Video Communication

Transcript

Video Communication There are two primary methods of video communication: video chat and video conferencing. Video chat allows you to talk face to face with another person via a live video stream and generally occurs between one to three people. Video chat is much like a face to face conversation or meeting. In comparison, video conferencing generally includes three or more people and has a meeting or presentation feeling. Video conferencing includes the ability to share PowerPoint presentations or desktops in addition to video and voice capabilities. Video Communication and VR Video communication allows you to communicate remotely without losing nonverbal cues. It also overcomes issues related to text-based communication (see Telecommunication Issues to Consider). It does present some issues, however, mostly related to additional technology and set up costs. Below are some ideas for utilizing video conferencing within VR.  Communicate with consumers who live at a distance from the VR office.  Provide outreach and support to itinerant or one-counselor VR offices.  Access interpreters at different locations. Engage in three way video conversations with the counselor, consumer, and interpreter at separate locations (see AV in free video chat software)  Offer remote training to VR counselors and consumers. Video Chat v. Video Conferencing Today, many common email and instant messaging systems have video chat options. Google Mail has Google Voice, Hotmail connects to Windows Live Messenger, and America Online recently launched AV. However, Skype continues to be the big name in free video chat software. The details of using some of these programs are included below. Popular video conferencing programs include WebEx, GoToMeeting and Nefsis. The decision to use a web conferencing host is generally an agency wide decision, based on agency needs and host price structures. It is beyond the scope of this website to detail the pros and cons of each of these programs. Technology Needs Video chat cannot replace face-to-face conversations, but it can come close (see citation 1). However, trying to use video chat can be frustrating if you don’t have the right technology. In order to video chat, both you and the person you would like to chat with must have video and voice capabilities on your computers. Below is a list of items needed to video chat. Although many of the items on this list are installed internally on most modern desktop and laptop computers, purchasing hardware will greatly enhance video chat capabilities. All of the items on the list can be bought relatively inexpensively at your favorite big box store. A webcam: Today, many laptops come equipped with a webcam. Alternatively, you can purchase a webcam and mount it on your computer. To use an external webcam:  Plug it into your USB port and mount the webcam on the top of your computer screen.  The device drive software will begin installing automatically.  Once it has finished installing the software, it will ask you to allow it to make changes to your computer.  During this step, make sure that the default option to automatically check for updates is selected. If your computer is running optimally, any video chat software should automatically detect your webcam. A headset: Using internal speakers can create feedback or echo, making it difficult for the person you are talking with to understand what you are saying. Headsets fit comfortably over your ears and eliminate echo.  Generally, headsets plug into an AV or USB port. If the headset requires an AV port, it is typically located on the front or back of the Central Processing Unit (CPU) or tower.  Your headset may require you to download device software, but once that is complete you should be able to hear everything broadcasted over the internet loud and clear. Microphone: You can buy headsets that also have microphone capabilities. They are convenient and typically offer the best sound quality. A microphone/headset combo will have two AV plugs, usually a pink one for the headset and a light green one for the microphone. To use a microphone:  Plug in your microphone to the green AV port on front or back of the Central Possessing Unit (CPU) or tower. That’s it! Other than maybe taking a few minutes to download the device software you should be ready to have a conversation over the internet Device Trouble Shooting Ideally, your headset, microphone and webcam should work immediately after you plug them in. If you are having problems with your microphone, headset or webcam, check the settings in your control panel to make sure the devices you would like to use are enabled and troubleshoot problems. To check the settings for your headset (speaker and microphone):  Open the “control panel” icon  Click on the “sound” icon  A new window should open with four tabs at the top, “playback,” recording,” “sounds,” and “communication”  From the “playback” tab you can enable and disable speakers, by right clicking on the device you want to use and selecting one of the two options. From the right click drop  down tab you can test the sounds by selecting test. You can also do these two things by accessing the device properties tab. o To access the device properties tab:  Double click on the device you would like to enable/disable and the “speakers” properties window should open, with four more tabs: “general”, “levels”, “enhancement”, and “advanced”.  From the drop down menu titled “device usage” select enable or disable.  From the general tab check to make sure your device is working properly, and check for solutions if it is not by clicking the “properties” button. From the “recording” tab you can enable or disable a microphone by right clicking on the device you would like to use and selecting either option. You can also do this by accessing the device properties tab. o To open the device properties tab:  Double click on the device you would like to enable/disable and a new window should appear with four more taps: “general,” “listen,” “levels, “enhancement,” and “advanced.”  From the drop down menu titled “device usage” you can enable or disable the device  From this tab you can also check to make sure your device is working properly, and check for solutions if it is not, by clicking the “properties” button.  When the device is enabled it will have a green check next to it and appear in bright colors. To check the settings on your webcam.  From the control panel, select the “devices and printers” icon.  A new window should open and any device that is connected to your computer through a USB port or wireless connection should appear. This includes printers, your mouse, your keyboard AND your webcam.  Right click on your webcam and select trouble shoot. Windows will start automatically looking for updates. Hopefully they will be able to find a solution to your webcam dilemma. When all else fails, call your IT person. Learning how to troubleshoot, however, will help you address problems that may occur if you are assisting the consumer to set up video chat technology. Free Video Chat Software As with all technology, video chat software is constantly evolving. Today, there are a number of free video chat programs available for download. As with most online accounts, take the time to look at the security settings and opt for the most secure options. Below, we highlight some popular video conferencing systems available. Skype: Created in 2003, and bought by Microsoft in 2011, Skype continues to be the leader in free video chat software. National calls between Skype users are available for free, while expanded services such as conference video chat and international calling are available for a monthly fee. Conversations between users are encrypted and sent over a secure internet connection, reducing the likelihood of conversations being overheard by a third party (see citation 2). To use Skype: 1. Download Skype http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/get-skype/on-yourcomputer/windows/ and create an account using a valid email address. 2. By default, an icon will appear on your desktop. Double click on the icon if Skype does not open automatically. 3. Log in to Skype with your username and password. This should automatically bring you to the Skype home page. From here you can edit your profile, give feedback, make calls, and find a contact. 4. To add a contact: a. Select the “Contacts” drop down tab at the top left of the page and hit “add contact.” b. A new window should appear where you can search for other Skype users by their email address, phone number, full name, or their Skype name. This step is much easier if you have the person’s exact Skype name. Note: Searching by full names or email can turn up several results and it can be difficult to determine the correct contact. 5. Once you have found people you would like to Skype with, add them to your contact list and they will be sent a request. Once they have accepted your request, you will be able to Skype with them. 6. Once you have some Skype contacts, your contact list should automatically appear. 7. To make a Skype call: a. Click on the Skype user name of the person you would like to call. Two big green buttons should appear -- one labeled “video call” and one labeled “call phone”. b. The “video call“ button makes a video call and the “call phone” button make a call with voice only. c. The “video call” button and “call phone” button will look different depending on whether or not the person is online. If the person is online the “call phone” button will just say “call”, and by default the service will call their Skype user account. If the person is offline the button will say “call phone” and will prompt you to add a phone number to contact that person. There is a small fee associated with calling mobile and landline phone numbers. Once you have added a phone number to a contact the button will say “call mobile.” d. The button with the plus sign allows you share files and contacts. e. The button with the ascending green bars allows you to check your connectivity speed to make sure you have enough bandwidth to make a video call. It also allows you test all of your devices (webcam, speakers and microphone) to make sure that everything is working correctly before you call. Note: If they do not have webcam, video chat will not be an option. Google Talk: In its attempt to take over the universe, Google also has video chat capabilities. Conversations are sent over a secure server, but Google still has access to them. Google doesn’t have the best privacy records, so you should use cautious about sharing confidential information such as social security numbers (see citation 3). In order to use Google chat, your first need a Google mail account and then you can download plugins to enable video and chat capabilities. AV: Unlike Skype and Google Talk you do not need an account to use AV. From AV you can video chat with up to three other people. AV is remarkably easy to use! 1. From the AV home page (http://www.aol.com/av/ ) click “starts a video chat”. 2. You will then be prompted to plug in your camera and microphone, you may also choose continue on with just text. 3. On the next screen you will be prompted to send three friends a “magical link”. All your contacts will have to do is click on the link and they should be connected to AV video chat. A word of caution when using Skype and Google Video Chat: Both Skype and Google Video Chat require you to have a user name and password. This is great for storing contacts, but also results in automatic notification to your online contacts when you have signed in. This could be annoying for a number of reasons, but is easily remedied by setting your status to invisible. To set your status to invisible in Skype look to the left of your username. In the dropdown menu with the cloud icon, select “invisible”. Citations 1 Mallen, M. Vogel, D., Rochlen, A., & Day, S. (2005). Online counseling: Reviewing literature from counseling psychology framework. The Counseling Psychologist, 33, 819-871. 2 Skype Communications SARL. [Computer Programs]. (2012) Retrieved from: http://www.skype.com/intl/en-gb/home?intcmp=alogo 3 Google Talk. [Computer program] (2012) Retrieved from: https://www.google.com/talk/ 4 AV by AOL. [Computer program](20112). Retrieved from: http://www.aol.com/av/ Reference for this PDF This PDF was downloaded from the Telecom Toolbox at www.telecomtoolbox.org. The content was developed by staff at the Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities (RTC:Rural) at the University of Montana with funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. A suggested citation is: Ipsen, C., Goe, R., & Poelstra, J. (2012). Telecom issues to consider. Telecom Toolbox. Retrieved from http://www.telecomtoolbox.org/video_communication