[LINK] The PLAN, and broadband speeds?

[Craig Sanders]

On Fri, Jun 22, 2007 at 06:27:53PM +1000, Jan Whitaker wrote:
> At 06:01 PM 22/06/2007, Craig Sanders wrote:
> 
> > what the hell else can you possibly mean when you're talking about
> > "videoconferencing" in the home? videoconferencing and videophones
> > basically means the same thing except that the "videoconferencing"
> > implies more expensive, professional or semi-professional equipment,
> > while "videophone" implies simple, cheaper consumer equipment. aside
> > from the expense and the quality of the equipment, both terms are
> > talking about essentially the same technology.
>
> uh, no. videoconferencing doesn't have to use expensive, professional
> equipment, but they help increase quality. Videoconferencing is the
> linkage of two or more locations using videocameras and microphones
> as input devices, with video monitors (computer or television) and
> speakers as outputs, linked by a telecommunications channel. 

i still don't see any great distinction.  it's essentially the same
technology.  office use may or may not have more bells and whistles (e.g.
document transfer, multiple cameras, multiple screens).

it's all dependant on the software, though. there's no reason why a home
videophone couldn't have an N-way conference call (although screen size
and resolution, or bandwidth, may limit it to 3 or 4 or 6 connections).
we've been doing it for years with voice. aside from bandwidth required,
video is no different. data is data.

> There are two types: point to point, which is what you are thinking
> with the videophone as the input/output device, and multi-point, which
> requires

no, i'm not. point-to-point is old, obsolete, circuit-switched
technology, where one end-point is connected to another end-point.
the internet (and modern telephone networks) are packet-switched - an
end-point connects in to the network (e.g. at the local exchange or
the local ISP) and may connect simultaneously to multiple other points
within that network (or connected networks).

that's how conference calls are possible, even on POTS.


craig

-- 
craig sanders <cas at taz.net.au>

The Religious Right aren't, and Scientific Creationism isn't.