AppId is over the quota
Within just a few (very few) short weeks, mobile livestreaming has found a home in Periscope, a free iPhone app from Twitter. A clear winner against first-comer Meerkat, Periscope lets you share what's happening right now and (best of all) relive it later thanks to the service's saved streams feature. A recent update puts a little more polish on this gem and makes it even easier to find the streams that are most important to you.
Given its owner, Periscope unsurprisingly requires a Twitter account to use. I tested it on an iPhone 5c and an iPhone 6. If you've already entered your Twitter login information into iOS, you can join up with just a few taps. Like Meerkat, this livestreaming app is currently iPhone-only, although Periscope's developers did reveal (during a livestream tour of their offices) that an Android version is currently in the works.
Take Us to Periscope Depth
When you first start up Periscope, you see some colorful cards explaining the basics of the app and how to activate features like your camera, microphone, and location services. I like that Periscope integrates all of this into the app's tutorial, rather than just throwing a bunch of ugly dialog windows at me.
When I first reviewed Meerkat, I didn't like how it had you automatically follow everyone you follow on Twitter. Periscope has made that optional, and it also suggests some other popular users you might like to follow. By default, you receive an alert when someone you know on Twitter joins Periscope, and when one of your Periscope pals hosts a new livestream. You can add more friends and tweak your profile by swiping all the way to the right, in the People section.
You can also search for Periscope users without following them on Twitter. For example, if you'd like to watch PCMag's livestreams, simply search for the Twitter handle @PCMag in the People section of the Periscope app.
The key difference between Periscope and Meerkat is that the former gives you the option to save your streams. This becomes immediately obvious from the app's main page, which shows both live streams and streams that have already ended. Periscope was recently updated so that this page only shows streams you've already watched, featured streams, and streams from the people you follow on Periscope. I really like how this puts the most relevant content up front, though curated themed channels like those on Vine would be a welcome addition
Periscope streams from people you don't follow have been moved to a new Global tab. Emphasis on global. A quick glance at the available streams shows Periscope users from around the world. Jumping from stream to stream, voyeuristically sitting on the host's shoulder is an addictive experience.
Through the Periscope
When you host a stream, you see what your viewers see, filling your phone's screen. Before you start broadcasting, you have the option to toggle your location information, send out a Tweet with a browser link, or host a private session with only select followers. A new feature allows hosts to restrict commenting and only allow viewers who also follow the host to have a say. It's a nice way to keep the conversations focused. If someone says something out of line, tap their comment and you can block them.
During the stream, a small number at the bottom indicates the total number of viewers. I really like how clean and simple this interface is, unlike the cramped, cluttered experience on Meerkat. And that ease of use doesn't come at the price of functionality. For example, double tapping the screen toggles between the front- and rear-facing cameras, and the Stop Broadcasting button is in a hidden tray you pull down to reveal.
Viewers in the Periscope app have the same clean interface the streams' hosts enjoy, but with different tools at their disposal. Tapping on the screen makes little hearts appear, and you can tap away to your heart's content. I have to admit that, as a host, this is pretty gratifying. Viewers can also leave comments, which appear as smart little bubbles that disappear after a few seconds. The host can't type back, and must speak out loud to respond. It's actually kind of a neat interaction, and it keeps the comments tidy. However, I did notice on one popular stream that comments were locked due to the high number of participants. That's disappointing, though even positive comments can feel out of control when they fill up the screen. It's also odd, since there doesn't seem to be a maximum capacity for Periscope streams.
Viewers can also watch Periscope streams in their browsers, though they won't be able to interact with the host, nor can they see comments or hearts. I do like that Periscope lets browser viewers toggle between a gross zoomed-in view and a correctly sized, vertically oriented view that mimics what the host sees on his or her iPhone. Periscope's developers have, thankfully, confirmed that a landscape mode is in the works.
If you want to save the streams you create to your phone, you have the option to do that at the conclusion of your Periscope stream. You can also delete streams saved to Periscope to prevent people from replaying your streams. But note that your phone might fill up quickly if you try to save a multi-hour stream. You cannot, however, embed the streams Periscope saves on its servers. Sadly, user comments and hearts aren't visible in Periscope videos you save to your phone, but they do appear in the videos saved to Periscope online.
Despite the high polish on Periscope, it's not without problems. During my initial testing, the app did crash after hosting a stream for several hours, and it didn't, in that case, manage to save my video for viewing later.
What Can You See on Periscope?
If Periscope had debuted any other day, it would have been views of people's homes, dogs, and offices. But shortly after Periscope's release, a building exploded in New York's East Village. And while there were surely YouTube videos, Tweets, and Vines of the disaster, it was a series of Periscope streams that garnered much attention. And not just one stream; finding multiple angles from Periscope users all around the city was (distressingly) easy to do.
I don't want to sound hyperbolic, but I'm reminded of the flurry of attention Twitter received during the Arab Spring. Suddenly people understood how powerful the platform could be. When I discovered how many streams I could see of the New York disaster, I think I finally understood why livestreaming can be so compelling, and how it might change how we interact online, especially when video shot from bystander cell phones can the news, as it did in the tragic case of Eric Garner. In fact, Periscope's developers have made a point of saying that they see potential for unique journalistic opportunities with their app. With Periscope, we can see the world unfold right now, and then watch it all again later.
Stream Your Life?
The big problem with livestreams is that life is boring. On the rare occasions when something interesting happens, it's often over before we can tune in. Periscope neatly solves this problem by saving streams, giving each stream a life outside the moment. It also allows for curation, letting Periscope put its best foot forward.
That feature alone would be enough for it to win out over its main rival, Meerkat, but Periscope doesn't stop there. It's highly polished, exceptionally easy to use, and has worked to quickly introduce critical new features, like limiting comments to followers and highlighting Periscope feeds from your friends. That said, I would like to see Periscope roll out for Android, and for the app's developers to make saved streams embeddable. Also, Periscope would do well to copy Meerkat's scheduling feature, which Tweets out the URL for a livestream before it takes place.
I'm also still wary of mobile livestreaming in general. We can now broadcast live video of strangers without their knowledge with exceptional ease, and I don't feel like we've really figured out what that's going to mean, or what the consequences might be. Perhaps our online etiquette expert has some thoughts. Or maybe these apps are all doomed anyway.
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