Live video on Facebook: we know you want it. 9.7 million of you tuned in for the Facebook/CNN stream of Michael Jackson's memorial, 21.3 million of you for the Obama inauguration, and one million for the Jonas Brothers. Heck, Facebook launched its live stream box to bring the streaming video and chat experience to any site that wants it.
Live streaming powerhouse Justin.tv knows that the masses want live video on their favorite social network as well. That's why today the service is launching Live by Justin.tv, a Facebook app that not only lets you watch live streams, but broadcast as well.
The app is very straightforward: it provides a live stream, broadcast information, and integrates with the Facebook live stream box so that users can discuss what's happening in a live video in real-time, with those messages also serving as status updates. It's minimalist, which makes sense, since this app is all about the video.
The release of this app seems to have a lot to do with the launch of another live streaming app by rival Ustream, which has been in use for a while but only launched recently. Unlike the Ustream app, which requires an application to use, Justin.tv's app is open to anybody.