Ustream.tv Broadcaster and Viewer Application for Android

When I am bored, sometimes I might head over to Ustream.tv to check out what people are streaming about. When I got my G1, part of me wanted an application that would allow me to at least view Ustream.tv streams on the go. Well, it appears like the broadcaster has been out for some time now, and the viewer has just now been released to the Android Market. I went ahead and tried both of them out, and was pleased with the quality of the streams and amazed at the smoothness of the broadcaster. After all, this is a mobile device we’re talking about here! I went ahead and recorded a YouTube video that quickly goes over the features of both applications. Excuse the blurriness, as the Flip Mino HD does not support any sort of Macro. And yes, I’m getting over a bug, which explains the cough.

Both applications are simple to use. The Broadcaster application allows you to first select whether you want to just record videos for your Ustream.tv account, or take it live. Once live, you have the option to enable a simple poll, which appears on viewers’ screens, handy for taking a quick survey. The Viewer is also pretty straightforward. You can choose between live streams, previously recorded videos, or your own videos, with the option to search through streams and videos as well. Once you select which stream/video you would like to play, it opens up full-screen on your Android device. While the smoothness of playback depends on your connection speed, the video is played at the same quality as it would be on your desktop.

I am really glad that Ustream.tv finally pushed both these applications out the door, as I will have one more thing to do whenever I get bored.