Take Schoedinger Funeral and Cremation Service in central Ohio, for example. Schoedinger – the first funeral home in its area to offer live streaming funeral webcasts and archived video for family members and friends who are unable to pay their respects in person – is just one of many funeral service providers across the country who’ve ventured into webcasting in recent months.

Funeral video technology saves money, time, energy
As improved technology and affordable pricing provide the impetus for more funeral homes to consider offering webcasting and videotaping service, the demand for funeral webcasting is also growing. Economically, it’s a no-brainer: funeral webcasts start as low as $95 – a mere fraction of the cost of airfare, accommodations and other travel-related expense. Webcasting also saves energy and helps to reduce stress for mourners who are ill, afraid of flying or unable to take several days off work.

Funeral directors who embrace funeral video technology say that by allowing mourners who would otherwise be unable to attend a funeral to share the experience with loved ones, webcasting allows survivors to participate in an important part of the grieving process.

Ellery Bowker is the president of Director’s Advantage, a North Carolina-based company that provides technological products and services to the funeral industry. Part of funeral webcasting’s growing appeal is the fact that the Internet has become an integral part of daily life for many Americans at home and abroad, according to Bowker, who cited the case of a solider in Iraq who was able to watch his grandmother’s funeral in North Caroline via webcast.

For some, change isn’t welcome
Not everyone thinks funeral webcasts are a good idea, however. One Mansfield, Ohio attorney, calls the concept “demeaning,” while others worry that mourners entrenched in a couch-potato culture may avoid paying their respects in person, even when there are no obstacles to attending the funeral service, thus depriving family members of the in-person comfort and support they need at the funeral home.