I decided to investigate a Video Conferencing program called Skype. I had heard of Skype in my MEIT Course at Cardinal Stritch University. Skype has free audio and video and some extras for a fee. To check-out Skype for yourselves just click on Skype to learn more. I installed Skype and was impressed with how easy it was to verify my audio settings and locate classmates that already had Skype accounts. Later in the day I was in a Video Conference with Louis Loeffler and the audio and video were crystal clear.
My first experience with Video Conferencing was in the 1990's. Video conferencing was an expensive endeavor requiring and ISDN Modem and leased lines. All of this equipment was tied to one computer in a physical conference room. Also, one had to pay a conference provider such as AT&T, PolyCom or MCI for the use of their Audio/Video Bridge.
The mid-1990's saw the advent of desktop cameras with proprietary technology often requiring a special video card for the computer. The quality of these systems were marginal at best. Slow connections would cause a camera to freeze for a 10-15 seconds capturing a participant in mid-yawn or with eyelids closed. Nothing is more distracting than watching someone caught in a yawn for seconds while the audio moves ahead.
Let's fast forward to 2009. Wow, what a difference a new millennium can make for Web-based video conferencing. When I used Skype with Louis Loeffler and later with my classmates the video and audio were fast and clear. I kept waiting for a camera freeze capturing a participant with eyelids down or face scrunched - and none of that ever happened.
I used to think of Web-based video conferences as a waste of bandwidth - now I see (pun intended) that the audio and video technology is excellent and most affordable.
So Instead of This -
I know have THIS!
As one of the classmates you video conferenced with this past week, I agree that the audio and visual feeds were clear and without lag time. As a fourth grade teacher who plans to video conference through e-pals with ten year olds in other countries and invite authors and experts into our classroom, I needed to make sure we wouldn't get the frozen frame of a screwed up face. Ten year olds have a hard enough time staying focused without silly faces on the other end of a webcam wrecking whatever it is we are trying to learn. As a teacher for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, I like that Skype is free for what I intend to use it for. Do you have a practical application for Skype at the job you have?
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ReplyDeleteWe use PolyCom for internal meetings. I use GoToMeeting and WebEx at my place of work. Neither incorporate video :(
I think Skype could be useful for point-to-point Video Conferencing. I think it could be a great way for students/teachers/advisors to meet and review 'how things are going'. With video you can see the other person and their expression/body language. The non-verbal clues as to how everyone is really feeling.
Great start of blogging Brian - keep it up!
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