Justin.tv Challenges

We've just released our newest feature: Justin.tv Challenges. Challenges are a tool for viewers to let broadcasters know what kind of content they want to see, and to give new and old broadcasters alike some ideas for things they can do to get and entertain an audience.

Here's how they work:


Challenges for Viewers

Viewers go to the Challenges page and browse Challenges. Challenges are titles of things broadcasters can film to entertain us (for example, "Broadcast a the President giving a speech" or "Sing along to Journey's Don't Stop Believin'").



If a viewer sees a Challenge she would like to watch someone do, she can subscribe to it, choosing either to receive All broadcasters' attempts at that Challenge, or only attempts by the Best broadcasters.



Then, whenever someone attempts that Challenge, the viewer will receive an email with a link. If the Challenge is still going on live when they click the link, it will go directly to the live video, otherwise, it will go to the highlight for that Challenge.


Challenges for Broadcasters

Broadcasters who are looking for things to do can browse through Challenges to find something that they are interested in or capable of doing. There should be something for everyone, and if there isn't, a Broadcaster can always create and do his own challenge!



When a broadcaster finds a challenge he wants to do, he clicks the "Do It" link. The challenge will then appear on his broadcaster on the My Challenges tab.





In the broadcaster he can click on the Challenge, make sure he is currently broadcasting, then click on the green Start button to start the Challenge. This will send an email out to subscribers and let them know he is attempting the Challenge. He can then broadcast himself completing the Challenge.



After the broadcaster is finished, a highlight clip will be created of the attempt!


Watch live video from justin on Justin.tv

Community Guidelines

Channel Guidelines

Justin.tv is an inclusive community gathered around the enjoyment of live video for everyone. However, each channel is its own micro-community and sets the standard for what is acceptable there. Jokes, language and comments that some might find harmless might be offensive to others. Viewers and broadcasters alike don't want the staff of Justin.tv to set and police the standards of speech on individual channels, and so it is up to the broadcaster and his or her community of moderators and viewers to decide what is ok for their channel.

Certain behaviors and actions have been deemed unacceptable and will be addressed by Justin.tv when identified. These include:

• Sexually Explicit Material
• Strongly Sexually Suggestive Material
• Hateful or abusive Speech
• Extreme depictions of violence or criminal acts
• Broadcasters under thirteen years of age
• Spam

In the event that any of these actions are observed, please use the reporting button on the channel page to let us know. Abusing this feature is also a violation of the Community Guidelines, so don't do it.

Content Inappropriate for some Audiences

Not all content is appropriate for all viewers. For example:

• Sexual discussion
• Heavy Cursing

If your broadcast may contain content that is inappropriate for younger audiences, please indicate that your channel is mature in the profile tab in Edit Settings.

Chat Guidelines

Viewers who come to a channel should realize that kicking and banning from a channel is entirely up to the discretion of the broadcaster and his or her moderators. In general, broadcasters in the Justin.tv community have demonstrated they will ban users from their channels for:

• Racist, bigoted, sexually suggestive or threatening comments
• Spamming or flooding chat with unwanted comments
• Acting like a complete idiot

Broadcasters who observe unwanted behavior in their channels should make use of the kicking and banning moderation tools built in to Justin.tv. In the cases where persistant unwanted behavior continues to occur, please let us know so that we can improve our moderation tools.

Keeping Live Video Safe for Everyone

Live video is a lot of fun and an exciting new medium, but it's very important to remember that it's also impossible to take back something once it's been broadcasted--while you can delete any saved copies from Justin.tv, many people may have already seen it or recorded it themselves. In order to make broadcasting on Justin.tv a safe and fun experience, please keep the following guidelines in mind:

* Avoid broadcasting personal or identifying information. For example, don't say your social security number aloud on live video--someone could use it to steal your identity! Other good information to keep private: your phone number, your address and location, any license plate numbers or other identifying info, and your personal email address or screen name. Remember that by broadcasting on Justin.tv you might become very popular, and if you give out your contact information many people might attempt to contact you whether you want them to or not!

* Personal Information to avoid sharing includes:
o Full name
o Addresses
o Phone numbers
o Name or location of your workplace

* If anyone manages to get ahold of your personal info and uses it to harass you, the best way to proceed is to ignore them. It may be difficult but they are likely seeking attention. If you deny them that they have no further impetus to continue.

* Make sure your users know that they should also ignore anyone acting up. There is an ignore feature in our chat rooms if someone gets out of hand.

* Don't harass other broadcasters or viewers. If you are being harassed or threatened, please report this to us at info@justin.tv. We take complaints very seriously. This goes both ways: please don't harass or threaten other broadcasters. If a broadcaster is complaining about your behavior towards them, it's best to probably stop talking with or about them and go your separate ways, even if you don't think what you are doing is offensive. After all, life's too short to spend fighting!

* Be old enough. You must be at least thirteen to use our site under our Terms of Service. Please respect this rule.

You, the viewers and broadcasters, are empowered to make Justin.tv a great place to watch exciting live video for everyone. Please take this trust and respect from us seriously, and broadcast safely.

If you have any questions or suggestions concerning this Community Guide - please email info@justin.tv.

Guides and Tutorials

• Broadcasting Live From Your TV
• Broadcasting Your Desktop
  
• Adding Cool Effects to Your Broadcast
• Going Mobile: The Tutorial
• Cool Widgets For Your Channel
• Chat Tutorial
• Video Tutorials
• Broadcasting Video Games
  

Chat Guide

Once you have created an account you can access any chat room on this website. If you already have an account, simply log in to start chatting.

We have included many features in our chat client:

User List: You can see all of the other chatters in the room by clicking on the blue "Users List" bar. Clicking on any username in this window will reveal buttons for interacting with that person in chat. The "Users List" shows the different types of users:

Room List: If a chat room is full, you can join the other rooms for that channel by clicking the "Rooms" menu at the top of the chat.

• Staff: These are Justin.tv employees.
• Admins: These are a group of dedicated volunteers who have moderation abilities and have been around the site for a while and know the ropes.
• Moderators: A moderator is some one that has the ability to moderate your chat room. They can ban users, purge comments and help take care of your room.
• Voiced Viewers: When you have slow mode on, voiced viewers (as well as Staff, Admins and Mods) can chat at regular speed.

Ignore: Once you have chosen a user from the list, click "Ignore" to never read other word from that person. If you made a mistake, clicking their name again will reveal an "Unignore" button (you will be able to find their nickname in the user list mentioned above).

Room List: If a chat room is full, you can join the other rooms for that channel by clicking the "Rooms" link in the "Options" menu.

Slow Mode: (This feature is for the channel owner and moderators only) Turning on slow mode means that only users with Voice or Moderators are able to speak at a normal rate. Other users will only be able to send messages once every minute or two. Turn on this mode if you are being spammed or if messages are going too fast. If you are a moderator, you can enable or disable this mode by opening the "Moderate" menu and choosing "Slow On" or "Slow Off." To voice a user, click on their username and press "Voice" or "Unvoice" (For users in IRC, Slow Mode can be activated with /mode #roomname +m and deactivated with /mode #roomname -m)

Friends Only: (This feature is for the channel owner and moderators only) Turning on "Friends Only" keeps people who aren't on the channel owner's Friends List from chatting in your room. If you are a moderator, you can enable or disable this mode by opening the "Moderate" menu and choosing "Friends Only On" or "Friends Only Off"

Adding Moderators: To add a moderator to your chat room capable of banning and giving timeouts to users, simply click the user's name in chat, and click the blue "Mod" button. Alternatively you can type "/mod username" and press "Send" in your chat.

If you are interested in becoming a mod in one of your favorite channels, we recommend you request the channel owner add you as a Mod after you've spent some time in their room and they've gotten to know you a bit.

We have more features lined up and we are always open to your suggestions!

Desktop IRC Clients

If our on-site chat client just doesn't cut it, you can access our chat rooms through most of the free IRC clients found on the web. To get started, copy your Irc Password (referenced later as irc_password) from the Users window after logging in. Note: the server currently requires that all usernames be lowercase! Make sure not to use and capital letters when logging in.

Below is a short list of applications and the best ways we've found to authenticate with our server.

mIRC:

This feature-rich client is the standard on windows. http://www.mirc.com/get.html

To Authenticate: Under "Connect" enter your username from the site. Choose "Servers" from the list on the left. Click "Add." Enter irc.justin.tv as the IRC Server and in the "Password" box enter the same password you use for Justin.tv in your web browser. Click "Add." Click "Select." Click "Connect to server." Now you can join some rooms and chat

Colloquy:

The standard for Mac users with an easy-to-use interface. http://colloquy.info/downloads.html

To Authenticate: Create a new connection. Enter your justin.tv username in the "Nickname" box. In the "Chat Server" box, type irc.justin.tv. Check the "Remember this connection" box, and press the arrow next to "Details". The "Chat Server Port" box should show "6667". In the "Username" box enter your justin.tv username once again. In the "Server Password" box, type in the same password you use for Justin.tv in your web browser. Click "Connect". To join a channel's chat, click "Join". From here you can either type the name of the channel you would like to join, or click the arrow to display a full list of all the Justin.tv chat rooms.

xChat:

A very straight-forward application with linux support. http://www.xchat.org/download/

To Authenticate: Under "User Information", type your Justin.tv username into all of the boxes. Click "Add" under "Networks", and type in a name for this connection ("Justin.tv" for example). Next, click "Edit". Under the "Servers for..." box click "Edit". Change "newserver/6667" to irc.justin.tv/6667. In the "Server password" enter the same password you use for Justin.tv in your web browser. Click "Close" and then click "Connect". You can now join a channel by typing the name of the channel into the "Join this channel" box.

Chatzilla:

http://chatzilla.hacksrus.com/

A plug-in for the flexible Firefox web browser.

To Authenticate:
simply enter "/server irc.justin.tv:6667 username irc_password" into the bottom of the window

Irssi:

http://irssi.org/download

Unix based console version of an IRC client. Not suggested for new users.

To Authenticate:
in the command line, enter "/connect irc.justin.tv 6667 username irc_password" when you are ready to go.

Not supported:

Icechat (if anyone has had luck, let us know!)

Pocket IRC (currently testing)

Chat Guidelines

Chat rooms are moderated to provide a clean chatting environment. Currently our chat rooms are moderated by volunteer fans taking their own time to regulate, but really, self-moderation is the responsibility of everyone. In the future we will have a more standardized system for moderating chat.

Inappropriate chat behavior includes all forms of spam, excessive profanity (any profanity in moderated chat), and any derogatory or racial comment or activity. Depending on the severity of the violation, moderators have the discretion to either kick you from the room temporarily or ban you from chat all together.

Chat Emoticons

Type the following key commands for some fun emotions in chat!

Cool B)

Angry >(

Horny <3

Skeptical :/

Wink ;)

Happy :)

Sad :(

Excited :O

Bored :Z

Drunk o_O

Raspberry :P

Pirate R)

If you have trouble with this guide or suggestions for chat, please email tia-marie@justin.tv or bill@justin.tv and we'll try to help you out!

Justin.tv FAQ

We are always updating the site with new features and improving the old ones. Here are a few Frequently Asked Questions:

What is Justin.tv?

Justin.tv is a place to broadcast and watch live video online while chatting with friends.

Is Justin.tv free? Will it stay free?
Yes and Yes.

Who uses Justin.tv ?
Live video has endless applications, and we see new uses for Justin.tv every day. People use Justin.tv to chat with friends and share their life. Musicians and DJs use Justin.tv to broadcast music and chat with their fans. Artists use Justin.tv to promote their work. Comedians and entertainers use Justin.tv to host interactive talk shows. Some even use Justin.tv to broadcast their pets.

Is there a minimum age to use Justin.tv?
You must be 13 or older to sign up for a Justin.tv account.

What do I need to watch Justin.tv?
To use Justin.tv you need a PC or a MAC an up-to-date browser like Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari with the latest version of Adobe Flash Player installed.

What do I need to broadcast?
All you need to broadcast on Justin.tv is a camcorder or webcam hooked up to an internet-connected PC or MAC computer with an an up-to-date browser like Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari with the latest version of Adobe Flash Player installed.

How do I start broadcasting?
Simply click the red "Broadcast" button and go through the Broadcaster sign up wizard. Fill out your description and profile, do some channel design, then begin broadcasting! You can also watch this Video Guide to help you out even more.

What speed internet connection do I need to stream on Justin.tv?
A broadband connection is generally recommended, however you can broadcast live video on Justin.tv with as little as 100kbps of upload bandwidth. Check www.speedtest.net to see if you have the necessary upload connection speed.

What type of cameras are compatible with Justin.tv?
Any USB webcam and many USB/Firewire camcorders are supported by Justin.tv. Provided your computer recognizes your camera as a video device, you can broadcast from it. IP cameras are not supported.

How can I produce better shows?
Check our our Broadcasting Guides section for some tips and tricks submitted by the Justin.tv community! http://blog.justin.tv/2007/11/guides-faq.html

What are the keys to a high quality stream?
There are many ways to improve the quality of your broadcast. This video guide goes into details about advanced broadcasting tools.
If your broadcast is choppy, ensure you have enough bandwidth to broadcast at your selected quality settings. You can check to see how much bandwidth you are getting through Speed Test this will give you an idea of how you can adjust your settings to get a better stream. Lowering the quality setting or video bitrate will improve video smoothness.
If your picture quality is poor, you may consider investing in a higher quality camera. Also try adjusting your lighting. Digital cameras need a lot of light, and video will begin to appear grainy in dark conditions.

How do I configure Adobe Flash Media Encoder to work with Justin.tv?
Once signed in to Justin.tv, go to this link and follow the instructions for using Adobe Flash Media Encoder: http://www.justin.tv/broadcast?section=fme

If I want to stream mobile, want do I need?
You need a laptop with a mobile broadband internet connection. Check out this guide written by Justin on how to "go mobile" http://blog.justin.tv/2007/11/going-mobile-tutorial.html

Can I embed Justin.tv on my MySpace/Website/Blog?
Yes! Simply click the "Share" button below the video window and select the site that you wish to embed into.

If I have Justin.tv video embedded on my personal site will it use my bandwidth?
No.

How do I make embedded video auto-play?
In order to do this, click on the share link below the video, then click "customize". From there you can turn the auto-play on as well as the starting volume.

How do I customize my Profile and Channel?
From your "Settings" menu when you are logged on, you can customize your profile and channel from their respective tabs. You can put widgets and custom HTML in the "More Info" section of your channel as well as your "About Me" section of your profile. This video guide also gives a full walkthrough of doing this as well.

Which image formats does Justin.tv support in the design page?
The design page supports .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .png formats.

How do I get more viewers for my channel?
You can promote your channel to your friends on MySpace, Twitter and various other social networking sites. You can either do this from the "Settings" link on the "Promotion" tab for your channel, or you can click the "Share" link below the video in your channel. This video guide gives other ideas for helping this out.

Can I make an embedded chat?
Yes you can, simply click on the "share" link before the video and in the "Video and Chat" area it will give you a link. You can click on "Customize" to change some of the options of how the embedded chat will display.

How can I effectively moderate my chatroom?
Assigning trusted chat moderators by clicking their name in chat, clicking the blue Chat button, the clicking Mod. Also see our Chat Tutorial for more info: http://blog.justin.tv/2007/11/chat-guide.html

How do I know how many viewers/chatters I have?
Above your video window on the left there will be a # Viewers when there above 1 total live viewers. If you click the blue Options button in the top right of the chat box, you can see all current users in your chat room.

Please note:
It is possible for there to be more chatters than viewers if there are chatters using a 3rd party IRC client to monitor your room while not actually viewing video. It is also possible for there to be more viewers than chatters, as people watching an embedded video on a website or external page will be counted only as a viewer.

Is my profile public?
Yes. Your profile is public and anyone on site can see it. For this reason we suggest you take a look at our Safety Guide to get some tips and ideas of how to keep information you don't want others having safe.

Somebody is harassing me, what can I do about it?
There are chat tools useful for ignoring, banning, and otherwise moderating your chat room. Please consult our chat guide for these features. Take a look at our Community Guidelines for some additional information about our policies. You can also watch this Video Guide to learn more about the Chat tools and how to use the moderation. If the harassment is repeated or you want go look up some additional info of how to deal with online harassment, check out our safety guide.

How do I delete my own archives?
Sign in, go to your channel page, click on the archives link, locate and use the Archive Deletion Tool at the bottom of the Archive page.

How do I reset my password?
Sign in, click on the settings link on the top bar, click on the Profile tab and click the Password "Reset" link at the bottom.

How do I delete my account?
Under Settings in the "Account" tab there is the option to "close account."

How do I report inappropriate content?
Below each video window there is a "Report" button. Please use this to flag content in violation of our Terms of Service or is otherwise inappropriate. http://www.justin.tv/user/terms_of_service

How do I report a bug with Justin.tv?
Please submit a bug report using this form: http://www.justin.tv/bug_report

How do I get additional help?
You can contact Justin.tv Staff through this Contact page. From here you can find other help topics and get a personalized response from a member of the JTV Staff.

Are there any other Video Tutorials to help me?
Yes! You can check out the video guides from this Playlist.

Guides & FAQ

Justin.tv FAQ

Chat Guide

Webcam Programs: How to Add Advanced Effects to Your Broadcast

Going Mobile: The Tutorial

Purchase Lifecasting Gear

Webcam Programs: How to Add Advanced Effects to Your Broadcast

If you've ever wanted to add graphics, videos, effects, picture-in-picture, or other video sources to your show, there are programs out there specifically created for this purpose.

SuperWebcam
Superwebcam is a free program that allowsyou to add things like text, tickers, picture-in-picture, and other cool effects. You can download it at www.SuperWebcam.com



WebcamMax
WebcamMax is a similar program you can purchase to add some more advanced effects and features to your broadcast.

You can download it at www.WebcamMax.com



Camtwist
Camtwist is a free webcam program for Macs. It is a great alternative for Mac broadcasters to SuperWebcam and WebcamMax, and has all the same features.

You can get it at www.allocinit.com/index.php?title=CamTwist

Justin.tv on UC Berkeley Campus

Justin.tv and 5 other Y-Combinator funded startups will be presenting this Wednesday in the Wozniak Lounge at UC Berkeley.

The featured speaker is Y-Combinator Partner Trevor Blackwell. There will be food and giveaways, all brought to you by Y-Combinator and Alsop Louie Partners! The event is open to UC Berkeley students and is presented by the CSUA.

When's the best tome to quit your day job? Before you get one!

Dynamism.com Lifecasting Kit

Dynamism.com is now selling lifecasting kits featuring the same hardware used by Justin, iJustine, and many other lifecasters on the network.

You can get yours now at http://www.dynamism.com/justin-tv/main.shtml

Are You a Justin.tv Addict?

I came across this banner on www.justin.tv/tiffanylynn89 and thought the site was pretty funny. There's a list of symptoms that may indicate the onset of Justin.tv addiction, a not-so-serious, yet rapidly spreading new internet disease.

If your work or family life has been suffering as a result of Justin.tv addiction, it may be time for a JTV Intervention. Please, do it for the kids.

Going Mobile: The Tutorial

As a lot of people have been asking me for advice on "going mobile," I thought it would make sense to put together a tutorial that contains the collective knowledge of the JTV team. So here is some advice on how to do a mobile broadcast on Justin.tv.

What is "going mobile"?

What has come to be known as "going mobile" is simply broadcasting live video over Justin.tv from outside your home. When I (Justin) first started Justin.tv, I broadcasted 24/7 from all over San Francisco over Sprint's EVDO network. Mobility allows for many opportunities to create and broadcast interesting content, from sports to conventions to capturing interesting moments in every day life.

What equipment do you need to broadcast outside your home?

Any computer with a connected camera and Internet connection can be used to broadcast to Justin.tv. This means that you will need to choose a laptop or subnotebook, a mobile Internet service, and a lightweight camera. Here are some of the criteria you should consider:

Laptop or Subnotebook Computer
Choosing a computer is important. I've found almost all newer notebooks can run our broadcaster, as well as most subnotebooks, but are not all born equal. Here are some things to look at:

• Size and weight - You probably will be carrying this around for a few hours. Trust me, after carrying around a backpack with a laptop for 8 months, you want to choose whatever is lightest.
• Battery life - Unless you want to be tethered to a power outlet for half the time, a good battery life is key.
• Built-in Mobile Broadband Connection - Many laptops nowadays have mobile Internet connections built-in (requires a contract with a service provider).

Mobile Internet Service
Unless your computer comes with a mobile Internet connection, you'll need to get one. Most major carriers sell either USB or PC Cards (including Sprint, Verizon and AT&T). You'll want something that can at least upload at 100 kbps. You can test the upload speed of your mobile Internet card with speedtest.net. With many broadband cards you can also increase their signal strength by adding an external antenna.

Camera
Generally you have two camera choices: either a USB webcam, or a handheld video camera that has a firewire or USB connection. Our broadcaster can accept any video stream recognized by your operating system. Attaching a small USB webcam to a hat or a backpack strap is generally the most convenient thing I've found to do for mobile broadcasts where the cameraman is also the participant. To get a good quality broadcast more akin to real camerawork, a handheld camcorder streaming over USB or firewire is often the best solution.

What are your picks for mobile equipment?

Laptop or Subnotebook Computer


We've been using the Sony Vaio TXN15P, which has built in EVDO Rev A and lasts for about 7 continuous hours of broadcasting with the extended life battery. It also has software for easy switching between EVDO and wifi, which is very convenient. The entire notebook is lighter than any other laptop I've used as well.

Alternatively, we've tried using the Sony Vaio UX Ultramobile PC, which worked fairly well and is much smaller, but only lasts one hour on the regular battery while broadcasting. It also requires an external USB EVDO modem.

Mobile Internet Service

We've been mostly using Sprint's EVDO Rev A network, with either the Pantech PX500 PC Card, or the built in Novatel modem that comes with the Sony Vaio TX. Sprint supports unlimited data transfer, making it a natural choice over Verizon's 5 GB data limit.

Camera

We've been using the Logitech Quickcam Pro for Notebooks, and either bolting it to the side of a baseball cap, or hooking it into a backpack strap. The Logitech Quickcam Pro for Notebooks (the same internal camera as the Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000), is the best camera we've used so far (and I'm not just saying that because they gave us a bunch of them!), and far surpasses previous Logitech models we've used, as well as any competition.

How do I get the best stream possible while walking around?

I use Flash Media Encoder 2 when broadcasting from my mobile setup. In general, mobile broadband just isn't as reliable as broadband wifi connections when it comes to streaming video. I recommend switching over to wifi whenever possible (at convention centers, in coffee shops, etc). If you are experiencing a lag in your video stream, this is often because of a video buffer build up on your broadcaster. Try stopping your stream, lowering the video bitrate, and starting your broadcast again. You can also use a speedtest (try speedtest.net) to determine whether or not you have sufficient upstream bandwidth to broadcast. Make sure your combined video and audio bitrate is set lower than the results of your bandwidth upload test. Remember, cell phone coverage and signal quality isn't the same in all areas. Refer to EVDO maps provided by the carriers for more info on coverage.

That's all for now. If anyone has any more feedback on any other equipment, please leave a comment and I'll integrate it into this post.

To purchase the equipment mentioned in this post check out the Dynamism.com Justin.tv Lifecasting Kit!

Justin.tv Web Front-End Developer

Justin.tv is looking for a Web Front-End Developer to design and develop the future of how people will use live video on the web. You will be responsible for much of the front-end code on www.justin.tv, and work closely with our designer and back-end developers to make something that looks great and has an excellent user experience. We are constantly innovating on live video features, and are looking for someone who is excited about owning a large part of the development of Justin.tv.

Here are the traits/abilities we're looking for:

• A passion for Web UI development, and projects you can show us that you've done (Rails is a plus, since we use it!)
• Mastery of JS, CSS, HTML
• Willingness to work very hard for a huge upside
• Prefers the startup environment (lax on rules, big on initiative)
• Wants to implement features quickly without bureaucratic overhead
• Wants to work on a project that touches millions of people
• Will contribute to a fun working environment

Here's what we can offer you:

• Ownership of large projects, and the chance to be our expert and authority on UI
• Ability to play a critical role in a young, funded startup
• Fun work environment (check out our officecam!)
• Competitive salary and equity stake

To apply please email info@justin.tv a plaintext resume or just a list of programs built or websites worked on and your academic credentials. Things we can see and play around with online are a plus.

For extra consideration, include answers to one or more of the problems at
http://jtvproblems.weebly.com/

About Justin.tv

At Justin.tv we are dedicated to building the best platform for broadcasting and watching live video online. Our goal is to make the name "Justin.tv" to be synonymous with "live video." We've had a great head start through all the mainstream press received, but there's still a lot to do, and we're starting by rethinking every aspect of how people interact with video and the web today. Some questions we ask ourselves:

How can we improve the UI of chat above and beyond every existing chat client?
What other valuable ways can we allow users to interact live with broadcasters?
How can we make the viewer experience more compelling? What about the broadcaster experience?
What's for lunch?

Justin.tv is a Y Combinator and Alsop Louie funded startup. At our core we are a technology company, and we believe in solving hard technical problems. We've built a lot of our own custom solutions to make JTV run, including our own live Flash streaming video server, and our own custom chat server.

Flash Media Encoder 2

Adobe has released the latest version of their Flash Media Encoder 2! This new version fixes a lot of issues, most notably the audio pitch modulation experienced in the previous version. FME 2 allows for mp3 audio encoding, so it sounds fantastic!

We recommend everyone upgrade to this new version, and remember to uninstall the previous Flash Media Encoder before installing FME 2!

You can download the new version here: http://www.adobe.com/products/flashmediaserver/flashmediaencoder/

Justin.tv Maintenance

Justin.tv will be down between the hours of 8am and 12pm tomorrow (Sunday, Nov 11) for maintenance and upgrades. Thanks for your patience!

JTV Technology Blog Launches!

I'm happy to announce that we've just launched techblog.justin.tv, a new JTV blog that will highlight all the marvelous technology that keeps the site up and running. Bill has kicked it off by detailing our new Search API. Check it out!

Justin.tv Search Plug-in

Bill created a Firefox search plugin which adds Justin.tv Search to the box in the upper right hand corner of Firefox (or other Mozilla based browsers) and IE7. JTV addicts get it here:

http://abstractnonsense.com/searchplugin.html

Justin.tv Happy Hour

We're having our first Justin.tv Happy Hour and Meetup this Friday at the Bamboo Hut in San Francisco. The Justin.tv team will be there at 7:00PM, so for all the 21+, come dressed in your best "Aloha" attire and say hi!

The Nominations are In!

Submissions are closed and the nominations for the First Broadcaster Highlight Awards are all in!

We will be announcing the 4 finalists in each category here on Monday, November 12th, at which point voting on your ultimate favorites will be open for an undetermined amount of time, so stay tuned!

Broadcaster Highlight Awards Deadline!

Just a last minute reminder, the deadline to nominate an highlight for the First Justin.tv Broadcaster Highlight Awards is tonight at Midnight, PST!

Be sure to get them in before it's too late!

Mooncricket Live From IcerAir

Mooncricket is at it again, bringing us another awesome live event from his HD camera. He's currently broadcasting from the 2007 IcerAir ski jump competition in Giant's Stadium, just down the street from Justin.tv.

IcerAir is an event organized by ski legend Jonny Moseley, and originally took place as a massive ski/snowboard jump down the famous Fillmore St. hill in San Francisco. The past two years the event has moved to the ballpark, and it's evolved into more of an all-out festival, including motocross jumps, vert skating with Tony Hawk, wakeborading in McCovey Cove, and a nighttime performance from Mos Def and Talib Kweli.

He' will be broadcasting on and off throughout the event, so be sure to go check it out at www.justin.tv/mooncricket!

New Search Arrives!

We just integrated Bill's new search into the site. The new search allows you to search highlights and episodes in addition to channels now. We also rolled out some better reconnecting code for the Best broadcaster, and the live viewer, which should reduce the pain from dropped Internet connections, etc. More improvements will be coming soon!

Video Quality of Service and Illegal Content

We here at Justin.tv realize that over the past week and a half the quality of service of the live video has decreased a bit. Improving the quality of service on the video is our top priority; right now we're working on rolling out a completely rewritten video system that will reduce latency and dropping of streams. We're shooting to roll out the new system next week. In the meanwhile, we just added a bunch of new gateways to our current video cluster, which should help ease the pain for the next week. We've also made a few improvements to the player today that should also help with getting the video streams consistently for viewers.

If video quality of service doesn't improve in the next 24 hours, please let me know by emailing justin@justin.tv with detailed descriptions of specific problems.

We're also working hard on making sure that content that violates our Terms of Service does not appear on Justin.tv. We've instituting some automatic response systems today that should help this problem.

Thanks a lot for your patience!

Justin