Desktop Videoconferencing

Our recommendation for desktop videoconferencing is the Polycom ViaVideo unit. This unit has a small footprint. It contains a fixed camera, encoding/decoding electronics, good echo canceling characteristics, and a microphone. It requires a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection to a Personal Computer (PC) running Windows 98 or 2000 (Macintoshes are not supported). The received and transmitted video is displayed on the PC, and the PC display provides the human interface for initiating and controlling calls. An external speaker system is required for the received audio. Internet connectivity is through the PC, and the unit can encode H.323 audio/video up to a maximum speed of 384 Kbps. The unit is completely interoperable with other H.323 equipment described below, and applicable to single users either in a point-to-point videoconference or a multipoint videoconference. The price is in the $400 to $450 range. The unit is available from a number of distributors, but we have obtained good pricing and service from SKC.