Larry Amiot Northwestern University Internet2 Commons Site Coordinator Training September 27, 2004 Austin, Texas Introduction To Videoconferencing

2 Agenda  Videoconferencing in the Educational Environment  Alternative Videoconferencing Technologies

3 Videoconferencing  A conference call consisting of two or more sites with the ability to communicate between the sites via video and audio and possibly data.

4 Digital Video In The Educational Environment Classroom presentations- need for video clips Colloquiums- need to broadcast on the network Homework Assignments- Video-based reference material Collaborative classes and seminars- need for remote interaction between class participants Committee meetings- need for remote interaction between participants Informal collaboration- need for remote interaction between colleagues Conference presentations- need for remote interaction between presenters and audience

5 Interactive Class- Parts of the Puzzle  Web-based Virtual Classroom Blackboard at NU  Video Conferencing  Streamed Video Real-time video Archived Video  Collaborative Tools

6 Video Conferencing Alternatives  ISDN-based H.320 (Legacy)  Internet-based Access Grid ConferenceXP Virtual Room Videoconferencing System (VRVS) MPEG2 SIP-based Technologies DVTS H.323

7 Access Grid

8 What is the Access Grid?  A videoconferencing system that supports: large-scale distributed meetings, collaborative work sessions, seminars, lectures, tutorials and training  Focuses on group-to-group communication  Designed spaces that explicitly contain the high-end audio and visual technology

9 The Access Grid  Provides high-quality audio and real-time video that allow groups at multiple sites to interact simultaneously and share data and scientific instruments.  Meeting participants appear in windows projected onto a large screen.  Data windows from participants' laptop computers can be integrated into the meeting

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11 The Access Grid  Network Technology Multicasting WAN Multiple concurrent streams from many sites  The Access Grid was developed as part of a National Computational Science Alliance at Argonne National Laboratory

12  Conference XP

13 ConferenceXP  An initiative of Microsoft Research’s Learning Sciences and Technology group  Interact and collaborate with others in a virtual collaborative space, called a venue  Multiple virtual presence on your XP machine  Audio/video and chat plus ConferenceXP Presentation for electronic whiteboard or distributed Microsoft PowerPoint® presentations

14 Virtual Room Videoconferencing System (VRVS)

15 Virtual Room Videoconferencing System  VRVS is a web oriented system for videoconferencing and collaborative work  Directed at the High Energy and Nuclear Physics communities  Recently extended to other academic/research areas  Provides collaboration tools: MBone (vic/rat), H.323 (Polycom, NetMeeting), QuickTime, Desktop/Application sharing and Chat on various platforms

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19 MPEG2 Video

20 MPEG2  High quality, broadcast quality video  Compressed video (MPEG1 & MPEG2)  Typically runs at between 4 Mbps and 12 Mbps  Usually run point-to-point  Multipoint using multicast possible  Multipoint using multiple encoders/decoders possible but expensive  Several vendors (e.g. VBrick and Star Valley)  Medical applications, Music Schools, VIP presentations, etc.  Expensive $2,200 to $6,000+ per end

21  DVTS

22 DVTS  Internet2 investigating (Bob Riddle)- Big Video Project  Sends digital video over IP at 30Mbps  Software provides encode/decode capability  Fujitsu board provides encode/decode in hardware  Internet2, Research Channel, UMICH, New World Symphony, and others trialing

Internet PC BoardPC Board VGA PC Board Analog/DV PC Board DV/Analog DVTS

24 DVTS  Software- free  Board- $2,200  Analog/digital converter ~$300