YouTube and Twitch have an interesting relationship with each other. They both offer video content across a wide variety of topics, yet they are so fundamentally different that they don't exactly compete with each other directly. The production required for a YouTube video is quite different to that of a Twitch stream, and often content creators on one platform don't create content on the other. Of course, there are some exceptions. Some Twitch streamers for example play video games live on Twitch and then either directly upload the streams to YouTube or edit them down into more digestible videos, breaking up a 2-3 hour stream into several YouTube videos. Maybe this can also be done with other genres of content as well, and one in particular I'm asking about now is tech reviews.

One tech reviewer I follow has decided to quit YouTube and make the jump to Twitch, shifting his focus now to gaming. This got me thinking, do you think it's possible for tech reviews to be done live on Twitch? I don't know if it's already being done, but most (all?) of the tech reviewers I know only do so on YouTube.

Tech reviews if done live will lose that B-roll aspect of YouTube videos that many people seem to enjoy. Product shots will be less prominent in a live stream, and the spotlight will be much brighter on the reviewer themselves. Then again, some tech review videos are just of the reviewer talking to the camera in a single take with no B-roll, and this format will work perfectly on Twitch. Additionally, a live-streamed tech review can also incorporate Q&A from viewers, which can give live reviews another dimension not possible in YouTube videos.

The more I think about it, the more I want to see tech reviews streamed live on Twitch. I think it'll open up a huge amount of possibilities, and could potentially end up offering more in-depth coverage of new tech.

I have to admit that I've never even looked at twitch, I'm not into gaming and even if I was then I'm sure I'd be much more into playing them myself rather than watching someone else do it.

But I do kind of see the point and the attraction, and understand why people would want to watch it live, it's kind of like a sports event I guess.

I think reviews of anything, whether it is tech or any other product are a different thing though, I can't see that they are going to gain anything or be improved in any way by being recorded or streamed live. Would it change the content in any way, I don't see that it would.

I'm sure there are plenty of people who watch them for different reasons, but personally I look for reviews of something at the moment I need to buy that kind of product. So for me it would make no difference when they were recorded or where they were first shown as long as I can find them when I am searching for that product.

i have taken part in Twitch & YouTube livestreams, bith as talent and as a technician running the equipment to stream. The items you brought up are not as much of a challenge as one would think. It is just like producing a live television show or church service. The key is the right technology to make the process work. (I really need to write up my streaming solution.)

The price of entry for video switching for a live stream has gotten to almost zero. The most common piece of software that allows entry level switching is Open Broadcast Studio (OBS). It is open source but is very powerful. One needs tools to capture the video and get it into the computer, such as a usb camera. One might also want to prelod B-Roll into the software so it can be inserted on the fly. I have a hardware based switcher as I found that solution works better for mea. It has four HDMI inputs, a 20 image still store, multiple digital video effects, and an audio mixer. This entry level unit is the ATEM Mini from BlackMagic Design starts at US$300. From there the features go up such as video clips being stored on board to built in streaming hardware to isolation recorders.

Also to be forthcoming, I am a partner in an online media company. I do this stuff for fun, not yet profit but break even. The company has produced and hosted live online product launches.

It's not just B-Role. Those big tech reviews AFAIK are scripted and pretty much need to be. And for in depth content that's already available usually based on the source you choose. With CPU's GamersNexus will give you a ton of stats, thermals, and overclocking while Engadget will just be a relative overview.

Many tech channels do have live streams and those cater to the audience which sees them as entertainment and not just a review to watch before their next purchase. With the GamersNexus example in addition to that CPU review which is 15-30 minutes of very concise content they will sometimes do a few hours of live overclocking with liquid nitrogen on those new CPUs.