Video Conferencing

VTC Definition

Video conferencing is about connecting people. It's about improving the way we work, the way we communicate with each other and the way we manage our work. A videoconference is a set of interactive telecommunication technologies which allow two or more locations to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously. It has also been called visual collaboration. It differs from videophone in that it is designed to serve a conference rather than individuals.

Benefits of Video Conferencing

1. Increases Productivity

The ability to easily share any type of information has added another dynamic and benefit to video communications. Decisions are made faster; bringing products or services to market quicker; and enabling you to stay ahead of your competitors. So, if it is used effectively, it will exceed the simple "talking heads" on a screen, because it has a dramatic effect on the way people do business and the productivity gains they can derive.

2.Saves Money

Through using VC learners and teachers are saving considerable money due to reduced travel. In today's learning environments, where many instructors and learners are concerned with the safety and time-related issues with traveling, video conferencing will benefit them in ways they would never have imagined.

3.Saves Time

The other notable examples of VC are reduction of "downtime" and increased "quality of life" for traveling people. It should also be viewed as a telephone and travel enhancement. There are a lot of companies provide their clients with one point of contact for video conferencing, audio visual, and IP network sales, installation, service, management and support.

Impact on education

Videoconferencing provides students with the opportunity to learn by participating in a 2-way communication platform. Furthermore, teachers and lecturers from all over the world can be brought to classes in remote or otherwise isolated places. Students from diverse communities and backgrounds can come together to learn about one another. Students are able to explore, communicate, analyze and share information and ideas with one another. Through videoconferencing students can visit another part of the world to speak with others, visit a zoo, a museum and so on, to learn. These "virtual field trips" can bring opportunities to children, especially those in geographically isolated locations, or the economically disadvantaged. Small schools can use this technology to pool resources and teach courses (such as foreign languages) which could not otherwise be offered.

Here are a few examples of how videoconferencing can benefit people around campus:

*faculty member keeps in touch with class while away for a week at a conference
*guest lecturer brought into a class from another institution
*researcher collaborates with colleagues at other institutions on a regular basis without loss of time due to travel
*faculty member participates in a thesis defense at another institution
*administrators on tight schedules collaborate on a budget preparation from different parts of campus
*faculty committee auditions a scholarship candidate
*researcher answers questions about a grant proposal from an agency or review committee
*student interviews with an employer in another city
*Teleseminar.

Technology used

The core technology used in a videoconference (VTC) system is digital compression of audio and video streams in real time. The hardware or software that performs compression is called a codec (coder/decoder). Compression rates of up to 1:500 can be achieved. The resulting digital stream of 1s and 0s is subdivided into labeled packets, which are then transmitted through a digital network of some kind (usually ISDN or IP). The use of audio modems in the transmission line allow for the use of POTS, or the Plain Old Telephone System, in some low-speed applications, such as video telephony, because they convert the digital pulses to/from analog waves in the audio spectrum range.

Other components required for a VTC system include:

Video input : Video camera or webcam.
Video output:Computer monitor , television or projector
Audio input: Microphones.
Audio output: Usually loudspeakers associated with the display device or telephone.
Data transfer: analog or digital telephone network, LAN or Internet

Client devices

Currently there are three distinct categories of clients defined primarily by usage.
 Desktop: Desktop videoconferencing clients are assigned to a single user. They cost between $600 and $3,000 for a hardware-based system and up to $150 for a software-only client. Connectivity is over IP.
 Small group: Either an appliance that costs between $3,000 and $12,000 or a PC-based system that costs between $6,000 and $14,000. Small-group videoconferencing systems are relatively easy to configure and use. They run over ISDN or IP.
 Large group/boardroom: Provide the highest-quality video, but also come with the highest price tag, with systems starting at $10,000. They also run over ISDN or IP.


Resources:
1. http://www.networkworld.com/research/2001/1029feat2.html
2. http://www.ivci.com/videoconferencing_index.html
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videoconferencing