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Frequently Asked Questions
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FAQ PDF (120kb)
Q: What is video conferencing?
A: It is a visual interactive
medium for communication. There are many ways to transport one-way
video and audio, but video conferencing is the two-way interaction
between people using a visual medium. Personal video conferencing
can be done very inexpensively utilizing a PC and an inexpensive
camera. This type of conferencing typically does not produce "business
quality" images and is more of a novelty than a tool.
Q: What is group video conferencing?
A: This is the differentiating
term between personal conferencing that might be done on a personal
computer and a system whereby a group of people (or a single individual)
can communicate via video conferencing on a system that provides
for up to life size images. Group video conferencing is usually
on a monitor of 27" or larger so that the participants can
be seen in life size or larger images.
Q: How good is the audio and video quality
of a group video conferencing?
A: The quality of any video conference,
stream, broadcast or virtually any video transmission is primarily
a function of the bandwidth available for transmission and to some
degree the quality of the compression and decompression of the images,
if compressed as they are in video conferencing. Generally, the
higher the bandwidth, the better the video. A typical corporate
group video conferencing installation today is utilizing 384k (k
is short for Kilobits) of bandwidth. Because almost all systems
are designed to be compatible, they are all made to meet the ITU
standards which for ISDN video is called H.320 and for IP video
is H.323. This provides very near TV quality video and audio in
a meeting environment and is generally chosen by most companies
due to the right mix of quality and cost.
Q: What types of equipment are required
for group video conferencing?
A: The great majority of video
conferencing systems today are a dedicated appliance, meaning that
they are not PC based. These systems, however, enable a PC to be
connected to them to transmit any image on the PC in a live or still
format. This has become the most successful type of video conferencing
equipment due to the inherent instability of PC's and the rapid
obsolescence of PC technology. Appliance type video conferencing
systems are available and will operate on 128k of bandwidth for
as little as 2,000 Euro for the basic systems. Systems delivering
"business quality" video typically operate at 384k start
at about 3,000 Euro and can go as high as 40,000 Euro depending
on the manufacturer and features.
Q: Do the different brands of video conferencing
systems work with each other?
A: Since the early 1990's with
the adoption of the ITU standards for video conferencing, all systems
from the major manufacturers are interoperable. The leading manufacturers
of video conferencing hardware today are Polycom (also owners of
PictureTel), Sony, TANDBERG and Vcon.
Q: What kind of telephone lines do I need
to do video conferencing?
A: 95% of the Fortune 1000 today
are using video conferencing on ISDN networks at a speed of 384k.
There is a trend to utilizing IP (internet protocol) networks for
video conferencing as the bandwidth is less expensive and theoretically
therefore allow a user to operate at higher speeds to achieve better
video quality. ISDN is available in over 90% of the U.S. / Europe
and has proven to be reliable and relatively stable. The "public"
Internet is not yet ready for video conferencing, but many expect
that it will be within the next three years. Companies that are
using IP for video conferencing are typically using an internal
IP network or a VPN (virtual private network) that includes a guaranteed
QOS (quality of service). They are not using the public Internet.
Q: What do ISDN lines cost?
A: As in any telephone line,
there are two charges. One for local access and another for the
transport over the network. Local access typically costs 40 Euro
per month per 128k ISDN circuit. Therefore to achieve 384k quality
video conferencing, a company would typically spend 120 Euro per
month. The transport of ISDN traffic typically costs substantially
more than a phone call due to the requirement that the network is
digital vs. analog as is used for a phone call. ISDN transport costs
have dropped in recent years whereby a typical Fortune 1000 size
company is paying about 60 Euro per hour for a 384k domestic ISDN
call. International rates are substantially higher and vary by country.
Q: What does an IP Network Solution Cost?
A: IP video networks vary in
cost based on the location and the bandwidth required. The cost
is virtually the same as for a data network and similar equipment
is required. Most companies new to video conferencing start with
an ISDN based network and then, once the needs are determined, consider
switching to IP. Virtually every video conferencing system sold
today is capable or can be inexpensively upgraded from ISDN to IP
and vice versa.
Q: How hard is it to use video conferencing
systems?
A: Today's video conferencing
systems are easier to use than a computer and only slightly more
difficult than a VCR. In about one hour a user can be trained to
utilize all the features of even the most complex video conferencing
systems. Basic call launching can be trained in less than five minutes.
Q: How do I connect more than two sites
at one time, like a conference call?
A: Theoretically, thousands of
sites can be connected in a single video conferencing call. As with
an audio conference call, an MCU (multi-point control unit) is required.
This is a piece of hardware or software that connects the various
sites into a single call. Some video conferencing systems have the
option of a built in MCU for up to usually four sites. The limiting
factor is the network connection into the MCU equipped video conferencing
system. If a user wanted to make a four point call at 384k per site,
the site initiating the call would have to have 1.54 Mbps of bandwidth
available on either ISDN, typically provided by a T-1 or PRI (primary
rate interface) line, or 1.54 Mbps of IP bandwidth. The fixed cost
of this bandwidth availability is typically over 500 Euro per month.
For users without internal MCU capabilities or for those who desire
to connect more than four sites, there are two options. The first
is the purchase of a dedicated MCU. These systems can be purchased
for as few as 8 simultaneous users or for hundreds of users. Most
users however utilize service bureaus for a fixed fee per minute
per site for their multi-point call needs. ActVisual provide these
services on an ad-hoc basis to any user.
The buy vs. rent decision on MCU capability is typically a function
of the users volumes and is a simple mathematical decision. Depending
on the features required, an 8 point MCU starts at 15,000 Euro and
can surpass 1,000,000 Euro for the largest systems used by service
bureaus. A typical per call charge from a service bureau for a domestic
multi-point call is about 70 Euro per hour per site for a 384k call,
plus transport. Sites from anywhere in the world with an ISDN connection
or an IP connection can utilize an MCU.
Q: What does a group video conferencing
system cost?
A: A complete system typically
includes a video conferencing system, a.k.a. the codec (coder-decoder),
a pan/tilt/zoom camera, a microphone, a remote control, a NTSC or
VGA monitor and a cart so that the system can be moved from room
to room. Complete systems from the major manufacturers range in
cost from 4,000 to 50,000 Euro depending on the options, transmission
speeds required and monitors. Most complete systems sold today are
in the 12,000 Euro per site range.
Q: What are the additional costs?
A: Besides the access lines and transport
charges, most users opt for an extended warranty and service/support
package. Depending on the system, these packages can cost between
500 Euro per year and 3,000 Euro per year. In addition, there are
peripheral pieces of equipment that can improve the utility of video
conferences and collaboration including document cameras, scan converters,
white boards, Automatic Line Routing Switches that allow multiple
rooms to use the same system, VCR's to record the conferences, and
devices to stream conferences to the internet and many other items.
Q: Where can I put video conferencing systems?
A: Typically group video conferencing
systems are used in conference or meeting rooms, but some systems
that are not PC based are available for desktop use and are the
size of a computer monitor. Personal desktop systems that operate
on ISDN are available at prices starting at 3,000 Euro. IP systems
that utilize the desktop's computer start at prices of less than
700 Euro.
Q: What about international installations?
A: Surprisingly, many countries
have better ISDN capabilities than the U.S. Europe for instance
is virtually all ISDN even for voice calls. Most developed and many
less developed countries have ISDN capabilities in all major cities
and in many outlying areas. Video conferencing systems are now in
use in over 100 countries.
Q: What kind of accessories are available?
A: There are many peripheral
pieces of equipment that can improve the utility of video conferences
and collaboration including document cameras, scan converters, white
boards, ALRS switches that allow multiple rooms to use the same
system, and many other items.
Q: What is a document camera?
A: A document camera is a specialized
camera that allows a user to show paper documents, pictures or physical
objects in a video conference. These typically cost less than 3,000
Euro each.
Q: What is an electronic whiteboard?
A: Like the whiteboard on the
wall of your conference room, an electronic whiteboard enables a
user to write on a board while electronically saving and/or sending
the images to the user on the remote end or ends of a video call.
Images can also be saved to a PC for future use or interactive modification
with the far end users.
Q: What is a scan converter?
A: A scan converter converts
the XVGA signal from a PC to NTSC/PAL signaling so that images on
a PC can be transported within a video conference call. Some video
conferencing systems offer internal scan converting capabilities
or an external scan converter system can be purchased for about
1,000 Euro in the quality range necessary for video conferencing.
Q: What is an ALRS switch?
A: ALRS is short for Automatic
Line Routing Switch. A typical video conferencing user has 3 ISDN
lines or dedicated IP connection with QOS coming into the phone
closet of their office. These lines are typically wired through
the internal patch panel and directed to the conference room that
contains the video conferencing system. If a user desires to use
the video conferencing system in another room in the offices, a
technician is required to manually re-route the lines for video
conferencing from one room to the next.
This can be time consuming and potentially expensive in terms of
labor. The ALRS is placed at the patch panel in the phone closet
where the external network (ISDN, IP or both) is plugged into the
ALRS. Multiple rooms are wired for video conferencing and connected
to the ALRS in the phone closet. When the video conferencing system
is moved into a room that is wired for the video conferencing, the
ALRS detects the presence of the system and automatically directs
the video conferencing network connection to the room now needed
for video conferencing. This improves the utility of the video conferencing
system and ALRS systems cost less than 2000 Euro in most configurations.
Q: Where can I buy video conferencing systems?
A: There are literally hundreds
of video conferencing resellers in the U.S. alone. Some specialize
in video conferencing and others sell computers and audio visual
equipment.
Q: Where should I buy video conferencing
systems?
A: We are prejudiced, but we
believe that the best place to buy video conferencing systems is
from a specialist reseller who carries all of the major brands of
video conferencing systems and can provide installation, service
and support either domestically or internationally depending on
the user's needs.
Q: Why choose ActVisual?
A: By choosing a vendor that
offers multiple brands of hardware and the service and support on
multiple brands, a user can build a video conferencing network for
their company that fits the specific needs of each site. Unlike
the PC industry, there are differences between each brand of hardware.
ActVisual sells and services all major brands of video conferencing
systems in every major country in the world. We have a outstanding
technical team and offer the only "one vendor, one call"
solution in the industry.
Q:What is the difference between T1 and
E1 PRI?
A: T1-PRI has 23 B-channels @ 64
or 56 Kbps (23B+D) E1- PRI has 30 B-channels @ 64 (30B+D)
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