Facebook invites you to tune in to 24-hour live streams on its Live video network

By Saqib Shah May 23, 2016

facebook video future live — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Facebook is bringing epic, 24-hour live broadcasts to its platform with the launch of its Continuous Live Video API.

The company’s latest offering in its ever-expanding live-streaming feature enables uninterrupted real-time video that can be recorded on both mobiles and professional cameras.

According to Facebook, the format is ideal for nature- or geography-related broadcasts, such as 24-hour recordings of animals in the wild, and national landmarks.

Continuous Live Video differs from regular Facebook Live streams in some respects, both restricting and expanding upon the social network’s prized feature.

Critically, 24-hour broadcasts cannot be saved permanently to a person or Facebook page’s News Feed. Additionally, viewers cannot rewind to earlier in the stream during broadcasts. This is mainly to alleviate Facebook from the high server costs that come with storing long-form broadcasts, reports TechCrunch.

Just like its regular Live API, the new format will allow professional broadcasters to go beyond smartphones and selfie sticks by using high-end cameras and mixing and effects tools. Facebook Live’s media partners often use these specialty tools to create multicamera transmissions, and to incorporate on-screen graphics. The Live API now also includes new targeting features that allow creators to put location and age locks on their videos in regards to who can view them.

Facebook claims that multimedia documentary production company, Explore.org, has already used the 24-hour live stream feature as a new outlet for its nature videos.

For general users, Continuous Live Video sees Facebook’s live network expand to include another form of popular media. If adopted by more professional broadcasters, it could become your go-to service for a nature fix. Just make sure you have a lot of free hours to spare, and that you tune in on time.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Saqib Shah is a Twitter addict and film fan with an obsessive interest in pop culture trends. In his spare time he can be…

Social Media

Bluesky barrels toward 1 million new sign-ups in a day

Social media app Bluesky has picked nearly a million new users just a day after exiting its invitation-only beta and opening to everyone.

In a post on its main rival -- X (formerly Twitter) -- Bluesky shared a chart showing a sudden boost in usage on the app, which can now be downloaded for free for iPhone and Android devices.

Computing

How to make a GIF from a YouTube video

woman sitting and using laptop

Sometimes, whether you're chatting with friends or posting on social media, words just aren't enough -- you need a GIF to fully convey your feelings. If there's a moment from a YouTube video that you want to snip into a GIF, the good news is that you don't need complex software to so it. There are now a bunch of ways to make a GIF from a YouTube video right in your browser.

If you want to use desktop software like Photoshop to make a GIF, then you'll need to download the YouTube video first before you can start making a GIF. However, if you don't want to go through that bother then there are several ways you can make a GIF right in your browser, without the need to download anything. That's ideal if you're working with a low-specced laptop or on a phone, as all the processing to make the GIF is done in the cloud rather than on your machine. With these options you can make quick and fun GIFs from YouTube videos in just a few minutes.
Use GIFs.com for great customization
Step 1: Find the YouTube video that you want to turn into a GIF (perhaps a NASA archive?) and copy its URL.

Social Media

I paid Meta to ‘verify’ me — here’s what actually happened

In the fall of 2023 I decided to do a little experiment in the height of the “blue check” hysteria. Twitter had shifted from verifying accounts based (more or less) on merit or importance and instead would let users pay for a blue checkmark. That obviously went (and still goes) badly. Meanwhile, Meta opened its own verification service earlier in the year, called Meta Verified.

Mostly aimed at “creators,” Meta Verified costs $15 a month and helps you “establish your account authenticity and help[s] your community know it’s the real us with a verified badge." It also gives you “proactive account protection” to help fight impersonation by (in part) requiring you to use two-factor authentication. You’ll also get direct account support “from a real person,” and exclusive features like stickers and stars.