Benefits of video conferencing
Video conferencing hardware and software allows users to see and hear the person with whom they are communicating.
A video conference allows you to participate in and collaborate through live audio/video presentations in your classroom. Calls can be made between 2 classrooms in the same city or between 2 classrooms in different parts of the world. It is also possible that multipoint conferences take place, where more than 2 schools participate in the same call.
Live video conferencing has many advantages over other multimedia resources, such as video recordings or television presentations, but the main benefit is that it is interactive, allowing you to speak face to face with another person in ‘real time’, but in a different way. different way. rent. This is great for getting high levels of engagement from your students.
multipoint videoconference
Simultaneous video conferencing between three or more remote points is possible by means of a Multipoint Control Unit (MCU). It is a bridge that interconnects calls from various sources (similar to the well-known audio conference). All parties call the network ID number of the MCU or the MCU may also call the parties to participate, in sequence. There are MCU bridges for IP and ISDN based video conferencing. There are MCUs that are pure software and others that are a combination of hardware and software. An MCU is characterized by the number of simultaneous calls it can handle.
MCUs can be stand-alone hardware devices, or they can be integrated into dedicated TVC units.
video conferencing technology
The core technology used in a video teleconferencing (VTC) system is the digital compression of audio and video streams in real time.
There are basically two types of VTC systems:
Dedicated systems have all the necessary components packaged into a single piece of equipment, typically a console with a high-quality remote-control video camera on top. These cameras can be remotely controlled to move in the horizontal and vertical directions (pan and tilt, respectively) as well as to zoom in on the image, which is why they are called PTZ cameras. The console contains all the electrical interfaces, the control computer, the modem, and the codec based on software or hardware. Omnidirectional microphones are connected to the console, as well as a TV monitor with speakers and/or video projector. There are several types of dedicated VTC devices:
(a) Large group VTCs are larger, more expensive, non-portable devices used for large halls and auditoriums. The use of PTZ cameras is practically mandatory.
(b) Small group VTCs are smaller, less expensive, non-portable or portable devices used for small meeting rooms (eg, up to 10 people) and PTZ cameras are common.
(c) Individual VTCs are usually portable devices, intended for individual users, have fixed cameras, microphones, and speakers built into the console.
Desktop systems are add-ons (hardware boards, usually) to regular PCs, turning them into VTC devices. A range of different cameras and microphones can be used with the board, which contains the necessary codec and streaming interfaces. Most desktop systems work only with the H.323 standard. Video conferences conducted through scattered PCs are also known as electronic meetings.
