Playing a movie while video conferencing
For
sharing movies and recorded video among multiple viewers, there's no better online delivery method than a video conference.
It reduces travel costs, allows immediate interaction, and gives the presenter valuable feedback and cues from the audience.
But there's more to sharing rich media effectively than just playing a file. How can a presenter keep all participants synchronized
with the movie? How can HD video run in an online meeting without taxing bandwidth? How can all participants see the movie on computers
running different software and hardware configurations?
Business Applications
When do most business users need to share media? Usually in sales and customer service applications where product
demonstration movies and training films are involved. Media sharing is also used in
telemedicine
for online radiology consults and remote clinic support where digital media is reviewed online. There are also
many TV, film, ad campaign, software and online gaming applications where
dispersed teams must review films and creative work-in-process.
Video conferencing technology is a big step up in helping distributed teams converse
and collaborate in real-time, and live media sharing is a nice boost anywhere digital
media is involved.
The Problem:
Reliable, Synchronized Video is Impossible Using Separate Tools
The first big technical problem in sharing media over a video conference is distributing the media. Traditionally, the presenter
makes the media file(s) available to all participants via e-mail, shared network drive, FTP, CD/DVD, or some other way of pushing a file
to them. This is cumbersome at best for average-sized media, and problematic for large, HD files. Then, once participants have the files,
they must ensure that they are running a compatible, up-to-date media player so that the file will play correctly on their computer; if not,
they must take the time to install updates. This error-prone process places the burden of preparing for the video
conference on participants, and participants do not like to prepare.
The next big problem is that, even when everybody has the file and the player with which to run it, the presenter has no way of
synchronizing everybody's player with simple commands like play, pause, cue and stop. Participants launch the video at different times
and control it at their own desktops, so the presenter loses control of the experience and the online meeting. The presenter also loses the
connection to the audience and the opportunity to gauge audience reaction that is critical in sales and training presentations.
As an alternative, presenters can share the player application running from their own desktop and
thereby show the visual component, but this results in a very choppy presentation
and the complete loss of audio.
Another problem with using separate tools is security. It is
easy to secure an online meeting via SSL, but sending content
via unsecure email, FTP or other cleartext means creates
vulnerabilities.
Nefsis Solves These Problems:
Security & Synchronized Video are Built-in
Nefsis solves the problems of file distribution and synchronization by playing the media from within the
secure virtual conference room, using the same connections, network paths and software infrastructure as the rest of the conference.
Nefsis trans-codes the movie from its source media file format (.wmv, .avi, mp3, .mov, etc.),
sends it from the presenter's computer to the secure cloud-based virtual conference server (VCS), and then plays it in the Nefsis conference
room. Participants see and hear the content over the same TCP/IP connection and through the same Nefsis software without any additional player
or codec. The shared media file is synchronous across multiple participants, but more importantly, synchronous with live audio and video in the
conference, too.
Nefsis automated real-time throttling
maximizes the quality of the video conferencing and movie sharing experience,
while ensuring that there is adequate CPU power for other applications and that
nobody's Internet connection is over-saturated. Participants with poor Internet
connections see fewer frames per second or lower quality images, but they do not
spoil the high-quality experience for the rest of the audience.
In summary, online meetings become much more productive and efficient,
especially when it comes to sharing product demonstration movies and training
films.
- presenters no longer need to distribute media files
- participants no longer need scramble to download large media files or verify a player before joining the conference
- presenters have complete control over video playback - e.g., start, pause, rewind, seek - while keeping the media synchronized (participants can adjust volume and zoom)
- presenters maintain a stronger connection to all participants, who remain more engaged in the online meeting
- better online meeting security
How to Play a Movie File
The presenter starts the video conference and ensures that all desired attendees appear in the Users pane:
The presenter clicks on Media File, then selects the desired video for the conference:
The presenter clicks the play button, and participants see and hear the video
exactly as the presenter sees and hears it. To control playback, the presenter
can move the progress slider, select video size, click play/pause and choose
high/medium/low video quality:
Participants may adjust size on screen and volume, but cannott control playback:
Presenter can make a participant another presenter, who can share a media file and control playback from another computer:
Multiple presenters can share multiple media files in a conference room at a time. Nefsis appends each presenter's name to the name
of the media file on the tab:
Media Sharing FAQ
What file types are supported? The most
common file formats are supported. This includes: WMV, AVI, WAV, MP3,
MP4, MPG, MOV and others.
What are the technical requirements? The
presenter's computer — only the presenter, not the participants —
must be able to play the file with Windows media player, have DirectX installed, and have
digital rights to use or play the content. Participants need
only be in the meeting room.
What media players do my conference participants
need? None. When they click into a Nefsis meeting
room, they have everything they need. Nefsis takes care of
everything else.
What are low, medium, high and custom quality
settings? Medium is the default setting and is generally
used for corporate applications. Low is used when some
participants are on shared T-1 or home office Internet
connection. High and Custom are specialized settings for
customers who have adequate bandwidth, HD movie files, and who want
the highest fidelity possible. Related pages:
Online User Manual - Share Media
What about bandwidth? Nefsis will
automatically grey-out settings that your current CPU and
bandwidth are not capable of supporting. Nefsis automated CPU
and bandwidth throttling also makes adjustments to video
conferencing quality, media sharing quality and bandwidth
consumption in response to real-time
changes in each user's Internet connection. Related pages:
Bandwidth | Nefsis
Bandwidth Monitor |
Nefsis Scalable Video & Automated Throttling Technology
Conclusion
Synchronized video and convenience for participants are vital to successful online
meetings, especially those that use training films and product demonstration movies.
Nefsis advanced technology can share media files and play movies as a built-in
feature of the virtual conference room, without requiring participants to run a
separate media player. Nefsis synchronous communications technology lets you see
the audience reaction crucial to good presentations.
Nefsis trans-codes the movie from its source media file format (.wmv, .avi, etc.),
sends it from the presenter's computer to the cloud-based virtual conference server (VCS),
and then plays it in the Nefsis conference room. Participants see and hear the content over
the same TCP/IP connection and through the same Nefsis software without any additional player
or codec. The shared media file is synchronous across multiple participants, but more importantly,
synchronous with live audio and video in the conference room, too.
See a Live Demo
Contact
us to schedule a live demonstration
and see HD media sharing during a live, multipoint video conference.
You
can also take a free trial or
give us a call with
any questions you have regarding these features.