U2 are a hugely popular group with fans from every part of the world, many of whom will never get to see the band live. But YouTube is offering those fans the chance to experience the next best thing – live streaming of their California gig this Sunday (Oct. 25).

Live Streaming

Live streaming video is an everyday occurrence on the Web these days, with lifecasting sites such as Justin.tv, UStream, and Livestream (formerly known as Mogulus) offering everyone the chance to air an event to the wider world.

Last month saw Livestream launch Livepack, which includes all the kit required to film and stream live events such as weddings, graduations, and concerts. And all in a compact enough size to fit in a backpack.

U2 On YouTube

While that is a brilliant innovation, live streaming of big events is still a relatively rare treat for Internet users. I’m talking about rock concerts from big, well-known bands. Like for instance, I don’t know, U2.

Which is exactly who is lined up for a live streaming event on YouTube this coming weekend. As the video below previews, YouTube will live stream U2’s sold-out gig at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in California this Sunday.

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Michael Jackson’s memorial service and public funeral will take place at 10am on Tuesday, July 7. It’s expected to be one of the biggest media events to have ever taken place. And the event will be available to watch via live, online video streams, with smartphones such as the Apple iPhone making mobile viewing possible.

Michael Jackson died after suffering a cardiac arrest on June 25, 2009. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. His death has prompted an outpouring of emotion not seen for many years, probably since Princess Diana died in 1997.

His death, and the reaction of people around the world to it, has been well documented by online video. First, there was the reaction videos, then tribute videos popped up, and continue to do so even now, ten days after his death. There was also the shockingly sad footage of Jacko rehearsing for his This Is It tour just two days before he died.

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The annual tennis championships at Wimbledon in London, England yesterday, and for the third year in a row, all the action is available online to either stream live or download later.

Unfortunately it isn’t free. The cost is £12.90 for UK residents or $24.99 for those elsewhere. This does however buy you an all access pass to every match and all the highlights for the duration of the tournament.

Windows Only Yet Again

Once again though, Apple Mac and Linux users miss out, with a computer running a Windows OS among the system requirements for the service. This is obviously down to the DRM issues involved.

Last night saw NY Video 2.0 meeting in the plush surroundings  of the Roosevelt Hotel’s Grand Ballroom.

Unusual for such an occasion, but thanks to the courtesy from another trade show that was using the space and gave it to our group.

There were some obvious technical problems which were expected, and some that weren’t, including an out of control SMS projected board of “board participants” who started texting all sorts of crazy notes during the presentations. You had to feel bad for the presenters.

The line-up last night included the following companies, which each had about five minutes to give their pitch.

• NBCOlympics.com Will Stream Olympic Games but With Restrictions
• UK Users: Watch the Olympics Online at the BBC website
• U.S Users: Watch the Olympics Online at the NBC website
• NBC Olympics Live Online Coverage To Be Used As Research Lab For Future Multimedia Events
• Will NBC Free Olympic Coverage Be Successful? | Media Mogul John Malone Thinks It Is Absurd
• Pirate Olympics: Alternative Ways to Watch The Olympics
• Hot Olympic Girls: The 50 Most Beautiful Women of the 2008 Beijing Olympics

As most of you who have been dwelling on this planet for at least the last four years will already know, the next Olympic Games are being held in Beijing.

AT&T have stated on a number of different occasions that it won’t block, degrade or censor websites.

This argument has prevented legislation and regulation that would see telecom companies such as them be made to play fair with content providers.

Not to get too technical here, but they didn’t promise not to censor, did they? Let’s add that little crime against speech to the list of reasons why Internet Freedom/Net Neutrality is a good idea.

It seems as if AT&T was the sponsor of the Webcast of a Pearl Jam concert at Lollapalooza on Saturday night (Aug. 4). Soon after the performance ended, the band started getting word from its fans that part of a song had been cut out. 

IPTV Evangelist has several video interviews with some of the important people in IPTV and broadband video including:

• Fred McIntyre – Senior Vice President – AOL Video
• Sean Alexander- Director of Silverlight Media – Microsoft Corporation
• Dan Rayburn – Executive Vice President – StreamingMedia.com

[IPTV Evangelist Streaming Media East 2007 Interviews]