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	SightSpeed

Video Conferencing

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SightSpeed videoconferencing facility is one among the top three video collaboration solutions in this class (software-based videoconferencing solutions) and it fears no comparison with much more famous brand name solutions or video features integrated in systems costing tens of thousands of dollars.

Presently SightSpeed offers only a one-to-one videoconferencing solution but in the first quarter of 2004 a group conferencing server option allowing multi-party conferences of four people will become available to users of Windows, Mac and Linux platforms. (For more info see the bottom of this page).

Given sufficient amount of bandwidth (at least 150-200 Kbps both in and out) SightSpeed videoconferencing performs admirably, with minimal delay and the ability to engage in full live audio-video conversations with no perceivable limitations.

The video window is fully resizable by the end user allowing maximum customization and optimization of the resources available.

The video size and frame rate will automatically adjust to bad network conditions. The video quality will go down if latency, network conditions, or CPU utilization get too high. SightSpeed determines automatically which end is experiencing slow connectivity and only adjust settings on that end.

Video quality can be set through the Preferences Wizard accessible through the main presence awareness messenger panel.

Preferences Wizard

Preferences Wizard Step 1 of 5

Preferences Wizard Step 2 of 5

Video quality is good and problems start to appear only under limited bandwidth situations and when there is a lot of rapid movement of large objects in front of the webcam.

The video windows can be set up to display images at low, medium or large resolution settings corresponding to 190*184 and 320*240 video windows. This second level of resolution is delivered at two different levels of quality. With standard high performance compression (SightSpeed proprietary) or with less compression and much greater visual definition.

The difference in terms of bandwidth is from 128 Kbps used in the low setting to 900 Kbps and more used in the highest one.

Dedicated video controls allow the pausing of your outgoing feed, turning off the picture in picture image, and if your CPU and bandwidth can sustain it a video in "full-screen" switch.

One unique feature offered by SightSpeed is SightSpeed Web. SightSpeed Web offers a hosted web page that is built and customized by SightSpeed to mimic the look, brand, and marketing objectives of your web site. People that navigate to this page using their web browser will instantly launch a video call to your SightSpeed video account. No coding or file uploading to be done on your side. Offered as a paid optional service, SightSpeed Web users can have a dedicated URL (e.g.: http://robingood.sightspeed.com/) to which route videoconferencing calls. Visitors to that page are transparently provided with the software necessary to see and conversate with you through a normal Web page.

This functionality is offered at USD $54.95 per month. To see this functionality, check out this demo page: http://demo.sightspeed.com (Note: SightSpeed Web is currently only compatible with Windows).

SightSpeed also provides a detailed list of supported webcams that have been successfully tested with its system.

News about upcoming releases from SightSpeed:

To be released by the end of Q2 2004, The SightSpeed Group Server will bring the real-time SightSpeed experience to groups of 4.

SightSpeed Group Conferencing will be a stand-alone software package that can run on any Microsoft Windows, Linux or Mac OS-X platform.

SightSpeed Group Conferencing will integrate seamlessly into your contact list and the SightSpeed system.

The following features will be standard in the Group Server:

a) Up to 4 different parties in one conference.
Expanding to 10 with future releases.

b) Ad Hoc Group Conferencing.

c) Industry leading video quality.

d) Fully mixed group audio. No annoying push-to-talk or moderator needed.

e) SightSpeed's real-time low-latency delivery which can sync with the telephone.

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