High Definition Video Conferencing (HDVC) - A Brief History

True video conferencing has been with us since the 1970s when AT&T first developed their video telephone technology. However, the possibility of interconnecting studios and locations had been around since the first development of television when two sites could be connected using close circuit cameras linked by a coaxial cable or radio.

Systems were in existence in Berlin in the 1930s to enable the Post Office to link its various sites, and NASA space missions in the 1960s were linked by VHF and UHF communications. It was also common for remote, live television reports to be made using bulky transmission trucks to enable video conferencing.

The early video conferencing systems used existing telephone technology and were slow, producing poor quality images and they were also very expensive. They required special conferencing rooms to be constructed that could be used for video links, these needed bulky cameras and special sound equipment to function properly.

It was only in the 1980s that the introduction of ISDN and digital transmission made true video conferencing a realistic, viable proposition. Even then the equipment was still slow and expensive. With frame rates still running at around 15 frames per second, making pictures jittery and blurred. The last developments in the 1980s ensured that smaller and faster boards were designed that could fit into the CPU of a desktop computer.

Real headway was made in the 1990s when internet protocol and video compressing made video conferencing more widely available. When systems such as Skype came online in 2003 it brought the idea of video conferencing to the attention of the general public, this opened the way for a wider acceptance of this type of communication.

Today's high definition video conferencing systems mean that television quality production and perfect sound is possible at an affordable cost for most people. This increase in speed, quality and the reduction in size and cost have opened up the market completely. It is no longer the privilege of the boardroom but keeps families together, even when they live apart and enables long distance teaching and medical procedures to take place throughout the world.

Nowadays technology such as Vidyo are fully integrated into desktop computers and can run using off the shelf peripherals such as speakers, webcams and microphones bought on the high street. The architecture behind the system also means that even when using your desktop computer you can achieve HD video calls as easily in your own home as you can in a high-tech office.

Alex Hunt has a keen interest in High Definition Video Conferencing (HDVC) in personal and professional settings, please take a look at the HDVC website for more information.

Original article

Why Is It So Hard to Buy HDMI Cables?

It never fails to happen with the latest in whizbang electronics. When some kind of new technology gets its start, it's as if you're the only one in your circle who gets it. Everyone comes to you and asks you, "Hey, do you know what this HDMI thing is all about?" And you're happy to tell them what you know and have them go away all impressed at how you keep abreast. And then, the technology begins to evolve. So rapidly does it go on that pretty soon, you have to be a really interested technology participant to know what's going on. These days, to buy HDMI cables, which should be simple enough, can be a major exercise in technology awareness. It's just that there are all those versions - 1.2, 1.3, 1.3a,b,c,d 1.4, 1.4a, etc. that you have to know about. What are all these, and are there different cables for them?

There is a reason why it's also messy, of course. The HDMI standard and the DVI standard that came before it, were all rather hastily put together without enough thought. They kept adding features over the years that they should have thought of to begin with. The question is this -- do you need to worry about version numbers when you go out to buy HDMI cables?

Basically, the version number doesn't matter when you buy HDMI cables. Version numbers only apply to the equipment that you buy. All HDMI cables will work with all the equipment. All cables are the same for most purposes. You may see it printed on the packaging that a cable is 1.4 compliant. That only means that it's been tested with equipment that's 1.4-compliant; it doesn't mean that it's especially equipped to work with that standard.

If you do want to really worry about version compatibility, there are just two version numbers that you need to think about -- 1.2a and 1.3. Everything that's 1.2a and older, belongs to one class of cable and everything else, to another. But here too, unless you are a super-high- level videophile, there is practically no difference.

And finally, does it matter if you buy a certified HDMI cable -- something that's certified for full HD 1080P? You've see these certifications on packages. So it's only understandable but you want it when you buy HDMI cables. But does it mean anything? The thing is, certification doesn't really mean anything for HDMI because the HDMI spec doesn't say anything about lots of important characteristics -- cable length, for instance. Basically, when you buy from your favorite big box store and they say that their cables are certified for, say, 100 feet, there is no real testing that goes on. They just ask their vendor in China and accept whatever they're told. Basically, that should be good enough, right?

For More Information about buy HDMI cables, please visit Internet Cable Tv blog. Just click the link.

Original article

What You Need for Video Conferencing

While you might not realize it, you are going to find that there are some basics that you will need to have on hand to ensure that the video conference equipment you have in place is effective. Since this is going to be a piece of equipment that does connect important people in your company, you will want to ensure that you do take the time to fully understand what it can offer you then proceed with getting the requirements that you are going to need.

For example, one thing you are going to need to pay attention to is the frames per second that are produced. What you are going to find is that in terms of quality, you want to have at least 30 frames per second for the quality to be decent. Higher definition video conference equipment options are on hand that handles 60 frames per second, but depending on your actual business needs, you can use either one.

Another thing you will want to keep in mind is that you do have to understand the communication styles that are in place. While you are going to find is that as access to the internet changes, so does the technology that can be transmitted over it. When you are reviewing your choices, it is going to be essential that you do take the time to look at the different pieces of equipment out there and for you to determine which ones are going to be a benefit to you in this process.

Keep in mind that there are a variety of brands that offer different features as well. What you are going to find is that some pieces of video conference equipment will do nothing more than point and shoot. Others will adjust lighting and adjust the quality as needed when you are presenting material. This can be important as you don't want to spend hours trying to adjust a camera to the point that you struggle get out a presentation that should have only taken ten minutes.

With all this in mind, you will want to pay close attention to the overall cost associated with these benefits as well. What you will end up finding is that while there are some more expensive choices on the market, you are going to find that there are some very high quality choices that might fit into your budget better.

Because you do have a number of options, it will be important that you do take the time to explore all the choices you have when it comes to video conference solutions. Since they are an effective approach to operating and can reduce your travel expenses as they expand your overall reach there is no doubt that they will be worth the overall investment that you place in them. Just be sure that you do focus on quality about anything else.

LCD projectors for sale at ESCO Audio Visual now. View our wide range of projector models here.

Feel free to publish this article on your website, or send it to your friends, as long as you keep the resource box and the content of the article intact.

The content is our own opinion and does not necessarily reflect the views of ESCO Audio Visual.

Original article