YouTube Trials New Live Streaming Function

YouTube is testing a relatively broad live-streaming platform. It started at 11:00 AM EST this morning. it will involve content streamed from YouTube's partners: Howcast, Rocketboom, Next New Networks and Young Hollywood. YouTube will be working with this trial to test how people will use it, and whether it will be accepted. The new platform integrates live streaming directly into YouTube channels. All broadcasters need is a webcam or an external USB/FireWire camera. Included in this trial will be a "Live Comments" module. This "lets you engage with the broadcasters and the broader YouTube community," says a YouTube blog.

This offering will only be available for today and tomorrow. Based on the results of this first test, YouTube says, they will evaluated rolling out the platform to a broader audience and to more partners.

This test is similar to the State of the Union address which was stremed earlier this year. It also enabled users to interact by posing questions during the speech, via either video or text.

This new trial will see how users on YouTube except live-streaming. It will probably leave people waiting for more. It's the one major feature that YouTube has yet to widely implement, and it's sure that users want it as it adds a whole different dimension to the video sharing site. It adds interactivity to the site, and will probably end up with lots of people having live political debates.

Embedded below is an interactive schedule. You can see what is being broadcast today.