Videoconferencing Web-Style

Since the turn of this new century, the growth of the Internet and IP networks has been mirrored by an increase in PC computer processing power. This has allowed basic video conferencing to be carried out on standard PCs with little or no special hardware. Videoconferencing web-style is known as desktop video conferencing and is primarily intended for one-to-one communication between individuals. Still, the current market for web-style video conferencing has systems aimed at business and designed for group-based communication. Most of these systems are now also based around a PC platform even if they may include additional hardware designed to help with video compression, acoustic processing, echo cancellation and camera. On the whole, whether video conferencing with one person or a dozen can mean no software to install and minimal hardware to purchase if you videoconference web-style. Gone are the days when special rooms had to be rented. With video conferencing web-style you can hold a conference from your desk and you can hold meetings instantly with anyone, anywhere, at anytime. You can e-mail an invitation in advance and participants will need just the URL and entry code to join in.

Before going on to what the Internet has to offer with video conferencing web-style, it would be important to cover the absolute basics in personal equipment. You will need a desktop or laptop computer that supports multimedia, a digital camera for face view, a microphone, speakers or headphones (a noise-canceling headset works best), sound card, video card, and video capture card. Sounds like a lot but most of this hardware is already built into your computer. The digital camera, headphones, and microphone should be your only major expense. You will of course need an IP service and at least a 56K dial-up connection with DSL or cable an even better connection. The slower the Internet connection the more chance for disruptions, breaks (especially when streaming) and interference by net congestion.

There are numerous video conferencing providers on the Internet and Microsoft’s NetMeeting is only one example. It is used here as an example of the services available for video conferencing web-style. With NetMeeting you can share ideas, information, and applications using video or audio as well as send video and audio to a user who doesn’t have video hardware. You can use a video camera to instantly view items displayed in front of the lens, you can be sure people are hearing each other by adjusting the automatic microphone sensitivity level setting and you can even change the size of the video window that you are sending to another user while a videoconference is in session. That’s a lot for a minimal fee. Also, remember that many video conferencing services, like Yahoo’s Messenger service, are absolutely free.

The NetMeeting system requirements can give you a base idea of the kind of computer you will need. Microsoft lists this as:

For Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me, a Pentium 90 processor with 16 MB of RAM (a Pentium 133 processor or better with at least 16 MB of RAM is recommended).
For Windows NT, a Pentium 90 processor with 24 MB of RAM (a Pentium 133 processor or better with at least 32 MB of RAM is recommended).
4 MB of free hard disk space (an additional 10 MB is needed during installation only to accommodate the initial setup files).
56,000 bps or faster modem, (that’s a 56K modem), ISDN or LAN connection. Sound card with microphone and speakers (sound card required for both audio and video support). Video capture card or camera that provides a Video for Windows capture driver (required for video support).
Since most of today’s computers average around 500 MB of Ram with 80 GB of hard disk space you can see that an average video conferencing system takes very little room and even the smaller and older computers can accommodate video conferencing.
But there’s more. The Internet offers such possibilities as Aol Instant Messenger, Camfrog, Ekiga, iChat AV, ICU, inSors, Interactive Networks Inc., Marratech, Mirial, MSN Messenger, Paltalk, SeeNx, Session, Sightspeed, Skype, Virtual Room Videoconferencing System (VRVS) and any search engine, like Google, can give you access to a wealth of possibilities. So spend some time browsing, find the provider of your choice, and enjoy video conferencing web-style.