Troubleshooting Video Conferencing

Today’s world contains numerous new and different technologies that allow us to interact and communicate in ways that we never would have thought possible just a few short years ago. One of those technologies is video conferencing. The emergence of alternative forms of communications, such as video conferencing, has demanded that we also evaluate the terms of protocol that we use when exploring the vast new world of technological communication.

It is interesting to note that one of the most common misconceptions regarding video conferencing is that one must speak loudly during audio transmission. This is simply not true. Speaking loudly does not improve the quality of the audio; if anything, it creates problems. The best strategy is to speak in a normal tone of voice.

A frequent problem witnessed in video conferencing is trouble hearing the person speaking due to side conversations and the rustling of papers, etc. from other sites. This problem can be eliminated when sites that are not currently speaking use the mute feature. By utilizing this feature, parties from other sites can exchange notes without disrupting the entire conference. When a side site wishes to speak, they only need to unmute their microphones.

Another problem that you may run into involves camera views. This frequently occurs when a camera is switched to focus on a visual aid and is then left on the visual when it should have been switched back to the panel. One way to handle this is to have one person in charge of the camera; whose function is to monitor the camera views and angles at all times. This will keep everyone, as well as the camera, on track at all times.

It’s also important to keep in mind that there will be some amount of delay in regards to audio transmission. Due to this fact, it is extremely important that you allow sufficient time in order for the other parties to respond.

Likewise, it is important to keep in mind that beyond being rude; speaking over people or interrupting during a video conferencing will create multiple problems. It is extremely difficult to follow the conversation when multiple people are speaking at once as well as the fact that it may simply be impossible to discern what is being said.

You can minimize problems with both your audio and video by being aware of how close the camera and microphones are placed to the participants. Both should be placed close enough that everyone can be clearly seen and heard but not so close that one person overwhelms the audio or video feed. By practicing the set-up before the actual conference, you can get a feel for how close the camera and microphones should be placed according to your room configuration.

Beyond these issues, most problems related to video conferencing can be traced back to the same root causes. Make sure you double-check these items to be sure that you do not run into any technical issues.

Be sure the IP address is entered correctly as well as the IP Gateway. If an incorrect IP is dialed, you will not be able to make a proper connection.

Audio problems can most frequently be traced back to the fact that external speakers are not turned up. Another common problem frequently found is that the audio has not been changed from handset to speaker feature.

To ensure that you receive quality video feeds always make sure that you are using the correct camera. One of the most common problems with this aspect of video conferencing is for the document camera to be used rather than the room camera and vice versa. If you find that you’re experiencing video difficulties, be sure to check this first.

Jason Petrina is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com

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