On the lookout for the perfect Avatar Virtual Assistant creating Software

[onauc]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone knows about any perfect Avatar software that can satisfy my needs. Let me tell you all what I want to do so you can all can understand my mind.

I have about 1000 Plr text articles.
I had in mind to create one webpage per article on my website. Result : 1000 articles/webpages on my website.
But then I thought that, in order to stand-out from the crowd, it’s best if each of my articles were read-out to my website visitors instead. This way, people won’t have to read the articles but they’ll hear them instead. Now to do this, it requires me to create an audio file for each article. Result: 1,000 audio files.
But then I thought that, since the internet-world is “Video-Crazed” then it’s better if my website visitors actually see someone reading the articles to them from my website. I had intention to get someone to sit in-front of a digital camera and read the articles where I’ll then upload the video files to my website.
Result : From my website visitors’ point of view, it would seem as if someone from a “news studio” (like CNN, BBC, etc.) is reading “Information Articles” to them.
But as you know, to keep up with the internet race, I’d have to be constantly updating my website with new articles and I can’t afford to hire people every single time to read the articles in front of a microphone or digital camera in order to create the audio/video files.
I, myself, am not suitable for the task.
Anyway, I came across a website called sitepal.com. They will allow me to open an account with them where I can use my account to create/design my “Avatar Virtual Assistant”. They also have a feature called “Text to Speech”.
Now, I can either record my own voice or use their “Text to Speech” feature to have my “Avatar Virtual Assistant” read-out my articles to my website visitors in real-time.
I thought that, this feature is what I need. This is because, from now on, I won’t have to have a real person reading my articles to my website visitors. Which means, everytime, I create a new article, I won’t have to spend money paying someone to read it in front of a microphone or digital camera to create the audio/video file.
I can simply, upload my new text article to my sitepal.com account and they’ll convert it to some file and host it on their streaming-server and give me some code to put on my website to point to that file on their streaming-server.
Result, when people come to my website, they’ll see an “Avatar Virtual Assistant” (like some websites have “Avatar Virtual Assistants in their IM/Chat Rooms) reading my articles to them.
This is really good because now I can edit each of my article files unlimited times and create unlimited article files in real-time without having to hire someone and wait for him/her to spend time reading and creating the audio-video files aswell as never have to worry about paying them each time.
But, do you know what the downside of sitepal.com is (according to my needs/taste) ?
They don’t allow me to stream the files in my own streaming-server or create any recorded files for me to upload to my website so that my website visitors can download them to their PCs to view offline later.
This means, I’ll have to pay SitePal for each stream. A lot of my money would be spent on streaming-bandwidth which I’m not happy about.
You see, had they just given me the files then I would have hosted them on the free streaming hosts and have no streaming bandwidth cost atall. I don’t like to worry about streaming bandwidth cost.
So, does anyone have any solution for me or know of anyone who has ?
I mean, do you know of any Avatar Creating software where I can :
1. use it to design the Avatar (like they allow us to design our Virtual Assistants in SitePal);
2. feed it my text files for the software to turn them into an appropriate file that when uploaded on my streaming server or normal webserver it will either show my Avatar Virtual Assistant reading to them (Text-to-Speech) in real-time (streaming) or allow my website visitors to download the video files to their PCs to view later.

Anyone any suggestion ?

[Nook Schreier]

I apologize in advance because this is not the most constructive post possible; but why in the world would you want to do that?

Are you going to offer this in addition to text articles, or instead of them? If it's an additional thing, I honestly don't see it getting much use, but at least the content is still available to the low-bandwidth audience (which is a much larger group than most of us realize). And if you are looking for people who want to watch video of someone reading them something, I think a video avatar is not the best way to go about this, unless it's low-end technical support stuff (or a comparable subject).

I really believe that you would be better off getting someone to read in front of a camera. I don't know where you are from, but around here there are plenty of college students who would do it for dirt cheap, or even free, if they are doing it to practice for a career in journalism or some other public-speaking profession.

Plus, if you are worried about the costs involved in paying someone, have you considered what your bandwidth costs would be for a project like this? Hosting and streaming thousands of videos is not going to come cheap, even if they are relatively short and low-quality (which is simply unacceptable to many tech media-junkies)...

But ignoring all of that, if you still want to use an avatar system, be warned that your end-users are going to have to install plugins (unless you convert them all into videos on your own PC, which will take forever). And unless you have a niche topic or content that draws in tons of users, very few people will install a plugin just to look at your site, and your page hits will... well, take a hit.

[onauc]

Nook Schreier,

All the 1000 articles I have are niche topics which people all over the internet search on google.
Imagine that, you're a cat-lover and you drop by to my website to read articles (information, tips, etc. on what cats like and don't like and how to care for your cat, etc) and instead of seeing just plain old text you see a 3d cat animation/avatar on my website reading my article in front of you.
In other words, the cat is giving you the information, tips you're searching for.
Now, as a cat-lover, wouldn't that seem nice ? I mean, what better way, to learn more about cats than from a cat itself ? :)

Imagine, you're a dog lover and a 3d dog avatar is giving you information. etc. etc.
You get the picture. ;)

Actually, I've now found the software that I need :
http://www.reallusion.com/crazytalk/default.asp
Click the Avatar on the top right corner and checking it out yourself. I haven't heard the audio yet because my speakers aren't working.
Infact, you can make a video-clip of yourself reading articles and then get the software to turn your face and background into a 3D animation of yourself and your back-ground (3D world).

Also, I'm thinking of buying this one :
http://www.reallusion.com/iclone/default.asp
Check on youtube.com for examples (animations created by this software) :
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=iclone2
With that software, you can create animation (cartoon 3D charactors).

Also, check this out :
http://mobile.reallusion.com/Mobile/wow3d.asp
Can you see a cat on the cell-phone ? I'm thinking of creating something like this where the cat will give the cell-phone user tips everyday about cat-care.
I can do the same with dogs.
This way, I'll get a lot of people downloading my animations onto their cell-phones.
Can you remember, how popular the "Crazy Frog" got recently ?
Thinking of creating something like it. Maybe a "Crazy Cat" that starts talking "Meeaww Meeeaaww" and then starts giving a tip when everytime someone rings the cell-phone.
The tip will be an indication that some-one is ringing.

These are the 2 niches I'm thinking of going into (Cats & Dogs) but the articles I have now are based on lots of other niche topics (health, real estate, etc.) and not cats and dogs.

Now, the reason, why I haven't bought those 2 softwares yet is because I have to find-out how these softwares will help me show my Avatar clips without anybody having to downlaod the player. Frankly, I really don't think anybody will bother to download the player as most people are weary of downloads. I'll have to find a software that creates clips that will automatically start when my webpages are loaded onto a vistor's browser.
The 2 softwares I mentioned may do this but I'm not sure so I'll have to find-out first.
But, if anybody can show me other softwares like the 2 I mentioned above then I'll be gratefull because I'm on the look-out for bargains.

As far bandwidth, like I said, I'll upload the Avatar-clips to free "video hosts" and then put references on my paid-website to the clips hosted on the free video-host's server.
This way, all the text content will be hosted on my paid-website but the video-clips would be servered from the free video-host.

You probably think I'm crazy but once I've started then you'll see others copying these ideas. :yes:

PS - I'm not spamming reallusion.com links here because if I was I'd be posting links with my referral IDs so I earn commissions if anyone buys from them.
No, :no: I'm just tellying you guys what I've found so far to see if any of you find for me any better.

Cheers.