The main differences between Ustream Producer and Ustream Producer Pro are the following:

Ustream Producer

* Supports one camera
* Allows importing movies and audio
* Enables up to three transitions
* Supports picture in picture
* Provides screen capture feature
* SD bitrate support
* H264 Flash 9 video
* Free Software

Ustream Producer Pro

* Supports unlimited number of cameras
* Allows importing movies and audio
* Enables unlimited transitions
* Provides screen capture feature

To download Ustream Producer Pro which is also available for both PCs and Macs, please ensure you have Ustream Producer already downloaded and opened. In your Menu bar at the top of your screen, please select "Upgrade" and click "Try Ustream Producer Pro Features." The Ustream Producer Pro will launch. Please close the Ustream Producer at this point. If your video feed does not automatically display in the player, please click on the thumbnail of a screen shot from your video feed at the bottom left of the console.

To provide higher quality options that are optimized for viewing on Ustream’s iPhone and Android applications, we recommend using the new desktop software called Ustream Producer. Ustream Producer, available for both PCs and Macs, allows you to broadcast without opening your browser, and provides many added functionality that would normally require additional applications to perform the same tasks, such as picture-in-picture, streaming audio and video clips, and screencasting.

You will need to open the broadcast console, and go to the ‘Text & Videos’ tab.


To add a text layer, click on the ‘New Text Layer’ button.

You may decide that you'd rather use an external camera as opposed to your computer's built-in webcam. To get Ustream to recognize an external camera, please follow these steps:

1. Right-click the "My Computer" icon, click on Device Manager, and see if your camera is listed under image devices. In OS X, click the Apple icon in the top left of the screen, click "About this Mac", click "More Info", click on USB and see if "iSight Camera" is listed.
2. Login to Ustream and click the "Broadcast Now" button.

High-end video capture cards such as those from Digital Rapids or Osprey often have more encoding options and also do more than just encode. For example, using these cards you may be able to do the following: pre-processing on the signal, de-interlacing, color correction, cropping, applying various filters, capturing and streaming multiple feeds at once, etc. Additionally, because the cards typically have chips specifically designed for video pre-processing and encoding, it takes some of the workload off the CPU and moves it to dedicated, optimized processors.

You can improve the quality of your show by using either WebCamMax (PC) or CamTwist (Mac). With these applications, you can quickly and easily add scrolling text, logos, RSS feeds, special guest windows, picture-in-picture, pre-recorded video, and several other video effects. You can also cue up images and pre-recorded videos similar to professional broadcasts.

Click on the links below for more information on each:
CamTwist
WebCamMax

With a few simple steps you can broadcast in higher quality.

Ustream High Quality Encoder (PC)

If you are on a PC running Windows or Vista, and you’re using Internet Explorer or Firefox, the Ustream High Quality encoder is a plug-in for your browser that will increase your video and audio quality without altering the way you use Ustream. It provides higher quality at lower bitrates, and is recommended for lower speed connections such as EVDO cellular cards. Note: this will not work with Flash Media Live Encoder!

You can stream from more than one computer using the same account as long as you create separate channels for each stream you will be broadcasting. To create a new channel go to Your Shows, then use the Create a New Show link on the right-hand side.

You can work with multiple cameras on your stream with some additional software. If you have a Mac, we suggest using CamTwist (www.ustream.tv/helpcenter/camtwist). If you are using a PC, you can use WebCamMax (www.ustream.tv/helpcenter/webcammax).

Please see the following video tutorial for easy instructions on how to do this:

PC: To properly stream a Skype conversation on Ustream using a PC, you will need two mics (built-in mic on a laptop, plus an external mic; or an external mic plus a USB mic; or built-in mic plus mic on a webcam), and you will need WebCamMax which you can purchase for $30 here - http://webcammax.com/

Setup: in Skype, you set your mic to the one closest to you. To do this, click Tools -> Options -> Audio Settings. Set your speakers to the speakers in your laptop or the loudest option you have. 

Audio-only broadcasts are possible and many Ustreamers do this. The best way is to use a 1/8th” to 1/8th” line-in to connect your audio input and output points on your computer. You will need to have these connected before you open your broadcast console. Alternatively, you can use free programs, such as Soundflower for Macs. If you have a PC, you can set your audio to stereo or wave out mix. To do so, open your volume control, go to ‘Options’, then to ‘Properties’, and make sure that ‘Wave Out’ or ‘Stereo Mix’ is checked.

Co-hosting is away to engage viewers or other broadcasters into your stream, and you can co-host with up to two other users. There are two ways to co-host: 1) With other broadcasters, and 2) with your audience members. To co-host, first go to ‘Your Shows’, then to the ‘Advanced’ tab, and make sure that you have co-hosting enabled.



Once you do that, open your broadcast console and click on the ‘Audience Tools’ tab.