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Meerkat Vs Periscope: Is ‘Live Streaming’ The Next Big Thing On Twitter?

Two new apps let you broadcast live video direct from your smartphone

Periscope
Periscope

Suddenly, everyone is talking about ‘livestreaming’ apps, which let you broadcast live video direct from your phone – or tune in to other people’s ‘livestreams’.

Last week, Twitter launched its own app, Periscope, but a rival, Meerkat also lets users broadcast a live video feed instantly.

When users begin a broadcast they can tweet a link so followers can watch via PC or smartphone.

Though live streaming apps are not a new phenomenon, the advance of technology – including the number of smartphones in use and the improvement of data networks – means video can be delivered better than ever.

The two apps have been hailed as a possible ‘Next Big Thing’ in internet entertainment - but what is it all about?

Meerkat and Periscope - how they work

What is Meerkat and why is everyone talking about it?
What is Meerkat and why is everyone talking about it?

The idea is that people will be able to Tweet a live video feed of events - think football matches or concerts, or celebrities having breakfasts, and anyone can ‘tune in’ instantly by clicking the link.

Both Periscope and Meerkat are free, and currently iPhone-only - allowing any user to broadcast near-instantly

To ‘tune in’, you simply click on a link in a Tweet, and watch live via your PC or smart device.

What can you watch?

Everyone is talking about Periscope, but what is it?
Everyone is talking about Periscope, but what is it?

Big sites such as Mashable already broadcast videos via the site - not everything is live, as you can ‘record’ segments and send those out for users to tune into.

So far, many users are still clearly finding their feet.

The Periscope ‘channel’ we tuned into showed a man leafing through a magazine.

Fascinating.

How do you broadcast?

Twitter hopes its version of easy live-streaming can push Meerkat out.
Twitter hopes its version of easy live-streaming can push Meerkat out.

You can broadcast near-instantly using a smartphone camera, and ‘tune in’ via your web browser or via the apps for iPhone.

Using the two apps is as easy as using the camera app on iPhone, with a similar button to ‘flip’ into selfie mode.

Once a live broadcast finishes, it can be made available for replays for up to 24 hours, as well as saving to the broadcaster’s device.


Meerkat vs Periscope - which is best?

The app is the creation of start-up Periscope, which Twitter purchased in January
The app is the creation of start-up Periscope, which Twitter purchased in January

Both apps are pretty similar - but Periscope might be more streamlined for new users.

It’s easier to find friends who use the service (Periscope is made by Twitter itself, so the app has access to your contacts book).

By contrast, on Meerkat, you’re offered a leaderboard of popular users to tune into - which works well for now, but makes the app feel a bit less sociable.

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On Meerkat, you also reply to videos on Twitter itself, which feels a little unwieldy. On Periscope, you simply ‘Love’.

This means that Periscope’s board of ‘Most-Loved’ videos could work as a one-stop-shop for videos going viral.

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Periscope also allows users to save videos to watch later - which makes it feel a little less ‘live’ than Meerkat, but definitely makes it easier to use.

Both are in very early stages at present - and could well coexist, with Meerkat being the fast-moving blink-and-you’ll-miss-it service, and Periscope working more like an extended version of Twitter’s own Vine.