Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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You can find detailed answers to the most frequently asked questions of customers below. Use CTRL+F to search the text.
Questions related to
WEBCASTING/BROADCASTING
Overall, is webcasting easy?
YES! You can be up and running in as little as 5 minutes.
How does the webcasting
process work?
The process is very easy. All a
broadcaster needs to do is to be at a game with a few items – 1) a computer
which is most likely a laptop, 2) a microphone, 3) an internet connection, and
4) a camera if doing video. Meridix provides the broadcaster with free
audio/video encoding software, and the broadcaster simultaneously updates the
data portion (the live scores, stats, game info) directly through any browser
window on the same computer. Any internet connection can be used, from
dialup/modem to DSL, Cable, Ethernet, WiFi, mobile broadband, etc.
What equipment do I need?
There is very little equipment
needed to complete a webcast, though it depends on how complex you want your
setup to be. The most common setup for audio broadcasts includes simply a
computer (usually a laptop) and a microphone (can be a very simple $10 computer
microphone). If you want a few different people talking, such as a play by play
person and a color commentator, you might obtain a few microphones. If you
choose to add video to your account, you would need a video camcorder, and a
normal version for home use will do just fine. You might need a network cable or
two depending on how you connect to the internet, but other than that the setup
is usually quite simple.
How do listeners/viewers
actually access the webcast?
Directly through your
organization’s existing website, or via a customized broadcast website that we
give to you. When you add your school or organization to the Meridix Network, we
give you an account called a “LiveID”, and your LiveID represents you throughout
the network. Listeners/viewers can either visit your existing website to access
the broadcasts, or we give you the URL to your customized broadcast area on the
Meridix network. Once your listeners/viewers arrive at either of these
locations, they simply click once to launch the broadcast instantly – no need to
wait, nor login.
Do listeners have to pay
anything?
No, your listeners do not have
to pay anything to view your games and events. Listeners simply visit your
existing website or the Meridix site we give you, and with one click they can
launch any of your broadcasts. Meridix does have a system available if you want
your listeners to pay an admission fee (contact us), but a vast majority of
broadcasters allow their audience to listen for free.
How many listeners can
access my events? How many events can I cover?
For audio events, an unlimited
number of listeners can access your stream, and there are no limits on the
number of people who listen at any given time. For video events, several
cost-effective tiers of listener/viewer numbers exist, and an unlimited viewer
package is also available. There are also no limits on the total number of
events that you can produce during each month – produce as many webcasts and
events as you need. The “unlimited” nature of our network is within reason
however – if you have events drawing 10 million people, we’ll obviously need to
work out something different with you – but we’ve never had to do this with a
single broadcaster or organization.
Which types of internet
connections are needed for the service?
Nearly any type of internet
connection can be used, though the faster the better. For any of our text, data,
and audio services, dialup modems have been used extensively, all the way up
through DSL, cable modems, WiFi, Ethernet, and other connections. If you add
video to your account, the requirements are slightly higher (~200K or faster),
and dialup will not work, but most DSL/cable/Ethernet will. Some broadcasters
have also been successfully using new mobile broadband cards, which are wireless
cards you can plug into any computer to give you portable internet access
wherever you go via cellular phone towers. Our network also utilizes port 80 for
nearly all traffic, meaning that port blocking, firewalls, and other network
restrictions will not affect your broadcasts.
Do listeners have to refresh
the screen to get the updated game data?
No, no refreshing of the screen
is necessary. Our system automatically updates listeners/viewers with the latest
data every few seconds, and there is no need to manually refresh or update the
page. Everything is updated automatically for the listener/viewer.
What type of media do you
use?
Meridix currently uses Windows
Media format for all broadcasts and archives, which is one of the most widely
used and widely available media formats. This ensures that listeners can access
your webcasts instantly without needing to download additional player software.
Our live data uses open standards including JavaScript and XML, meaning that the
live game screens can be viewed with any web browser, including Internet
Explorer, Firefox, Mozilla, Opera, Safari, and others.
How do I sign up?
You can sign up in several
ways, online or by phone.
1. The easiest way is to simply visit http://www.meridix.com/signup,
which will allow you to create an account immediately online.
2. You can also call
us at (630) 300-8747
3. Send us an email at sales@meridixcreative.com and we
can personally assist you with the signup process.
Questions related to TEXT
MESSAGING
How does the text messaging
system work?
Text messages can go out to
your fans via two different ways – either automatically as a result of your
webcasts, or manually at the touch of a button. In the first method, you go
about doing the webcasts as you normally would. However, when your games go
final, our system will automatically send text messages out to fans, without you
having to do a thing. We know that text messages are useful for more than just
scores, so we also offer a console in your account from which you can manually
send text messages with one click. In this manner, you can send out last minute
schedule changes, practice changes, cancellations, postponements, news, venue
moves, and other information even if people are already on their way to the game
(and thus an email would be too late). You can even target messages to only
certain teams or event types. Fans, parents, players, students, and coaches sign
themselves up and select only the types of notifications they wish to receive,
so you do not have to maintain any lists, numbers, or names. Our system
automatically determines who should receive appropriate messages for you.
Do I have to maintain my own
text message lists or long lists of numbers?
Not at all! Recipients sign
themselves up to receive messages and can customize their alert types by sport
or team, and this takes the work off of you. They can even sign themselves up
for these messages directly on your website, using a signup link that we give to
you. Within their accounts, recipients can customize their preferences,
notification types, and turn messaging on and off at will.
How do
fans/parents/players/staff sign up for text message alerts?
The signup process for text
message alerts is simple. In fact, we provide you with a special link for your
website so that individuals can sign up for your alerts directly on your site,
or they can use the console on your webcast pages. Once they have created an
account and entered their mobile number (only necessary the first time), they
can then use those same credentials to login and customize their alerts at any
time in the future. Users can customize their notification types, relevant event
types, turn messaging on and off, and customize other preferences.
Does the text message system
cost our school or organization anything?
There are no additional costs
beyond the level of LiveID service that you choose. Text messaging functionality
is included in all LiveID accounts, and you will not pay per message nor per
user. Send out 100 messages to 1 person, or 10 messages to 100 people, or 1
message to 20 people, it doesn’t matter – your costs will not change.
Do the recipients of my text
message alerts have to pay anything?
The alerts and text messages
that users receive are completely free on our end, and recipients do not have to
pay anything to sign up nor to receive messages. However, some phone carriers
(AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, etc.) do charge a fee for receiving text messages on
their network. Users can consult their own carrier and contract for more
information.
Questions related to PRICING
What are my costs to use
this service? What packages are available?
For the latest pricing
information, we always recommend visiting...
http://www.meridix.com/golive
…in
order to view the various packages and details. Also on this page, you can view
screenshots, feature lists, and descriptions, examples, and other information
about the network. Plans range from as low as $49.99 per month, and discounts
are also available for multiple account signup and pre-payment.
What is a LiveID?
A LiveID is your flexible,
unique identity on our network that represents your school, your team, your
organization, or whatever you need it to be. A LiveID is the username that you
use to login to all services, and is also the identity that you can give out to
your fans in order to access your games, your schedules, etc. Thus, a school
such as Naperville Central High School could have a LiveID of “NapervilleCentral”,
or a broadcaster with multiple LiveID accounts could be “ILSportsChannel1” and
“ILSportsChannel2”, or a single team could be the “RamblingRedhawks”. You can
use and customize LiveIDs in any manner you need.
Questions related to FEATURES
One of the best places
to start look at our entire feature set would be to visit the following URL:
http://www.meridix.com/golive
What are some of the main
features of the Meridix Network?
On the product page listed
above, we list examples and screenshots of many of the tools that we offer,
including:
LIVE GAME AUDIO and VIDEO
(live audio stream, video by request)
REAL TIME SCORES
(scores/stats change automatically on listeners' screens with no need to refresh
the page)
BROWSER BASED GAME INPUT
(for broadcasters, scores and stats are as easy as clicking on a piece of data,
changing it, and clicking off - no forms to fill out or buttons to click)
AUTOMATIC TEXT MESSAGE
ALERTS (automatic final scores go out to fans, parents, and whoever else
signs up to receive TXT alerts from your teams)
SCHEDULING (publish your
season schedules for all of your teams, so that your fans can see your schedules
and sub schedules customized to specific teams, levels, sport types etc.)
WIDGETS (automatically
feature live/real-time data on your own website with tickers, magnets, and other
widgets that we supply)
NEWS (publish news
stories and feature information in your online pressroom)
ANNOUNCEMENTS (highlight
important game changes, cancellations, or postponements, schedule changes)
SYNDICATION
(automatically syndicate scores between teams and across leagues)
VENUES (venue
information, profiles, photos, seating charts, and driving directions)
PHOTOS (post photos
while games are occurring, so that fans can see the action even if a video
signal is not available)
PORTALS (portals can be
automatically created which syndicate results, scores, news, schedules, and
broadcasts from around your league or conference)
ADVERTISING (offer
advertising space to promote local businesses and profit from your LiveID, or
read quick on-air ads during webcasts for additional fundraising opportunities)
BROADCASTER DIRECTORY (Create a broadcaster profile page, track your broadcasters' experiences, see who worked on each game and with who, view ratings and comments from listeners, see rankings, and other features at BroadcasterDirectory.com)
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Meridix Broadcast
Network
