WebGyver Revisited

Solutions: Web Video Conferencing in 2009

Posted by admin on January 6, 2009

Remember the old days when you had to make reservations for the satellite room, hook up all kinds of hardware, sit in the right spot for the camera to “see” you and the microphone to “hear” you?

Fast forward to January 2009, and you can hold web video conferences from just about any computer (or even mobile device) that 1) runs an up-to-date operating system, 2) has a microphone and a webcam and 3) an Internet connection.

Without wanting to come across as extremely biased (although I reserve the right to remain subjective…this is my blog, after all), here are some of the top contenders in the web video conferencing arena.

ooVoo: This company has been hard at work over the past year, and it shows. Their products range from free web video conferencing to video e-mail and serveral variations of “web” and “video” related products.

You can get an astonishing number of features for free (and even more if you’re willing to pay a very reasonable amount for the professional versions of their products and services). However, as with most web video conferencing services, you need to download their software to make it work. It’s no big deal, but the software currently requires you to have a PC, running Windows, or a Mac, running Tiger or Leopard.

 

Dimdim: As if you had to have a silly name to contend in this space, this company is definitely on its way to awesome. Check this out: Up to 20 participants in a free web video conference.

They basically have the following advantage:

With no software to download or install, Dimdim forever democratizes webbased live meetings. In seconds – right from your browser – you easily host or attend web conferences complete with audio and video, chat, screen and web page sharing.

 

iVisit: Right off the bat, these folks offer “multiparty audio and video conferencing for PC, Mac, and mobile devices.” They offer online video chats with up to 8 users, text messaging as well as recording & sharing of audio, photo and video messages — among several other features.

Unlike Dimdim, you will need to download their software. However, they offer quite a few free services & features, so it would be definitely worth your while, especially if you need to reach people on mobile devices.

 

TokBox: Told you they had a preference for silly names in this industry. Live video calling, video e-mail and video chats with your IM buddies. In a nutshell, TokBox is a free service that lets you talk with your friends over live video. Here’s how it works: you sign up and they give you a link. When you want to talk with anyone, just give them the link – they click and you chat.

Geared towards the social network crowd, TokBox is easy to use with facebook and similar websites. No software to download. No cost. Embeddable on all websites and social networks.

 

Skype: Yup, the “little” company from Luxembourg started offering video calling some time ago. If you’re familiar with the service, you know that you need to download their software and register an account (which you can do for free for the most essential functions).

Making a video call using Skype requires a webcam (in addition to your headset or speakers and microphone). You install the software for the webcam, and then plug in the webcam to the computer. Skype will automatically detect the webcam and help you test the webcam (to make sure everything is working correctly). Once that is done, any Skype call can include video.

 

Gmail Voice and VideoChat: Nope, this is not a typo. Since they already had a silly name to begin with, why not join the web video conferencing game? You can now “video chat” from within Gmail. All you need is the hardware and a Gmail account. Plus the voice and video chat software from Google.

So far, I’ve downloaded the software, but I haven’t taken the time to take it out for a test drive yet. From what I can tell, however, this seems to be the most rudimentary implementation of web video conferencing I have seen. Plus it only runs on Windows XP or later. Oh, and only in supported web browsers (more information).

 

SightSpeed: A subsidiary of Logitech, SightSpeed is — according to their web site — the award-winning provider of Internet video chat and voice calling for friends and family, and video conferencing solutions for businesses. They claim to that their solutions are easy to install and set up so you can a) connect with everyone in your network, face to face, anyplace, b) save time, hassle, and money spent on travel, and c) help save our environment by minimizing your carbon footprint!

Additionally, they state on their web site that their “patented video technology ensures you get the best possible video and sound quality every time, unlike other online video services. SightSpeed offers the highest-quality, full-motion 30 frames per second video with clear audio and no annoying delay.”

However, before you start anything serious with SightSpeed, keep in mind that they give you a free 30–day trial, but they do not offer any kind of free version of their software and services.

 

Summary: Yes, I know, I’ve barely scratched the surface of web video conferencing solutions. However, working for another web video conference software company (which I have not listed here to remain at least semi-biased), I would say that the above companies are currently in the TOP 10 of this relatively young industry.

If you’re not familiar at all with any of those products and services, do your homework before you start downloading & installing a particular solution: Find out which company offers solutiosn that will work with your existing hardware. If you need to upgrade your computer system and/or hardware to be able to do all of this, it’s better to know that before you start getting your hopes up.

You might also want to confer with your family and friends, since they will need to be on the same page (i.e., using the same software and services) as you. If there’s a cost involved, think about the benefits you will get from web video conferencing versus the expenses.

Finally, let me just make it clear that this is not — and was not supposed to be — a comprehensive list of web video conferencing solutions any kind. There are many more products and services out there, and I am sure several of those are highly professional and worth your time and consideration as well.