FAQ
What is the difference between video conferencing and teleconferencing?
What components are required for a video meeting?
Can I use a regular telephone to participate in a video conference?
When to do I need to use and MCU or Bridge?
How do I book an MCU or Bridge?
What is the difference between an MCU and a Bridge?
How many users or participants can I link together on a video conference?
Video conferencing is a live connection between people in separate locations for the purpose of communication, usually involving audio as well as video. At its simplest, video conferencing provides transmission of static images and text between two locations. At its most sophisticated, it provides transmission of full-motion video images and high-quality audio between multiple locations.
What is the difference between video conferencing and teleconferencing?
Video conferencing is a live link involving both audio and video communication. Teleconferencing is a live like involving audio only.
What components are required for a video meeting?
The minimum required components at each endpoint of a video meeting are a microphone, a camera, a codec, a monitor and a speaker. The camera and microphone capture the image and sound, the codec converts the video and audio into a digital signal, encodes it and sends it out. The codec at the other end decodes the signal and distributes the video and audio to the monitor and speaker.
Can I use a regular telephone to participate in a video conference?
Yes, most systems will accept telephone participants.
Codec stands for "Coder/Decoder". It is a piece of equipment or software that both encodes an audio/video signal from an analog source (like a camera or microphone) and decodes the digital signal for replay as an analog signal (to a monitor or speakers). from an analog source (like a camera or microphone) and decodes the digital signal for replay as an analog signal (to a monitor or speakers).
MCU stands for Multipoint Control Unit. It is a device that is used to connect more than two video conferencing endpoints at a time into one video conference session, allowing them to see and interact with each other. The participants will either see one site at a time as each participant speaks, or they will see some form of a grid showing all of the participants in a split screen.
When to do I need to use and MCU or Bridge?
Most video conferencing systems will only connect two sites together at any one time. This is called a ‘point to point’ call. A meeting with three or more sites is a ‘multi-site’ call. If you want to hold a meeting with more than two sites participating, unless you are sure your system support multi-site calls, you much book space on an MCU.
How do I book an MCU or Bridge?
Multi-site calls can be hosted by a number of Health Boards or external suppliers.
What is the difference between an MCU and a Bridge?
Nothing. A bridge is another name for an MCU (multi-point control units).
How many users or participants can I link together on a video conference?
Most systems will only allow 2 participants in a video conference. If you have pre-booked an MCU or Bridge for the conference you will be able to have a multi-site meeting. Most MCUs will support up to 16 participants. However please check with your service provider when arranging the meeting. Please be aware that as the number of sites increases, it becomes more difficult to manage the meeting.