Internet broadcasters face a major constraint when it comes to HDTV — namely, a lack of bandwidth.
For those who choose to stream live rather than simply offer downloads, the buffering time required to stream HD content, particularly in many areas of the United States where Internet bandwidth is limited, can put off an audience fast, destroying months and even years of effort to build an online following.
But Leo Laporte, a technology journalist and owner of Internet-based TV network TWiT TV, isn’t letting a little bandwidth shortage deter his HD plans. Laporte is building a new Internet broadcasting studio in Petaluma, CA, that’s 720p-capable and easily upgradeable to 1080i.
I spoke this weekend with Laporte at breakfast as he readied for a broadcast from the South by Southwest Film Festival.
