ViewCast.com Introduces USB Version of $99.95 Internet Streaming Video Kit

Business Wire, Nov 3, 1999

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Nov. 3, 1999

Product includes 90 days of free hosting on first commercial web

site for home & small-business videos

ViewCast.com (Nasdaq:VCST) introduces a USB version of Your Video on the Web, a complete package for $99.95 that allows PC users to capture video from a camcorder and stream (broadcast) it over the Internet. The latest Your Video on the Web features a very compact USB version of the industry-leading Osprey video capture card. It will be available during the holiday shopping season at popular electronic, video and computer retail outlets.

"This is the first affordable, complete and easy-to-use Internet streaming video tool for consumers and small businesses," said Neal Page, vice-president and general manager of ViewCast.com's Osprey Technologies Division. "It has tremendous potential for increasing the usefulness of videos for distribution to families, friends, clients and business associates."

The USB version of Your Video on the Web does not require those using it to open their computers to install the board. The Osprey-50 USB, a small black box about the size of a pocket knife, connects directly to the USB slot now available on desktop and laptop computers. Two long cables - one with an RCA connector for composite video, the other with an S-Video connector - connect to a camcorder or VCR. The easy installation and small size of the USB system makes it ideal for home computers and capturing and streaming video using a laptop computer from a remote site.

Complementing Your Video on the Web will be the first commercial web site dedicated to hosting home videos. ViewCast.com's http://www.yourvideoontheweb.com will make streaming video over the Internet as easy as using e-mail. Free hosting on the site will be included with the purchase of Your Video on the Web.

Video Anytime, Anywhere

Your Video on the Web enables people with home computers to capture video - weddings, graduations, soccer games, vacations, baby's first steps, business presentations - from camcorders, VCRs or DVD players. Easy-to-use tools allow users to select the best parts of their videos, add titles, and even synch up a soundtrack. After a simple conversion into a streaming format, files can be automatically uploaded to http://www.yourvideoontheweb.com. On the web site, users can choose from a variety of online video album templates into which they simply drop their video, or they can design their own customized templates. Friends, relatives or business associates anywhere in the world can then use the free RealNetworks G2 player to view the video albums without lengthy download times.

A Companion on the Web

The http://www.yourvideoontheweb.com web site offers a major resource for creating Internet streaming video. Clearly written and illustrated instructions are available for system setup and for collecting, capturing, enhancing, compressing and streaming video. Tips and advice walk the first-time user through the experience of creating Internet streaming video. A "Help + Tools" section includes a description of streaming video, a glossary of commonly used Internet video terms, answers to frequently asked questions, user manuals, a site map, information on where to go for additional help, and a list of references.

"The USB version of Your Video on the Web makes it easier than ever before to capture video and stream it over the Internet," said George C. Platt, president and CEO of ViewCast.com. "This is true plug-and-play; without opening the computer, you can now tap into the power of Internet streaming video at home, in the office, or with your laptop on the road."

Casting a Wider Net

Your Video on the Web is a natural extension of ViewCast.com's streaming video solutions. ViewCast.com enables video communication over the Internet and corporate networks through its components, systems and turnkey solution products. The company is known around the world as the leading provider of enterprise-wide, digital video communications solutions for both real-time and on-demand applications.

ViewCast.com offers a full spectrum of streaming video equipment for business use, from the de facto standard Osprey-100 capture cards used by RealNetworks and Microsoft, to the unparalleled Osprey-1000/G2 card, to its ViewCast integrated solutions for professional video streaming environments. More information is available at the company's web site: http://www.viewcast.com.

Inside Your Video on the Web

The USB version of Your Video on the Web integrates professional-level video capture, editing and streaming products into one low-cost, extremely compact consumer package. At the heart of Your Video on the Web is the Osprey-50 USB, a pocket-knife-sized version of the Osprey video capture card. The Osprey card is the de facto standard for streaming Internet video. It is resold by RealNetworks and recommended by Microsoft for streaming video applications.

Bundled with the USB version of the Osprey card are RealNetworks RealProducer and RealPlayer applications. RealProducer and RealPlayer are used by millions worldwide to create and play back Internet video. RealProducer turns video captured by the Osprey USB device into a RealNetworks G2 Stream, the Internet's most widely used streaming format. It also compresses video so that it takes up a smaller amount of disk space and network bandwidth. This allows videos to be streamed from web sites or sent as e-mail attachments. RealPlayer allows users to play their own RealNetworks G2 videos or ones that are streamed from the Internet.