Optimal Videoconferencing Solutions
Recently, by the nature of their activities, as well as after participation in the Svyaz-Expocomm-2010 exhibition, I was interested in video conferencing (hereafter video conferencing) and Telepresence technologies. I looked for information on HabraHabr and found only a couple of topics that somehow covered these issues, but the main subject of the site is IT technologies. In this article I want to talk about them in more detail, as well as talk about some products that are in the foreign and Russian markets. Let's see why communication products from Tandberg, Cisco and Polycom are several times more expensive than some software solutions? What are they for? What is Telepresence and are there any Russian developments in this area? Is it possible to hold a conference in HD quality?
Basic concepts
To begin with, let's look at what video conferencing is and what are the differences from telepresence technology? Wikipedia gives us the following definition:
Video conferencing (abbreviated name for video conferencing) is a telecommunication technology of interactive interaction between two or more remote subscribers, during which real-time audio and video information can be exchanged between them, taking into account the transmission of control data. In other words, video conferencing gives you the opportunity to hear, see, exchange data with your employees online. Thus, it is possible to hold virtual meetings of several employees of one company, whose branches are distributed in different cities. This allows you to significantly reduce the cost of travel. In addition to this, video conferencing allows for better quality distance learning, training and seminars.
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Again, look at Wikipedia: Telepresence (Eng. TelePresence) - a set of technologies that allows the user to get the impression that he is and / or affect a place that is different from its physical location. That is, this term refers to video conferencing with enhanced image clarity (HD quality) and high quality audio transmission (as an option - surround sound).
Today, Telepresence systems have become one of the most rapidly developing categories of communication products. The ideal solution includes not only a set of equipment and software, but also suitable furniture, decoration, lighting system, and sound-absorbing panels.
A bit of history
Communication companies began to probe the technology of video conferencing as early as the 50th years, but significant results were achieved only after the advent of broadband Internet and more or less tolerable web-cameras (in the late 90s).
For example, already in 1976 a videoconference was organized between Tokyo and Osaka by the company “Nippon Telegraph and Telephone”. And in 1982, IBM Japan took a “step forward” by establishing a connection at 48 kbit / s between the Japanese and American offices for weekly business meetings. At that time, such systems cost a lot of money. For example, when Compression Labs introduced their videoconferencing system in 1982, its cost was $ 250,000, while the cost of renting a communication channel was $ 1,000 per hour. Everything was aggravated by the need to use enormous computing power. But already in 1986, PictureTel offered its solution, the cost of which was already $ 80,000, and the rent of a communication channel was $ 100 per hour.
Good bandwidth is a key feature of the high accuracy of streaming video and voice. Broad masses of users learned from VKS with the release of Microsoft Netmeeting 3.0 in 1999. Currently, there are dozens of companies developing software for conferences and a significant number of investors interested in introducing video conferencing into mobile devices.
Being an attractive technology for educational and business areas, videoconferencing enables users to save money and time on the road, and makes it possible, without leaving home, to effectively conduct meetings online. Many well-known educational institutions around the world are already using video conferencing for online courses. The heads of large companies have also been using conference facilities for a long time to stay in touch with key managers and partners.
Modern hardware and software solutions for video conferencing are still at the initial stage of development, but some of them can already offer wide opportunities, including video transmission in Full-HD quality. Due to the broad bandwidth of the channel, high-quality audio and video equipment, and the continuous development of the software, companies began to offer solutions that give the sensation of physical presence at the conference.
What are some solutions today?
Investing in the purchase and installation of video conferencing systems and Telepresence is a serious decision making, even for large businesses, because of the high cost. First, it is necessary to understand whether you need a full-fledged video conferencing system or whether it will be sufficient to install an audio conferencing system. Secondly, each solution has a specific set of additional services and it is necessary to understand in advance which of them will be necessary.
The article assumes that you need to select and install a video conferencing system in order to further expand the capabilities of the video stream. An elementary and simple solution can be the use of well-known instant messaging clients from Yahoo, AOL and MSN, as well as Skype. All that is needed for work is a computer and a webcam. This solution can only be used if you want to organize a one-on-one meeting. You will not be able to connect multiple users for discussion if they are physically separated. There is a reservation. As already mentioned at HabraHabr, Skype began to support a multipoint (designed for simultaneous communication of several people) conference. The maximum number of participants is 5 people.
What are the disadvantages of this solution? First of all, this is the unsatisfactory video transmission quality. When testing on a 2Mbit channel, it is extremely difficult to organize a conference, since the entire data transmission channel is clogged up and, as a result, the quality of communication leaves much to be desired, and sometimes there is no video transmission at all. Further, it was rarely possible to establish a stable connection between all participants of the videoconference. Only in 10% of cases it is possible to organize a connection for 5 people.
Skype statistics:
user1 video recv = FPS 15.0 (15.0) 320x240 BW: 40.0 FPSrep 52 (40) Codec: VP71 PRmax: 0x0
user2's video recv = FPS 7.0 (7.0) 320x240 BW: 20.0 FPSrep 163 (120) Codec: VP71 PRmax: 0x0
user3's video recv = FPS 0.0 (5.0) 160x120 BW: 0.0 FPSrep 144 (107) Codec: VP71 PRmax: 0x0
I think it is clear from it that it is not enough to solve important corporate tasks of such quality. In addition, there is no possibility to “share” the desktop (the function is available only in the “one on one” mode), which is often required when conducting trainings, training, and showing additional materials. If you go to the site of Skype itself, you will find that the program has many flaws, which are written on the page itself. In general, the Skype developers themselves do not hide the fact that this is a beta version, and therefore there may be a lot of errors and flaws.
We have dealt with “amateur” programs with the possibility of video conferencing, a little bit, let's look towards professional systems. In this segment, the leaders are companies: Tandberg (which was acquired by Cisco) Polycom , LifeSize, and others. What is their advantage and why is the cost of VSK high for these manufacturers?
Take, for example, Polycom. The cost of an inexpensive Polycom V500 video terminal is about $ 2500 on Price.ru. For the organization of video calls you need at least 2 such devices. At the same time, if you want to purchase a video conferencing terminal with support for HD-quality, then you have to spend twice as much money. For example, one of the most successful and proven terminals is LifeSize Passport . Its cost in Russia is about $ 5000. Why am I writing verified? Because the demonstration of the LifeSize Passport video terminal was held at the recent Svyaz-Expocomm-2010 exhibition, and it was possible to test it myself, which I actually did. With a good plasma HD panel, this terminal and a 5 Mbit channel, you get the opportunity to hold not just a video conference, but almost get the Telepresence effect. Being close to the plasma panel, you can observe in detail the person with whom you are communicating at the moment, which creates the effect of engaging in a conversation.
The full effect will be achieved, as I already wrote, in the presence of a specially equipped room. Such a complete solution offers, for example, the company Tandberg - Telepresence T3 and Telepresence T1.
This solution allows you to design a workplace for the full Telepresence effect, which is facilitated by the high quality of 1080p image and sound, a convenient touch control panel, a suitable lighting system, optional room decoration and other details.
The implementation of the solution in practice looks like this. The only big disadvantage is the cost of this solution. It is not a lot, not a little - $ 340,000! This price includes - video terminal, touch panel, desk, lighting. In addition, in the Russian market there are still no companies that could offer such a hardware solution, which in turn raises the question of the security of using this solution for government agencies.
Are there cheaper analogues? It turns out that yes. If there is no desire and opportunity to spend money on such expensive equipment, you can use the solution: standard configuration server + software for video conferencing. In this approach, you or the company from which software is purchased, install its server, and purchase the necessary video equipment. Let's estimate the costs in this case. The cost of a server that can process 10 points at a time will be about 50,000 rubles (one 4-core processor from 2 GHz, 8 GB of RAM). The cost of the terminal video terminal depends on the quality that you go to receive. If this is the same LifeSize Passport, then 10 such devices will cost you $ 50,000. The cost of video conferencing software from Russian developers ranges from 140,000 rubles, for example, from Mototelecom . Using the HD panel, you get the same Telepresence effect with costs from $ 1,500 (server) + $ 5,000 (terminal) + $ 1,200 (plasma panel) + $ 4,500 (software) = $ 12,200. Agree, it is much more profitable than paying $ 340,000 for Tandberg. Well, if you use ordinary webcams or use AddPac AP-VP150 video telephones as terminal equipment, then the cost of the final solution will be reduced by orders of magnitude.
What else can a software solution for video conferencing boast? Of the main advantages:
• Independence from the manufacturer of the terminal equipment. For example, one person can participate in a conference with the help of a professional terminal of any manufacturer, another with a laptop webcam, and a third with a videophone.
• Unlimited points from some software vendors.
• Enhanced features for displaying the desktop and presentations, recording video conferences, calling to a meeting.
• The possibility of expanding the existing infrastructure of video conferencing inside the organization.
Thus, modern software can significantly reduce the cost of purchasing and implementing VCS in your organization.
findings
In this article, I tried to highlight some of the hardware and software solutions for organizing and conducting videoconferences. Of course, at the moment there are many manufacturers and therefore, I can not tell about them all in one article. But I have highlighted some of the most famous and significant decisions. I hope that the article was interesting to you, and with a great desire I would like to discuss this topic in more detail in the comments to the article.
Basic concepts
To begin with, let's look at what video conferencing is and what are the differences from telepresence technology? Wikipedia gives us the following definition:
Video conferencing (abbreviated name for video conferencing) is a telecommunication technology of interactive interaction between two or more remote subscribers, during which real-time audio and video information can be exchanged between them, taking into account the transmission of control data. In other words, video conferencing gives you the opportunity to hear, see, exchange data with your employees online. Thus, it is possible to hold virtual meetings of several employees of one company, whose branches are distributed in different cities. This allows you to significantly reduce the cost of travel. In addition to this, video conferencing allows for better quality distance learning, training and seminars.
')
Again, look at Wikipedia: Telepresence (Eng. TelePresence) - a set of technologies that allows the user to get the impression that he is and / or affect a place that is different from its physical location. That is, this term refers to video conferencing with enhanced image clarity (HD quality) and high quality audio transmission (as an option - surround sound).
Today, Telepresence systems have become one of the most rapidly developing categories of communication products. The ideal solution includes not only a set of equipment and software, but also suitable furniture, decoration, lighting system, and sound-absorbing panels.
A bit of history
Communication companies began to probe the technology of video conferencing as early as the 50th years, but significant results were achieved only after the advent of broadband Internet and more or less tolerable web-cameras (in the late 90s).
For example, already in 1976 a videoconference was organized between Tokyo and Osaka by the company “Nippon Telegraph and Telephone”. And in 1982, IBM Japan took a “step forward” by establishing a connection at 48 kbit / s between the Japanese and American offices for weekly business meetings. At that time, such systems cost a lot of money. For example, when Compression Labs introduced their videoconferencing system in 1982, its cost was $ 250,000, while the cost of renting a communication channel was $ 1,000 per hour. Everything was aggravated by the need to use enormous computing power. But already in 1986, PictureTel offered its solution, the cost of which was already $ 80,000, and the rent of a communication channel was $ 100 per hour.
Good bandwidth is a key feature of the high accuracy of streaming video and voice. Broad masses of users learned from VKS with the release of Microsoft Netmeeting 3.0 in 1999. Currently, there are dozens of companies developing software for conferences and a significant number of investors interested in introducing video conferencing into mobile devices.
Being an attractive technology for educational and business areas, videoconferencing enables users to save money and time on the road, and makes it possible, without leaving home, to effectively conduct meetings online. Many well-known educational institutions around the world are already using video conferencing for online courses. The heads of large companies have also been using conference facilities for a long time to stay in touch with key managers and partners.
Modern hardware and software solutions for video conferencing are still at the initial stage of development, but some of them can already offer wide opportunities, including video transmission in Full-HD quality. Due to the broad bandwidth of the channel, high-quality audio and video equipment, and the continuous development of the software, companies began to offer solutions that give the sensation of physical presence at the conference.
What are some solutions today?
Investing in the purchase and installation of video conferencing systems and Telepresence is a serious decision making, even for large businesses, because of the high cost. First, it is necessary to understand whether you need a full-fledged video conferencing system or whether it will be sufficient to install an audio conferencing system. Secondly, each solution has a specific set of additional services and it is necessary to understand in advance which of them will be necessary.
The article assumes that you need to select and install a video conferencing system in order to further expand the capabilities of the video stream. An elementary and simple solution can be the use of well-known instant messaging clients from Yahoo, AOL and MSN, as well as Skype. All that is needed for work is a computer and a webcam. This solution can only be used if you want to organize a one-on-one meeting. You will not be able to connect multiple users for discussion if they are physically separated. There is a reservation. As already mentioned at HabraHabr, Skype began to support a multipoint (designed for simultaneous communication of several people) conference. The maximum number of participants is 5 people.
What are the disadvantages of this solution? First of all, this is the unsatisfactory video transmission quality. When testing on a 2Mbit channel, it is extremely difficult to organize a conference, since the entire data transmission channel is clogged up and, as a result, the quality of communication leaves much to be desired, and sometimes there is no video transmission at all. Further, it was rarely possible to establish a stable connection between all participants of the videoconference. Only in 10% of cases it is possible to organize a connection for 5 people.
Skype statistics:
user1 video recv = FPS 15.0 (15.0) 320x240 BW: 40.0 FPSrep 52 (40) Codec: VP71 PRmax: 0x0
user2's video recv = FPS 7.0 (7.0) 320x240 BW: 20.0 FPSrep 163 (120) Codec: VP71 PRmax: 0x0
user3's video recv = FPS 0.0 (5.0) 160x120 BW: 0.0 FPSrep 144 (107) Codec: VP71 PRmax: 0x0
I think it is clear from it that it is not enough to solve important corporate tasks of such quality. In addition, there is no possibility to “share” the desktop (the function is available only in the “one on one” mode), which is often required when conducting trainings, training, and showing additional materials. If you go to the site of Skype itself, you will find that the program has many flaws, which are written on the page itself. In general, the Skype developers themselves do not hide the fact that this is a beta version, and therefore there may be a lot of errors and flaws.
We have dealt with “amateur” programs with the possibility of video conferencing, a little bit, let's look towards professional systems. In this segment, the leaders are companies: Tandberg (which was acquired by Cisco) Polycom , LifeSize, and others. What is their advantage and why is the cost of VSK high for these manufacturers?
Take, for example, Polycom. The cost of an inexpensive Polycom V500 video terminal is about $ 2500 on Price.ru. For the organization of video calls you need at least 2 such devices. At the same time, if you want to purchase a video conferencing terminal with support for HD-quality, then you have to spend twice as much money. For example, one of the most successful and proven terminals is LifeSize Passport . Its cost in Russia is about $ 5000. Why am I writing verified? Because the demonstration of the LifeSize Passport video terminal was held at the recent Svyaz-Expocomm-2010 exhibition, and it was possible to test it myself, which I actually did. With a good plasma HD panel, this terminal and a 5 Mbit channel, you get the opportunity to hold not just a video conference, but almost get the Telepresence effect. Being close to the plasma panel, you can observe in detail the person with whom you are communicating at the moment, which creates the effect of engaging in a conversation.
The full effect will be achieved, as I already wrote, in the presence of a specially equipped room. Such a complete solution offers, for example, the company Tandberg - Telepresence T3 and Telepresence T1.
This solution allows you to design a workplace for the full Telepresence effect, which is facilitated by the high quality of 1080p image and sound, a convenient touch control panel, a suitable lighting system, optional room decoration and other details.
The implementation of the solution in practice looks like this. The only big disadvantage is the cost of this solution. It is not a lot, not a little - $ 340,000! This price includes - video terminal, touch panel, desk, lighting. In addition, in the Russian market there are still no companies that could offer such a hardware solution, which in turn raises the question of the security of using this solution for government agencies.
Are there cheaper analogues? It turns out that yes. If there is no desire and opportunity to spend money on such expensive equipment, you can use the solution: standard configuration server + software for video conferencing. In this approach, you or the company from which software is purchased, install its server, and purchase the necessary video equipment. Let's estimate the costs in this case. The cost of a server that can process 10 points at a time will be about 50,000 rubles (one 4-core processor from 2 GHz, 8 GB of RAM). The cost of the terminal video terminal depends on the quality that you go to receive. If this is the same LifeSize Passport, then 10 such devices will cost you $ 50,000. The cost of video conferencing software from Russian developers ranges from 140,000 rubles, for example, from Mototelecom . Using the HD panel, you get the same Telepresence effect with costs from $ 1,500 (server) + $ 5,000 (terminal) + $ 1,200 (plasma panel) + $ 4,500 (software) = $ 12,200. Agree, it is much more profitable than paying $ 340,000 for Tandberg. Well, if you use ordinary webcams or use AddPac AP-VP150 video telephones as terminal equipment, then the cost of the final solution will be reduced by orders of magnitude.
What else can a software solution for video conferencing boast? Of the main advantages:
• Independence from the manufacturer of the terminal equipment. For example, one person can participate in a conference with the help of a professional terminal of any manufacturer, another with a laptop webcam, and a third with a videophone.
• Unlimited points from some software vendors.
• Enhanced features for displaying the desktop and presentations, recording video conferences, calling to a meeting.
• The possibility of expanding the existing infrastructure of video conferencing inside the organization.
Thus, modern software can significantly reduce the cost of purchasing and implementing VCS in your organization.
findings
In this article, I tried to highlight some of the hardware and software solutions for organizing and conducting videoconferences. Of course, at the moment there are many manufacturers and therefore, I can not tell about them all in one article. But I have highlighted some of the most famous and significant decisions. I hope that the article was interesting to you, and with a great desire I would like to discuss this topic in more detail in the comments to the article.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/95116/
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