It's not often that you get a user-friendly broadcasting application that's good enough for professional use but that's exactly what Wirecast offers.
Wirecast is a simple-to-use broadcast environment that's ideal for producing professional webcasts on a relatively cheap budget. Wirecast allows you to use one or two live/recorded video sources and mix them all together as if you were in a TV mixing studio. You can connect external devices to read video, although some users have reported this can be temperamental as some cameras may not be supported.
The latest version of Wirecast has been updated to add some useful new streaming features enabling you to broadcast the widest possible range of footage. Most interestingly, Wirecast now supports streaming for any iPhone so you can set yourself up as a broadcaster on the move.
Wirecast allows you to add sliding transitions between feeds, and video sources can be cropped less than one minute before airing. There are some technical issues to be aware of. Many users have reported on forums that the source material paths and capture devices are remembered with a project, so Wirecast is not very flexible when sources are changed or material is renamed/moved. In addition, only a small number of characters for each shot name are displayed, which makes it difficult to distinguish between dozens of similar shots for pre-recorded material. However, in the case of such problems, users report that feedback from the program's developer has been prompt and helpful.
Wirecast is a user-friendly yet highly professional tool for creating webcasts that are sure to impress.
