The present invention relates generally to a system and method for recording, transmitting, and accessing video communications.
Patrons at entertainment venues, sporting events, tourist attractions, and other leisure and business events often enjoy capturing visual memories of the event to share with friends and family. One way to share memories and messages from an event is by purchasing a post card, photograph or picture. Postcards, however, are limited to the pictures that are available for purchase and do not always convey the desired message. Furthermore, postcards are tedious because a user must prepare and mail them to each and every individual recipient.
In recent years, various electronic devices have been developed to improve the ways in which visual memories can be captured and shared. Devices such as digital cameras and video cameras allow users to capture and store high quality photos and video. However, these devices are often limited in their capacity to share and transfer the recorded pictures and video. Specifically, the picture and video files must be removed from the device and transferred to a computer or other medium before being shared with others. Additionally, the user is required to carry the digital camera or video camera with them at the given event.
More recently, other devices and technologies have been developed to improve the sharing of video files. Many cell phones, PDAs, and other electronic devices provide a convenient and direct way of communicating a photo or video message to an individual. For example, many cell phones are equipped with digital cameras for recording photos or videos. Additionally, many phones allow an electronic photo or video file to be sent to another cell phone via a text or an email or uploaded directly to the Internet. However, picture and sound quality on most mobile devices is limited due to the size of the electronic media files, and general cost constraints. Furthermore, sharing and accessibility of the video or photo is limited in many cases to other cell phones and mobile devices.