Video Conferencing

Using Video Conferencing

iMeeting allows up to five attendees (either presenters or participants) to transmit a video image during an event. The first five attendees who join an iMeeting event and have a web camera connected to their PCs are the ones who are able to transmit. Additional attendees with web cameras are entered into a video queue and they can transmit video if one of the first five attendees stops using video by closing the Video window or leaving the event. Attendees connecting to the event without a web camera are prompted with a confirmation message to continue in the event without video.

Live video is transmitted when a participant is speaking. A captured still image is shown when a participant's microphone is muted or not activated.

Note

An event scheduler must set up the event ahead of time and indicate that video conferencing should be enabled. If the event is scheduled without enabling video conferencing, the video conferencing feature will not work. By default, video conferencing is not enabled and it must be manually selected during the scheduling process. Most events do not use video conferencing, but check with your event presenter or scheduler if you are unsure.

Warning

It is recommended that video conferencing be used sparingly or not at all. Video adds a layer of complexity to leading the event, the image is poor, transmission to participants may be slow, and little value is added. If images of participants must be shown, it is recommended that digital images are included in a PowerPoint slide, the digital images are uploaded to the event's content, or the images are posted in an overview page.

Participating in a Video Conference

Make sure the web camera is connected to your PC before you join the iMeeting event. Note that the first time you use a web camera on a PC, you usually need to install the appropriate drivers for the specific camera.
Join the iMeeting event.
Upon entering the event, the Set Up Camera window appears and displays what the camera is pointed at in a live picture. You must capture a still image which is displayed when you are not speaking. Click Capture to change the live picture to a still image. Capture changes to Recapture so you can recapture the still image if you want to. After a still image is captured, the Submit button is enabled. Click Submit to submit the still image so that other participants can see it.

Note

The captured still image can not be changed once it has been resubmitted, even when reconnecting to the event. The captured image is displayed when you are not speaking and a live image is transmitted when you are speaking.

You can initiate a conversation with another participant who is transmitting video by double-clicking on the relevant participant icon. While conversing, both of your video displays are live while all other participant images are still. Both participants in the conversation must activate their microphones by pressing the Ctrl key (or clicking the Muted button to unmute the microphone).
To stop transmitting video, go to the Audio/Video menu and deselect Show Video Window.
To transmit video again, go to the Audio/Video menu and select Show Video Window.
To change the size of your video window, go to the Audio/Video menu and select My Video Settings > Format Settings. The Video Format window is displayed. From the Resolution drop down list, select the relevant resolution size for your video window.

Note

The maximum window size supported is 176 x 144 pixels. Participants connecting to the event with a slow connection (i.e. dialup) should set a size of 160 x 120 pixels, or consider not using video at all.

To change your video compression settings, go to the Audio/Video menu and select My Video Settings > Compression. The Video Compression Configuration window appears. Select Hardware Compression if you use an Osprey video card. Select Software Compression if you use USB video.

If you selected Software Compression, you can define Format, Rate Control, and Key Frame. Under Rate Control, Fixed Bit rate defines the maximum bandwidth utilized by the video. Picture frame rate and quality are adjusted accordingly. If Fixed Frame rate is selected, the required bandwidth is not fixed and may reach levels exceeding the available bandwidth. Therefore, this option is not recommended unless high bandwidth is available. The Key frame sets the time frame for sending a full sample of video image.
To change your video rate settings, go to the Audio/Video menu and select My Video Settings > Rate. These settings apply to Software Compression using Fixed Frame rate features. The frame rate defines the number of frames sampled per second. The default frame rate is set to 5 frames per second and is the recommended rate.

Maintained by itweb@wpi.edu
Last modified: Nov 27, 2006, 16:02 EST