A videoconferencing facility consists of many elements.All conferencing systems use CODEC, which stands for coder-decoder. Codec is a device, which converts and compresses an analog audio-video signal into digital data and then sends it over a digital line. The decoder reverses the process at the receiving end.

This compression and decompression allows large amounts of data to be transferred across a network at close to real time (384 kbps with 30 frames of video per second).  All video conferencing systems works in a full duplex mode i.e. encoding and decoding of audio-video in both directions simultaneously.

One can use a choice of networks for conducting video conferencing over wide area networks (WAN) such as ISDN lines or satellite based lease lines. It is perfectly possible to use bandwidth of 128 KBPS for good quality conference. However data rate of 384 kbps may be needed for near TV quality video.

Various components of VC Equipment:

Following are the basic components of a videoconferencing system
• Codec
• Camera
• Control system
• Display equipment
• Audio system

Multipoint Videoconferencing:

Multipoint videoconferencing allows three or more participants to sit in a virtual conference room and communicate as if they were sitting right next to each other. Multipoint Videoconferencing is possible using Multipoint Conference Server.. MCS is the central point of connectivity for endpoints. It enables different networks, different bandwidths and different types of endpoints to communicate effectively.
Multipoint Conference Server acts as a switching device, connecting multiple sites at the same time to become part of same conference. It also provides facility to run multiple conferences with varying data rates, to operate in parallel over one network. The digital video signals from various Codecs are fed to the MCS, which is controlled through a workstation, (commonly a PC) to monitor and control various conferences. Accounting and scheduling related jobs are done through the workstation. For more details , visit www.polycom.com

Advantages of Video Conferencing:
Video conferencing is used by many businesses usually to save both time and money. One of the great advantages of video conferencing is that two or more parties can have a virtual face to face meeting to conduct business, which is seen as more beneficial than just a conference call. Other parties such as educators and health professionals use video conferencing when giving lectures, teaching about topics that require visual cues or visual information. Health professionals can give a diagnosis by conducting an examination via a video conference. There are many advantages to this technology and this has a lot to do with its exponential growth in recent years.

If you are looking for videoconferencing equipments/products ,
visit www.polycom.com or www.tandberg.com