To take the first steps toward videoconferencing, you don't need a system sporting full-motion video at 30 frames per second. Meetings that feature "talking heads" require only 10 fps to 15 fps, and these rates can be accomplished using a desktop video camera with software supporting the H.323 IP video standard, such as Microsoft's NetMeeting, or a SIP-compliant endpoint, like XP's Messenger. For as little as 128 Kbps per session, you can set up one-to-one meetings between desktops to test the waters--not much of a gamble here unless you have a lot of bad hair days.
For both desktop and room systems, you will need an MCU (multipoint conferencing unit) to bring three or more conferencing systems together into the same conference. An MCU manages the audio, video and data to and from each conference participant. Audio from all endpoints is mixed and delivered to each endpoint in full-duplex. Before you buy an MCU, gather your requirements for performance, and scrutinize the cost and the upgrade path to advanced feature sets. Check how users implement any existing conferencing system. For example, do they collaborate on projects and have a need for application sharing? MCU vendors, like VoIP providers, should be steering toward an open systems architecture and have a road map for SIP support.
Sean Doherty is a technology editor and lawyer based at our Syracuse University Real-World Labs®. A former project manager and IT engineer at Syracuse University, he helped develop centrally supported applications and storage systems. Write to him at [email protected].
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MPEG (Motion Picture Engineering Group) needs no introduction. It has been an industry standard for audio and video compression since MPEG-1 debuted in 1991. With a bit rate of 1 to 1.5 Mbps, however, MPEG-1 is not known for its video quality. Its successor, MPEG-2, is more commonly used in the enterprise for high-quality training videos and corporate communication. MPEG-2 needs a fat pipe to satisfy up to 5-Mbps bandwidth requirements. On the plus side, it provides variable resolutions and bandwidth that enable playback on computers, standard TV and even HDTV (high-definition television). If you are using an MPEG-2 video server, 2004 is the time to look at MPEG's newest codec: MPEG-4.
Like MPEG-2, MPEG-4 has variable resolutions and bandwidth requirements for multiple uses. The MPEG-4 bit rate can go as low as 5 to 64 Kbps for low-resolution video for mobile users. At low resolutions and bit rates,
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