Equipments

In order to do a videoconference both interlocutors must have a video-camera, microphones, special software to code the information and a channel to transmit the data. And of course the systems must be compatible…

The channel can be: via internet (IP connection) or via telephone (Isdn). Throush this channel we send and receive images and sounds.

We are going to divide the different systems of videoconferences into two groups: the professional equipments and those that can be used with every computer. Each one of these has advantages and disadvantages that we are going to try to describe.

Professional equipments

In this case we are talking about a global solution of quality. These equipments usually have everything we need for a videoconference: camera, microphone, the possibility of using a computer to do Power Point presentations and the option to connect one or two screens often not included. They also usually have audio and video inputs and outputs in order to have extra microphones, or broadcast a video, or record the videoconference, or add an overhead projector, etc.

With this equipment you only need a channel to transmit the data and probably the screens to watch our interlocutor and/or ourselves. The video-camera usually has a good resolution (25 frames/sec) and it has a remote control and positional memories so that it is possible to do a videoconference with several speakers at the same time.
Some years ago this equipments used to work only with ISDN.

Now as the internet features have improved so much, we can find equipments with both types of connections.

There is a wide variety of trademarks and qualities. With a better equipment you get a better image and sound quality (and so you need a better channel), and it has one, two or both types of connection (IP and/or ISDN). Finally the best equipments can hold connections with several points ant the same time (multipoint videoconferences).

Here you have a list of links with the main professional trademarks. Prices of a new equipment: from 2.000 € to 9.000 € depending on the quality and features you want.

At eBay eBay you can find a lot of second-hand equipments. It is important that if you buy a equipment from other country it must be compatible with yours (for instance, the USA ISND and the European ISND have a different standard of connection).