the top, perhaps with some who have websites like OTR and TAR it could direct people to the site when you click on the show page. Good job guys. :smile:
 
What makes ours different is that we are checking status on every stream every 30 minutes. We are also retrieved a list of all channels everyday from Ustream for those streamers who stream on a new channel each time. (Tar, Pool-Arizona, etc).

The video that we show links to the Ustream channel because that is what the embed code does. We are simply calling the embed code directly from ustream.

You can also use the links on the left hand side to re-order the streams by rating, views or status.

Mike
 
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