Desktop Videoconferencing

Introduction

Videoconferencing has become extended directly to the desktop with numerous full-featured clients. Desktop videoconferencing software clients enable videoconferences that extend well-beyond their room-size counterparts including application sharing, whiteboards and web viewer integration. In this section, several desktop videoconferencing applications will be detailed in terms of capabilities, ease-in-use, cost and drawbacks.

Hardware Considerations and Recommendations

There are hardware considerations that must be made in order to increase your chance of successfully videoconferencing from your desktop.

Ensure your computer has enough horsepower. Each software client detailed in this section has minimum specifications for computers. Recent processors, operating systems and 256MB of RAM greatly increase your ability to videoconference.
Purchase a good web camera. A USB camera will work with most packages. These cameras typically are $60-$100. The following cameras are recommended for use and are available through the Rutgers Computer Store and other university vendors:
These cameras have been used in our documentation and have performed well.
Consider a headset with a microphone. Some desktop clients do not provide good "echo cancellation" (removing "voice feedback" from a videoconference.) Headsets greatly help this. In addition, headsets help to ensure that your videoconference stays relatively private. Typical costs are $15-$25 - look for headsets that are small yet comfortable. Headsets are avalable through many university vendors including CDW-G.

Feedback/Support

It is expected that bringing videoconferencing to the desktop will further increase its use as a means of communication. We are very interested in hearing of your successes and failures with regards to this technology. It will help use improve our documentation and permit us to help you become more successful in the future.

For primary support with Desktop Videoconferencing, please contact DCEO Videoconferencing Support line: 732-445-1907 EXT 0. For feedback on the client and/or this web documentation, please contact oirt@rutgers.edu.