Re: ISDN line

[Mark Benno <mbenno@mail.waco.isd.tenet.edu>]

Larry S. Anderson -- NCTP wrote:
> 
> On Sat, 24 Jan 1998, MADJAC45 wrote:
> 
> > My technician at college tells me this. can you verify, anybody?
> >
> > >This Video conferencing Equipment that South Kent College has is for a ISDN
> > line. SKC's ISDN line is not Directly connected to the Internet, but If the
> > College
> > you are conferencing with has a Dial up ISDN telephone line as well then
> > this system could be used.
> >
> > Jackie
> 
> Jackie, there are people on this list who are far better equipped than I
> to respond to this question (are you listening, Rob and Mark); however, to
> the best of my understanding, it sounds like your ISDN connectivity would
> be used to dial in to what we call an IMUX (a type of multiplexer) that
> would route your signals to the compressed video videoconferencing
> equipment being used.  For example, you may have either VTel equipment and
> would use your ISDN dialup to connect to another user somewhere.....this
> has a cost (fairly high, I might add, in some places) associated with it.
> 
> What I have proposed is simple, ordinary Internet data videoconferencing.
> It's much jerkier than the compressed video signals run through systems
> like VTel.
> 
> There's so much more to this issue, but I hope my few scattered words will
> help some.  If you have a direct connection to the Internet for your
> computer, then you're in the game.  If you are restricted to dialup,
> through a modem, then your chances of obtaining satisfactory connection is
> far less.

Jackie,
Dr. Anderson is exactly right.  The "full room video conferencing" 
system that you are likely describing is very nice, but very 
expensive.  Just a guess, but you might pay close to $200 per hour of 
use for a connection to MSU from England or $100 per hour from NY.  It 
all depends on imaginary geographical lines called lattas and how many 
lattas you cross.
Internet video conferencing, on the other hand, does not utilized 
rented lines (just like you rent lines to make a long distance call).  
It uses the parties connections to the Internet and sends and receives 
the audio and/or video signal for free.  There are several programs 
that can do this - CU-SeeMe is perhaps the best known and has a free 
demo. The only hardware that you need in addition to your computer is 
something to input the audio and/or video. The audio will likely use 
your built in or add on microphone.  Do you have a Mac or Wintel 
machine?  The video can come in through a video card with a camcorder 
(that you probably have access to for free) or even more simply with 
an "eyeball" camera.  Perhaps the most popular eyeball camera is 
Connectix's QuickCam.  You can buy a grey scale unit for $50-$80, and 
a color model for about twice that.  The QuickCam utilizes your serial 
port, so you don't need the video card.
In reference to the speed, I don't think it matters much.  Our 
application does not need a high speed, expensive connection.  True, 
if you have a fast Internet connection you can send and receive very 
nice audio and video, but a 28.8 modem will work.  If you choose a 
slow route, I suggest you only use the audio or just send one still 
frame photo of yourself.  That way you can get audio that is much 
clearer because the video signal will not consume the bandwidth.
I hope this helps.
Mark