Stream archiving
When streaming a live webcast it is a good idea to archive it on the fly. Whilst we always recommend making a tape backup where there is any chance that the content will be re-used. It takes time to re-encode from video tape, and so when a straight copy of the webcast is required without editing it is better to archive the video stream to a local hard drive which may then be put on CD, DVD or uploaded to one of our streaming servers for on-demand playback.
It is possible to archive on the fly directly at the streaming server although this is generally not recommended because any interruptions to the broadcast due to poor local internet connections can mean that the video is broken up or loses quality. If the video is archived at source and a tape backup made then every eventuality for re-broadcasting has been made.
An archived video stream can also be re-used in a Simulated Live Webcast. We often do this where a broadcast is time sensitive, required to be played to people in different time zones or contains sensitive material.