iPad

[Pilgrim]

Adobe's product (formerly Connect, just re-named) is a decent one, but it's very complex to run - it really requires an operator.  My experience is also that when you add 30+ people to a conference with it, Connect tends to break down in various ways and is prone to crash.  We have one academic program that likes to invite synchronous interaction (although many students don't take advantage of it - because one of the attractions of distance ed is NOT having to participate at any particular time) but we discourage use of the product and looking for an alternative - Elluminate is a candidate.

Panopto has a lot of interesting features...it uses the local computer as a client feeding the server.  however, the feed doesn't have to be live - it can be daelayed.  One can also install it on a presentation computer and send the presenter's graphics to the server separately from the presenter's audio/video captured on a different computer.  I don't know commercial pricing, but academic pricing is based on the number of student FTEs (full time equivalents, or students taking a full class load).  Our pricing (still in progress) looks like a bit under $700 per month for a contract that will only serve about 5000 student FTE via Continuing Ed, not the entire 24,000 student university.  

I'd guess that commercial prices are probably based on the number of "seats" that can be accommodated in any presentation.  There may also be a factor of how many hours of presentation are stored on the server and how many hours of viewing are expected.  Academic classes are heavy on the number of hours recorded, and REALLY heavy on the number of hours students are hitting the server for playback.

If you want more info, drop me a PM and I'll shoot you my cell phone number.  As Inspector Clouseau said, "We can have speaks."

[Aussie Mark]

That is something I find extremely irritating... modern PC's do not come with DVD playing software...

VLC is great freeware and plays just about any video format, including DVDs.

[Pilgrim]

VLC is great freeware and plays just about any video format, including DVDs.

ABSOLUTELY!!  I love it - just been using it to view some video that the execrable Windows Media Player doesn't like.  I'm rendering the edit now and thought I'd check in.

Here's the site for VLC - one of the best available: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

And if you need to edit or manipulate video, the AVS4YOU® Suite is one of the biggest bang for the buck deals around...it includes video editor, audio editor, a nice video format conversion program, a DVD and CD creation program, and about 12 additional programs.  A lifetime license is currently $59.   http://www.avs4you.com/index.aspx

[dadagoboi]

ABSOLUTELY!!  I love it - just been using it to view some video that the execrable Windows Media Player doesn't like.  I'm rendering the edit now and thought I'd check in.

Here's the site for VLC - one of the best available: http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

And if you need to edit or manipulate video, the AVS4YOU® Suite is one of the biggest bang for the buck deals around...it includes video editor, audio editor, a nice video format conversion program, a DVD and CD creation program, and about 12 additional programs.  A lifetime license is currently $59.   http://www.avs4you.com/index.aspx

Big +1 on VLC, I use it for all media. Thanks for the AVS4YOU link, I'll check it out.