All You Need To Know About Video Conferencing

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What’s the difference between Video Conferencing and Telepresence?

Telepresence picks up where video conferencing left off. Telepresence IS real time, full-high-definition, immersible sound and vision. Telepresence IS most importantly: the feeling of being “there” when you’re “here”. Telepresence is lifelike, video conferencing is not. Telepresence is that hi-line Mercedes AMG, video conferencing is a Ford Escort - Period.

Why Telepresence now?

Video conferencing has been around a while now but has always lacked the feeling we spoke about above. Jumpy computer screens, broken audio and poor lighting add to the impersonal touches of video conferencing (ie slow motion camcorder on top of your computer monitor). Finally, technology, bandwidth, vision and sound have all converged on video conferencing to create the telepresence experience. It’s about time! Crystal clear surround sound and real-time full-high-definition visual effects enhance the feeling of being there – thus telepresence. That nervous twitch, roll of the eyes, sniffle, tap of the foot – things you see when you’re present and sitting across a conference room table – things you don’t see or feel from video conferencing, but do with telepresence.

Today, what “real” uses are there for Telepresence?

There is no short answer even possible here. We’ll name a few, more like we’ll put your imagination to work. Imagine a single specialist doctor in Canada treating patients in Haiti via telepresence. Robots in space doing the actual work while the telepresence operator dons his telepresence helmet and gloves at his workstation in Texas. Meeting your Russian company vice president while you’re in the executive telepresence room at the office in Denver. Just a few…

What are “real” savings of Telepresence?

Your imagination still working on the last answer? Don’t let up yet! What carbon footprint? Don’t need that airplane ticket to go check on your staff in Russia now do you? What lost life in the Iraqi war? Unmanned drones and soldiers via telepresence. Military and combat cost savings? Immeasurable. Less travel costs, airline frustration, fuel, lost time, carbon emissions, etc. Those are tangible, real savings to name just a very limited few.

You starting to see what telepresence can do that video conferencing can’t? We hope you see what we’re seeing! Telepresence – its time has arrived!

Check out the video thread in Section 8 of the Telepresence Forum where you can watch some Telepresence YouTube videos! If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video must be worth a million!

Ride on the "Next Plane of Existence" TM

Video conference is either a point to point or a point to multipoint conference. This permits a number of participants to hold face to face meetings and discussions with out actually leaving the office. Data like text, graphs, pictures and even video can be exchanged between the participants. For online video conferencing to take place the video conferencing equipment needed is essentially a communication medium which can transmit high speed data. Broadband cables both copper and fiber optic are used. Even satellite communication can be adapted as a means for video conferencing. The equipment needed for video conferencing are Audio and video input and output systems (mic, speakers, video camera, Display), and ISDN lines for full duplex transmission. (transmission in both the directions are simultaneous). Codec?s which encode and decode the video and data is a vital part of the conferencing equipment. It consists of a processor to reduce reverberation, and feedback. An acoustic echo cancellation AEC algorithm aids in this task. This task of the codec is processor and memory intensive. Multipoint video conferences are more specialized requiring activation only on one location for audio. This is rotated between location using specialized software controls.

Types of Video Conferencing equipment ? Dedicated Systems have all the necessary hardware and software packaged into a single piece of equipment. These are known as PTZ cameras and come with a console which contains all the electrical interfaces and has the computer and software and hardware codec?s. The console is connected with omni directional microphones, Monitor or projector and loudspeakers. Larger groups require more costly devices. These are used in large video conferencing rooms and auditoriums. For smaller groups, less expensive devices and systems are used. Individuals can avail portable devices as the camera and microphone is single and can be fixed. In this dedicated system everything is fixed into the console. ? Desktop systems are PC?s that are made use for video conferencing plans. All that is required is an ?add on card?. Some advanced processors would require less expensive add-on-cards. A range of web camera?s and microphones can be used with the board. The codec?s is usually software; the hardware on the add-on-card contains the processor as well as memory for real time computation that is required of coding and decoding. The standard of most video conferencing desktops is H.323 standard. These video conferences that take place via the desktops are also known as e-meetings.

Benefits For large enterprises where focused face to face meetings are necessary. Video conferencing can save the travel time of the effective top management. It thus improves the decision making process and speeds up the execution time of various projects. Video conferencing along with data conferencing is useful to any project development and management cycle.

Meetoncamera.com is an information hub to video conferencing. This site dedicated to information on Online Video Conferencing , Video Conferencing Equipment, etc. This is a place to look for information on video conferencing basics, systems, accessories and much more.