Introduction
In New Zealand, the leading platforms for room based video conferencing are Access Grid and H.323 compatible hardware units. Access Grid has an established history in providing video conferencing within New Zealand's Universities as well as universities in many other parts of the world, however, outside academic institutions it is rarely used. The following table compares some of the major differences between the two platforms. The H.323 table is based on a unit you would typically see deployed as a permanent fixture in a university meeting room.
1. Comparison Table
| Access Grid | H.323 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Can connect to mutilple sites | Yes | Yes, through connection to bridge or endpoint with an MCU |
| Allows sharing of presentations | Yes | Yes |
| Allows sharing of other applications | Yes, but on a case by case basis | Yes, through screen sharing |
| Virtual Whiteboard | Yes, with some technical knowledge | No |
| Customisable Layout of screens | Fully customisable | Can make a selection from presets if connected to a bridge which supports this |
|
Can support multiple screens/projectors |
As many as the control computer can support | Generally up to 2 |
|
Can support multiple cameras |
As many as the control computer can support | Generally up to 2 |
| Can support multiple microphones | As many as the control computer can support | Generally up to 2 |
| Allows ISDN and telephone connections | No | Yes |
| Required time for technical assitance | Ideally, technical support presence during entire meeting | Generally only required for initial connection |
| Uses KAREN Connection | Yes | Yes |
| High Definitition enabled | No | Yes |
| Can be run on a desktop Computer | Yes, with some technical knowledge | Yes, commercial software is available to join H323 meetings |
When to use each?
Generally, the most important consideration is compatibilty. If a party you are wanting to meet with only has an Access Grid endpoint then Access Grid is the best solution for you.
As H.323 technology has developed and the technology has dropped in price, H.323 conferencing has become the norm in New Zealand. This is largely due to its interoperability with units in organisations internationally, across education research and business. While Access Grid is still used on a daily basis around New Zealand, it is primarily limited by the number of locations which it can connect to.
In short, both Access Grid and H.323 units will provide a good video conferencing experience. H323 has the advantages of higher definition images, almost no technical assitance requirements, and more connectivity into businesses and other organisations internationally.
Infrastructure Diagram
To the right is a comparision chart which shows the basic structure of each video conferencing platform. Here you can see which platforms have intercompatiblity and the terminology used to describe the main components of each system.
The square boxes represent the servers which are central to each platforms operation, while the circles denote endpoints. Traffic which travels via KAREN is marked in red, while other traffic is marked in grey.
