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What is Video Conferencing ? |
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Videoconferencing is an interactive tool that combines the use of video, computing, and communications technologies to allow people in different locations to meet face-to-face to conduct a conference in real-time. Videoconferencing uses traditional television technology and transmits the signal live to single or multiple sites.
Participants can conduct meetings, interviews or instruct classes - all sites can see, hear and participate in the discussions. This technology requires less bandwidth to transmit the information and is, therefore, less costly than the type of video transmission utilized in broadcast television. Videoconferencing communications gives the perception of natural motion and sound as directly as if you were all in the same room. |
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Why Choose Video Conferencing ? |
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Video conferencing allows interaction globally, instantaneously. Thus obviating the need for executives to travel, make repetitive presentation, answer queries. Video conferencing facilitates groups and individuals to share information spontaneously, compressing both travel-time and distance. Using interactive videoconference reduces the amount of time and money spent in transit to and fro for meetings. With video conferencing, geographically remote people are able to fully participate in a meeting. Some primary reasons for using video conferencing and their benefits include:
- Time Saving: Most video conferences are two or fewer hours in duration. This means time spent getting to and from a meeting is often greater than the length of the meeting itself. Not only do participants save this travel time, but also the administrative time required to arrange travel schedules, make reservations and purchase tickets, reimburse expenses, etc is cut off.
- Cost Saving: A one-hour video conference can cost much less when compared to expenses associated with travel to short meetings. Considering multi locations and multi fold participants, the travel costs would be huge. Cost saving result is huge. The benefit of Live webcasting is cost, if you produce low cost program and try to broadcasted through normal T.V. you would find your self in a nearly impossible crusade.
Network Television uses its 24 hours programming with the highest possible efficiency try to generate after all. However they have to suffer on behalf with low viewer ship. Putting it on cable T.V. is also very costly. You only need to think about the equipment you will required for transmitting the show to a satellite.
Thanks to its low cost, Live Streaming webcast make this possible. Another merit attached to this is the ease the operation. Considering the little investment that is required you would increase your revenue by finding sponsor for your Live Internet Broadcasting.
- Reach: Reaches many people at different locations simultaneously.
- Frequency: Video conferencing facilitates frequent interaction with the management and concerned teams in product development/ sales/ marketing/ HR. Increased interaction with employees results in a motivated work force, lesser turn around time.
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Types of Video conferencing |
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There are two types of video conferences you can conduct:
- Point-to-Point Video Conference
In this type of application, maximum four sites including the transmission or the main center can confer in Real time. Four is a limiting number as the video conference equipment has 3 ports for connectivity on the ISDN network. (This however depends on the equipment / model no.)
- Multi-Point Video Conference
Calls take place among several (Five or more) locations (or sites) and all participate in the same videoconference (similar to a telephone conference call). A Multi-Point Video Conference requires the use of a video bridge.
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Point-to-Point Conference |
Multi-Point Conference |
Enables your location to participate in a conference with three other locations. |
Enables your location to participate in a conference involving four or more locations in one video conference with the use of a bridge. |
Three-way interactive video.
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Multi-point interactive video.
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Three-way audio. |
Multi-point audio bridging capability. |
Simply dial-up distant site using the buttons on the keypad. |
Simply dial into the Video Bridge Port via the buttons on the keypad. |
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Diagram A illustrates a dial-up point-to-point video conference. The video user who is initiating the conference (room A) dials the video phone number(s) of the far end site (room B) via the keypad.
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The terms "Near End" or "Near End Site" refer to your site.
The terms "Far End" or "Far End Site" refer to the site(s) you call. |
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Dial-up Multi-Point Interactive Video conferencing |
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A multi-point video conference is a conference involving three or more sites. All participating sites are linked through a multi-point bridging device. For the most part, you conduct a multi-point video conference just as you would a point-to-point videoconference except you must first dial in and connect to a "bridge".
A bridge connects four or more telecommunications sites so that they can all communicate together. A voice-activated multi-point conference enables all the sites involved in the conference to see and hear whoever is speaking. A voice-activated mode automatically switches among all the sites involved in the conference depending upon who is speaking.
As an example: If site A begins to talk, all the other sites in the conference will see and hear site A. If site B speaks, the bridge will switch and everyone will now see and hear site B. The site at which the voice level is the loudest is the site viewed by all the other participating sites. You may notice a slight delay in the video switching, since it takes the system a moment to recognize that someone has spoken at a different site. However, the audio will be heard instantaneously. |
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Diagram 'B' illustrates a dial-up multi-point video conference. |
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