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Flash-based
Video Conferencing
A discussion of Flash-based video conferencing solutions and tools
May 24, 2006
By: Alice Osborn
According to new media expert Robin Good, conferencing
solutions that are Flash-based offer a varying level of
quality, service, reliability and customer support. He adds,
"price is often not a reliable indicator of the quality of a
service." In his article, "Flash-based
Video Conferencing Solutions on the Web" Good discusses
his favorite Flash-based web and video conferencing
solutions that offer both quality and price, along with "not
based on Flash" alternatives and Flashcom hosting providers.
I found his discussion of hosted solutions interesting
because he emphasizes how a hosted service can prevent a
large video conference from failing by guaranteeing the
right amount of bandwidth for the number of attendees. He
lists
uVault,
MediaTemple and
Influxis
as recommended Flashcom hosted providers. Good tested all of
these conferencing solutions and encourages potential users
to sign up for these tools' free trials as well.
What is Flash?
Flash is a software tool from Macromedia that gives users
access to high quality compressed video, animations, effects
and multimedia programs with full-screen navigation
interfaces in a flexible file format that can be streamed on
most computers since 98% of all Windows 98 or greater-based
computers and Macs have the Flash player built inside of
them. When used with video and web conferencing, Flash
enables users to collaborate face-to-face via live streaming
video and share data and presentation materials with others.
Three of Robin Good's favorite Flash-based
conferencing tools
Good favored the
Convoq ASAP web conferencing software
solution because it was affordable, reliable and is capable
of integrating video and VoIP, has powerful Powerpoint to
Flash conversion abilities, and offers screen sharing so the
conference audience can see what the presenter is pointing
to on their own computer screens. He also recommended
FlashMeeting, which is a web-based hosted solution, because
it is also affordable, offers effective live chat service,
and co-browsing for group collaboration. Good liked the
emoticons since they saved writing and reading time.
Lastly,
Good recommended
smartMeeting which features VoIP, 2D and 3D
video conferencing with an avatar, Powerpoint presentation
features, interactive whiteboards, co-browsing, document
sharing, and spatial sound effects that allow only your
immediate conference team members to be heard. This is the
most expensive of Good's solutions, at $20/month per user
for unlimited usage. Pay-per-use pricing is also
available for unlimited use over a 24-hour period.
The "not based on Flash" alternatives
Although Good did not discuss in detail his non-Flash
alternatives or list his favorites, he did list his
recommended web and video conferencing solutions that trade
off Flash's easy plug-in technology with greater security,
video quality and responsiveness. Of all of the solutions on
his list, I found
Tixeo solution the most appealing because
it offers shared workspaces that include interactive
whiteboarding, 2D and 3D applications, and desktop sharing.
With this solution, you can actually see yourself in a
conference room with other virtual people.
I find Good's writing style direct and honest, which is
extremely important when discussing these complex
technologies. Robin Good answers your questions and never
makes you feel he has the upper hand in the knowledge
relationship, although in this article I would have liked a
little more depth with the Flash alternatives, just as he
did with the hosting providers. In addition, I would like to
have known which video conferencing providers he did not
recommend because of quality or price and his reasons behind
this decision.
About the Author
Alice Osborn is a successful freelance writer and
contributor to Video-Conferencing-Guide.com. Your definitive guide to everything you need to know about video driven communications, including multi-view video conferencing solutions for business, broadband video phones and personal webcam chat rooms.
Also See: [
Festoon offers Internet video conferencing software to the
masses ]
[ Sony video
conferencing systems and video conferencing equipment ]
[ 3G mobile phones --
an overview of video cell phones on 3G networks ]
Home Page:
[ Video-Conferencing-Guide.com ]
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