1 / 33

Selecting Videoconferencing Equipment for HEP Applications

Selecting Videoconferencing Equipment for HEP Applications. Geoff. Fayers G.J.Fayers@ic.ac.uk. Current Narrowband VC “Standards”. Standards & VRVS. VRVS uses Hybrid (MBONE) “standards” Experimental - not IETF or ITU Need > 1GMip for 30fps Limited use of MMX Insufficient parallelisation

hinesa
Download Presentation

Selecting Videoconferencing Equipment for HEP Applications

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Selecting Videoconferencing EquipmentforHEP Applications Geoff. Fayers G.J.Fayers@ic.ac.uk

  2. Current NarrowbandVC “Standards”

  3. Standards & VRVS • VRVS uses Hybrid (MBONE) “standards” • Experimental - not IETF or ITU • Need > 1GMip for 30fps • Limited use of MMX • Insufficient parallelisation • Common s/ware components are vic, rat, wbd, (sdr) • Beginning to support H.323 • For quality, need hardware DSPs

  4. Recommendation 1 • Limit investment in A/V Capture cards for ‘old’ VRVS and MBONE • Decide how scalable you want H.323 • Decide whether ISDN important • Decide whether investment incremental or strategic

  5. The ITU Standards: H.320 • H.320 - < 2MBits/sec, ISDN • Each ISDN channel is 64KBits/sec • ISDN-2 = 128 KBits/sec • ISDN-6 = 384 Kbits/sec • Can also use ISDN-4 @ 256 KBits/sec • Minimum is one channel @64KBits/sec • (a good test of standards’ compliance) • For channels beyond 2, need BONDING • Mode 1 prevails for this application

  6. The ITU Standards: H.323 • Packet-based • Up to 2 Mbits/sec, adaptive • Transmission technology undefined • FR sometimes used • Consider only IP networks here

  7. Other Standards • Mbone IETF tools: sdr, vic, rat, wbd,….. • H.310 & H.321 for B-ISDN (ATM) • H.324 for low bit rate videotelephones • ……….others • T.120 - T.140 - data sharing • ……MS NetMeeting commonest implementation • Others platform-specific • SIP (RFC2543, Mar. ‘99)

  8. T.120 • The “missing component” of VC systems • Includes whiteboarding, ftp and application sharing • DataBeam’s FarSite most successful interim product ….. But now swallowed up (Lotus) • Intel’s ProShare Premier a strong alternative • PictureTel had LiveShare Plus.…but no more

  9. More T.120 • Also-rans are MediaRing (Mediacom), TALKShow (FutureLabs) • Most DTVC suppliers have moved to MS NetMeeting • NetMeeting dominates atpresent: • DC-Share (DataConnection) • Netopia Virtual Office (Farallon Comms.) • Timbuktu Pro (Farallon Comms.) • PictureTel (Q4/97), VCON, VTEL, Sony, Zydacron, Vis à Vis, GPT and MMT all offer NetMeeting BUT……….

  10. What about MS NetMeeting? • Implements modified T.120 stack for data sharing • Designed to prevent interoperability with strict T.120 implementations • Security risk

  11. More about MS NetMeeting….. • Also implements H.323……. • Example of a software-based codec • Intel ProShare is another • Suggestion: Do NOT use for a/v • Users will ignore one-to-one restrictions • Problems in UK VIP and Megaconf. • Probably banned next this year • Development??

  12. MBONE Answers to T.120 • wb • Shared whiteboard, text and postscript drawings • nt • Shared text editing tool for ASCII • qb • 20% increase in remote audience participation • More tools under development….

  13. SIP vs H.323 • SIP is IP exclusively • SIP less complex - cheaper to implement • SIP easier debug - text messages/commands • SIP Client/Server arch. - security, mg’mnt • SIP easier Firewall handling • SIP more scalable

  14. Future of H.323 • Originally intended for LAN • Has come a long way for Internet use • Despite slow take-up….. • H.323 will persist for ~5 years or more • Will bridge with ISDN, ATM and PSTN • Will integrate e/mail, voice mail, fax, call centres, VC • GSM integration underway…. • Too much investment to abandon • Still developing…...

  15. More on Future of H.323 • 2 Revisions of standard • More may be expected….. • Several Annexes • Annexe D important for HEP….. • Limited implementations

  16. H.320, H.323 and T.12*Implementations • H.320 in hardware, firmware and software - • Desktop hosts include Win98, Win2000, WinNT • No linux hosts • H.323 in hardware, firmware and software - • Desktop hosts include Win98, Win2000, WinNT • No linux yet • Some Mac - fast changing • T.12* in software • MS NetMeeting prevails, but others exist for UNIX and esp. for WinXX

  17. ATM Room - based PC DTVC ISDN-6 Line Speed/ Quality Rollabout Room - based H/wired DTVC ISDN-2 H.323? PC DTVC POTS Capture Cards/Videophones 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 £ K Range of VC Systems

  18. Conclusion for Desktops…. • For data sharing, use NetMeeting • ===> Win98, WinNT, maybe Win2000 • But there are problems even then…….

  19. H.323 and Firewalls • Must have Rev. 2 compliance • S’ton have tested two • Axent’s Raptor looks good • CheckPoint’s Firewall-1 appears to be OK now • Edu prices comparable, tho’ Raptor not in CHEST • Cisco PIX may now be alright….. • No linux recommendations • Problems with NetMeeting V2.*

  20. Conclusions for Firewalls • If you are behind one on campus, check its H.323 rev. 2 capability

  21. H.323 Endpoints H.323 MCU H.323 Gateway H.323 Protocol Stack H.323 Gatekeeper H.323 VIU

  22. MCU Facilities • At UCL (Pete Clarke) • At Edinburgh • G.J.Fayers@ic.ac.uk or • R.Hughes-Jones@man.ac.uk • Both Experimental • No Direct Booking!

  23. Entry Level Recommendations 2 • Use a PC with Win98 or WinNT • Zydacron Z353 at £995.0 + VAT • Augment with Polyspan SoundPoint PC at about £80 + VAT • Get additional headset from supplier of Z353 • Make supplier responsible for integrating the extras • Use NetMeeting V3.1 • Recognise the limitations

  24. A Cheaper Entry Level Option • For laptops, Win98 Polyspan ViaVideo at about £400 + VAT • but…. • Changing IP address…. • Multiple IP addresses….. • Win2000 + X-Active + NetMeeting + ViaVideo • Camera

  25. Polyspan ViaVideo

  26. An Alternative - VCON ViGO

  27. Z353 Single PCI half-length board ISDN-2 and IP S-Video aux input Headset, camera mics Aux. Line out Win98, WinNT, Win2000 Suitable for rollabout PC £995 + VAT ViaVideo External USB connection IP only No auxiliary inputs Built-in mic only Uses audio out in PC No WinNT support Portable to e.g. ‘plane £~400 + VAT Z353 vs ViaVideo

  28. A Scalable Alternative • Zydacron Z360 costs ~ £1,500 • Single full length PCI board • For ISDN, also need ZC206 @ £1,750 • Buy together for £2,995 + VAT • Capable of TV output, SVideo aux. Input • So two cameras or document camera • Auxiliary mic. Input too • Aux. Line output too • Built-in echo cancellation

  29. Echo Cancellation - A Superb Multiway Solution?

  30. Queries? • Next edition of “Recommendations” late Spring • Will include mid-range and some high-end recommendations • Information on cameras, doc. Cameras, other add-ons • Queries to G.J.Fayers@ic.ac.uk

More Related