The popularity of Flash video on the Internet is based on the ease in which customized, branded applications can be built. The encoding quality of the new On2VP6 codec for Flash 8 video has also created amazing quality video compared to previous Flash video codecs. This morning workshop covers encoding high-quality video for Flash delivery; creating a custom, component-based video player; and customizing Flash video components. Participants will take away the skills to build a basic, customized Flash video application and will learn how to encode quality video for streaming. This workshop is targeted for streaming media professionals with Flash and ActionScript knowledge who want to learn the fundamentals of Flash Video application development.

Producing top-quality Web video involves multiple skills, including setting the scene (choosing your backgrounds, clothing, and positioning), lighting, setting up microphones, shooting the video, scaling and preprocessing the video to the target resolution, and finally, encoding. This workshop illustrates each step with real-world examples and checklists for encoding into Flash and Windows Media formats. It will outline procedures for beginners and describe how producing for the Web differs from producing for broadcast, DVD and other more traditional distribution outlets.

The afternoon workshop covers techniques used to build advanced Flash video applications. Topics will include error handling; cue points; closed captioning; and scalable, self-populating video menus. This workshop is targeted for streaming media professionals with Flash and ActionScript knowledge who want to learn advanced Flash video development concepts.

Work through the five phases of a Webcast: planning, production, encoding, authoring, and distribution with the expert who “wrote the book,” Steve Mack. To add to your real experience, the workshop itself will be treated as a Webcast, with the goal to Webcast live from the workshop. Learn the things to do when planning a Webcast, Webcast production techniques, about encoding equipment and techniques, and Webcast distribution. Workshop attendees will be encouraged to participate in the Webcast production to get the full "live" rush.

How does a brand known for words for more than 150 years make it in the world of cable and broadcast news sites? Vivian Schiller, formerly of CNN, and now senior vice president and general manager at NYTimes.com, will illustrate how the New York Times is creating and programming original video content to appeal to the NYTimes.com user. Vivian Schiller was named senior vice president and general manager of NYTimes.com in May 2006. Before joining the Times in 2002, she was executive vice president for CNN Productions.

Webcasters have many options when selecting hardware for audio-video capture, encoding, and workflow. Choosing the best-of-breed capture cards, lighting, audio mixers, and video gear can be daunting. Learn from this panel of seasoned Webcasting professionals as they discuss the cost and pros and cons of Webcasting hardware and ways to streamline your workflow.

Remember when convergence meant that your cell phone would also be your TV, and also your PDA, and also your toaster oven? We have learned a lot since then and it is clear that “convergence” means a seamless integration of devices so that you can receive your content when you want it, how you want it, and where you want it. Explore with this panel the role of current consumer entertainment devices in this new convergent world and how these devices will play together to offer a superior consumer experience.

iTunes, Apple’s Web-based downloading service, has more than 60,000 regular podcasts. With the exploding world of blogs and podcasts, the challenge for anyone starting a podcast or blog is to build trust and respect and at the same time measure and verify their audience. This session explores the costs of starting a podcast/blog and discusses how to advertise without offending your listeners. Also learn how to craft new content and find exceptional talent who can deliver quality content.

This session demonstrates the fundamentals of shooting for high-quality streaming. Topics explored include shooting progressive versus interlaced, how lighting and backlighting impacts quality, choosing optimal background and clothing, and shooting for green-screen and virtual sets.

In today's economy, every corporation can be a media company, using an array of streaming and digital media technologies. The most difficult questions are what do these services really cost and what variables determine the final price? What is the going rate when you outsource encoding, delivery, and storage to a third party? How do these costs compare to building and deploying these same services internally? Hear examples of live and on-demand streaming from the enterprise and media and entertainment verticals and learn what you should be paying for these services.

With the influx of "video everywhere" and increasing consumption of video, what role does search play in helping users find the content they are looking for? Indexing and chapterizing video to make it easily searchable can make it much more valuable and effective and increase consumption. With the recent launch of searchable video services by major portals and the deals made with big media properties to index streaming and downloadable entertainment, video searching is quickly becoming mainstream. Learn how these search services work.

Two weeks, four countries, six events. Hear how Accenture uses streaming media to link senior executives with a highly distributed workforce. Executive travel schedules require that Webcasts originate from corporate offices, hotels, and studios in the U.S. and around the world. Learn how to plan, coordinate, and execute events in this demanding environment. Understand the infrastructure that supports these live events, plus on-demand streaming, podcast recordings, and more.

Panelists representing all facets of IP television discuss the problems of identifying conformance points for IPTV systems from a business perspective. Panelists will also discuss the challenges in developing end-to-end systems for IPTV deployment and the expectations from both service providers and end-users. Service providers, equipment manufacturers, and hardware/software developers will find this session highly relevant.

With the continued growth of easy broadband access, cheap technology, and social computing, many individuals are creating, sharing, and viewing videos online. Hear how these video communities are generating a whole new arena for buzz marketing, brand conversations, and content creation. Tap into what’s next on the horizon for sharing video content and new innovations in social media. Find out about the positives and negatives surrounding copyright issues and content ownership. Hear from this panel about business models and potential revenue streams related to user-generated video communities.

Windows Media supports compression media in everything from mobile phones to HD, which means that many of its options aren't applicable to all situations. This session focuses on crafting encoding settings for optimum Web video (streaming or progressive download). Learn how to choose between CBR and VBR, 1-pass and 2-pass, and design the right intelligent streaming settings for your audience. Information is applicable to all Windows Media encoding tools, including Windows Media Encoder, ProCoder, Squeeze, Compression Master, and Flip4Mac.

Find out how a traditional media company is breaking from the "norm" to create a video platform for the future. Hear Brian Buchwald, general manager of NBBC, discuss NBC Universal's newest digital initiative and explain why this new model for online video syndication generates added value for all digital media constituents.  Brian Buchwald was named general manager of NBBC (the National Broadband Company), an NBC Universal digital venture, in June 2006. Along with Mike Steib, he developed the business model for and managed the September 2006 launch of NBBC, a unique B2B service that empowers advertisers, content creators and publishers to access, monetize and distribute digital video. He is responsible for the business' sales, product and operations.

From YouTube to MySpace, streaming media is becoming a core component of Web 2.0, the user-organized Internet. For millions of users, the ability to create and refine one's own experience has moved from the Web page itself to full audio and video experiences. This has challenged every area of the Web, from infrastructure to interface, and from search to monetization. This session features experts on Web Streaming 2.0 and shows how some of the fastest growing Web sites in the world are using streaming to create buzz, traffic, and revenue.

There is a growing need for authoring tools and utilities that can create or display caption data for streaming content that contains audio. Using software such as NCAM's free tool, MAGpie, this practical session demonstrates how video content authors can easily create captions from existing transcripts. For streaming content that was originally developed with closed-captioning for television broadcast, you will see how CaptionKeeper can transform analog caption files into usable formats for the Web. Then see how Gallaudet University, the nation's only liberal arts university for the deaf, produces captioned web video. Step-by-step tutorials will show how to code ASX files to display captions for Windows Media, insert text tracks into movie files using QuickTime Pro, and embed Flash video with collapsible captions.

Note: Due to speaker no show, this session was cancelled and was replaced with Dan Rayburn doing Q&A with the audience.

Learn how MasterCard implemented a live streaming Webcasting program to reach all of its offices globally. Hear how MasterCard's multimedia team worked with its internal communications department to expand its Webcasting services so every employee could view video from their desktops. Learn how MasterCard implemented a content distribution network and used industry products to create a robust program of live events.

This session focuses on how content owners can create a multi-platform strategy to monetize content via streaming and downloads. Panelists will explore the impact that new wireless and IPTV distribution channels can have on ways to monetize content. They will also discuss the decisions involved in pairing content with platforms and determining the best content protection technology while maximizing potential revenue.

Today, more than 90% of Fortune 1000 companies use some form of live or on-demand streaming technology. Enterprise streaming is proving its value as a powerful, convenient, and affordable way to broaden learning opportunities, improve communications, and increase productivity. While the media highlights consumer streaming applications, streaming in the enterprise is where the serious adoption began and where the business value is tangible. This session explores strategies that are important to streaming in the corporate environment.

Flash video is taking over the Internet for creating custom video experiences. In this session you'll see how companies have been successful by creating their own custom experiences using Flash and the Flash Media Server. You will discover the basics of how Flash Media Server works, trans-coding to the Flash Video Format (FLV) and using Flash 8 authoring tools to create custom video experiences very quickly.

Colleges and universities are taking advantage of the latest distribution technologies. Video streaming and interactive, video-based courses have led the field, but now podcasting and vod-casting are important new technologies in educational delivery. Ross Davis from Seattle Community Colleges Television shows the newest educational streaming and downloading services now being used by over 77,000 public schools and 800 colleges. Donna Liu from the University Channel at Princeton University reveals the techniques behind the tens of thousands of daily downloads she is delivering, and Glen Kuck from San Bernardino Community College District demonstrates how he is leading a consortium of higher education in tele-course streaming video services.

In the past year, the online video advertising industry has matured as more campaigns incorporate in-stream and in-page video advertising. Hear panelists discuss and demonstrate some of the innovative new campaigns they are using to acquire and retain customers. Learn about challenges of the uncertain metrics for determining rich media marketing ROI and for reporting on customer usage. Hear how various business models may further encourage the adoption of this technology by the marketing world.

It's been nearly 14 years since streaming media technology was first used on the Internet, but there is still no single standard format for video delivery. Multiple formats such as Windows Media and Flash compete more than ever, each trying to win over content creators. What is the true market penetration for each format? What do you need to know to choose the right format? This presentation will break through the marketing hype to inform, educate, and empower you to select the right format for your application.

Steve Safran and Stephen Warley from LostRemote.com showcase sites that use streaming video and video downloads in imaginative and important new ways to reach their audience—and have their audience reach them. This lively session illustrates best practices for publishing video and inviting user-generated video and highlights profitable business models.

Video on the Web is exploding and new broadband video channels continue to emerge. The average consumer spends more time each day with Web video, whether produced by professionals or amateurs.  As the worlds of Web video and TV meld, the time will come when consumers seamlessly view video on TV, regardless of whether that content is delivered via cable, broadcast, or from a server. Tara Maitra, who is vice president and general manager of programming will talk about how TiVo is leading this charge and the opportunities that delivering Web video to the TV open up - for producers, programmers, and consumers.  At TiVo Tara Maitra is responsible for cultivating relationships with content companies and unique content offerings for delivery via broadband.  She was previously senior director of content development at Comcast, and prior to Comcast, she was executive vice president and general manager of Primedia Digital Video.

Online video advertising is emerging as the business model of choice for broadcast and media and entertainment companies, bringing a host of new ad formats, a fundamental shift in campaign measurement, and dozens of new technological demands. This panel gathers several key influencers in advertising and technology to discuss the demand for new reporting metrics and how they will be addressed, plus technology challenges and solutions for controlling and monetizing content through syndication.

Educational institutions have long been testing grounds for technological breakthroughs that change how we work and learn. Learn how educational institutions are using streaming today, and how business organizations can take a cue from them by using streaming technology to enhance distance learning and corporate training initiatives. Hear firsthand examples of how streaming media technology is supporting classroom learning and providing distance learning and about hybrid models that offer the best of both.

We are experiencing an explosion of online video usage and the integration of video into Web sites. The recent Clio Awards illustrated how important video is to a Web site's success: Flash video sites dominated the awards. This presentation shows how to seamlessly integrate video into your Web site using Flash video, identifies best practices in utilizing the On2 Codec, describes how to use chroma key video effectively, and tells how a video-rich Web site can impact your search engine marketing strategy.

Is portable streaming finally getting ready for prime time? This session shows some early promising applications and looks at the technical and business challenges. With 2 billion cell phones in use worldwide, and 236 million with 3G technology enabling video playback, everyone wants to know which wireless portals have the right stuff today, and what the catalyst will be that pushes them into the mainstream.

This session examines digital media delivery and distribution options and gives you the know-how to choose the best combination for your content across multiple platforms. Panelists will discuss the pros and cons of each and their costs, and help you understand how to make the right choices for your business needs.

The digital entertainment space is buzzing with new arrivals, all looking to gain a competitive piece of the pie. This session explores the new subscription and digital download services that are available for music, video, and radio content. Who's making the biggest moves in the space, and how will they gain eyes and ears? What do the consumers really want? Hear answers to these questions and more from executives who are breaking into this new world of digital entertainment.