How Does Video Conferencing Work?

Video conferencing allows you to connect with anyone in the world in real time, regardless of time zones and country borders. It can be used to carry out training seminars, business conferences, and any other event that requires bringing people from different locations together. Amazing technological advances are at the heart of this service and it can sometimes be difficult to understand exactly how it is all possible. So how does video conferencing work for two people?  

If you are only looking to video conference with one other person, it is as simple as setting up a webcam for both of your computers and connecting through your internet service provider (ISP) or a broadband internet connection. The images are compressed and sent along in the same manner as you search the internet. However, it does get more complicated if you want to know how video conferencing works to connect larger groups of people, especially if to connect three or more groups together all at once.  

To make video conferencing work for a larger group of people who may be spread out in different locations, you will need more advanced equipment than a simple webcam. There are video cameras on the market covering a wide price range that are used for different quality levels. How much money you spend on a camera and microphones to pick up audio depends on how often you plan on using the equipment and how important this kind of connection is to your business. There are three basic set ups to choose from when you want to connect three or more locations together:  

1. A multi-connector unit (MCU) is a computer server set up for the sole purpose of making these connections between various locations. This server will coordinate the different IP addresses of everyone participating and make sure all of the data is distributed to each location during the conference.  

2. You can set up a room to function for video conferencing with cameras and microphones appropriately positioned so everyone is seen and heard. This is often used when you are conferencing large groups in bigger rooms, so that everyone has a presence in the conference and has access to a microphone in case they need to speak up at some point.  

3. You can also place a single microphone, camera, and codec onto one rolling cart and move it around the room depending on who needs to speak or be seen. This may work for smaller groups or in smaller rooms where multiple camera positions are not necessary.  

The very basic equipment to make a functioning video-conferencing station includes a microphone, video camera, and a codec source, which actually compresses and transmits the data from one site to another.  

The answer to "How does video conferencing work?" is more complex if you get I to how the data is actually passed over such wide distances quicker than the blink of an eye, but that knowledge is not necessary to use the technology. Thankfully, learning how to hook up the proper equipment at each site will get you started.