Premium content is the LIVE webcasts and replays that require an access code to unlock the stream. The events involved are:
Select the Premium Content you would like to watch. An "UNLOCK CONTENT" message will appear. Click on the message and you will be offered 3 methods:
* Freecaster is not responsible for the promotional mechanic used by our partners.
A code is valid for one Premium Content event. With that code you can watch the LIVE and replay as often as you want.
Mountain Bike events require separate codes for the XCO and DHI races. 4X remains free so that you can test your connection and ensure the stream works for you.
Freecaster delivered over 170 LIVE webcasts in 2009... all free of charge.
Advertising revenue is the key to offering this free service. Advertisers structure their campaigns around the number of viewers of videos on a given website... not the length of time those viewers watch those videos. Our viewers enjoy events lasting up to 2 hours long, which generates substantial bandwidth costs that current ad revenues simply don't cover. Couple that with fixed costs for event rights, satellite links, commentaries, travel and technological development... and pretty soon pay-per-view becomes the only alternative in the absence of consistent advertising.
Freecaster is one of the first companies to deploy LIVE HTTP streaming for Flash. This allows us to stream a 4 different bit rates and to bypass firewalls. We believe this innovation will solve access problems that a minority of viewers experienced. To increase stability further, Freecaster uses Akamai, the world's leading content delivery network for iTunes' activities and all major streaming events.
Freecaster is designed to work reliably on "Basic Broadband", i.e. Internet lines with a data transmission speed exceeding 768 kilobits per second (Kbps). However, the lowest stream quality we offer is 350 Kbps so Freecaster should still work on connections slower than 768 Kbps. Offering a stream of even lesser quality would mean very poor picture definition.
To avoid disappointment, it's worth checking your internet connection before purchasing a code. We recommend using the web site www.speedtest.net.
If you still have concerns as to whether you think Premium Content will work reliably on your machine, please contact us through support@freecaster.com and we'll work to identify any potential issues.