You Can Trust Our Reviews
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Buying Guide: Video Conferencing
Contents
Five years ago, a video conversation with a friend or business colleague would have been a kludgy experience. Ten years ago, videoconferencing was an expensive proposition that required specialized hardware. But thanks to the prevalence of broadband and inexpensive Webcams, videoconferencing is becoming a reality in homes and businesses alike.
You probably already have all the software you need to start videoconferencing. "The broadest of all videoconferencing trends is that it is becoming a component within other kinds of often-used applications," says Gerry Kaufhold, principal analyst at In-Stat/MDR. Notably, popular instant-messaging clients like AOL Instant Messenger and MSN Messenger now support videoconferencing. Dedicated pay services are available as well, offering better quality and more features.
We're also seeing new products aimed at an even more mainstream audience. The D-Link i2eye DVC-1000 Broadband VideoPhone is a compact set-top device that includes a camera and microphone. It plugs directly into your home network and your television, allowing you to videoconference from your living room.