ECP3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications Chapter 5 Video Conference Systems

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

Introduction
Video conference provides audio-visual communication as well as document sharing, including text, tables and images. Early videoconferencing systems were expensive and required large amounts of bandwidth for transmitting video (video compression ratio was low). In addition, high speed networks required for videoconferencing were not widely available. Two types of video conferencing system: Dedicated group videoconferencing system. Desktop videoconferencing system.
CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009) Video Conference

Introduction
Dedicated group videoconferencing system: large monitors (27 or 32), high-quality cameras that automatically locate and track speakers during a videoconference, document sharing, electronic whiteboards, and wireless microphones hosted in conference rooms that allow a group of people to meet one or more other groups. Desktop videoconferencing system: Use desktop PCs equipped with a camera, a microphone, a video/audio capture facility, document-sharing equipment and other hardware. Affordable, cheaper, more convenient and flexible way.
CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009) Video Conference

Why Video Conference?

Enhances productivity by minimising the turnaround time for decisions. Reduces travel costs.

Improves mutual understanding partially through the observance of body language.

Make communication process more realistic.

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

Typical Video Conferencing System

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

Typical Video Conference System

A typical videoconferencing system consists of three important components: Videoconferencing terminals. Network. Multipoint control unit / multicast router (MCU/MR).

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

Video Conferencing Terminal (Audio and Video)

Audio and video processing block interface with audio and video (AV) input/output (I/O) devices.
o E.g., video camera, microphone, headphone, and etc.

Also performs compression/decompression of the AV signals, as the current networks used to transport videoconferencing data have limited bandwidth.

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

Video Conferencing Terminal (Data)

Data processing block enables users to exchange information, such as electronic whiteboards, still images/slides, shared files and applications, and documents.

Since applications usually reside on the PC of the user, data sharing is more convenient in desktop videoconferencing when compared to the room-based videoconferencing systems.

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

Video Conferencing Terminal (Control)

Control block is in the form of some graphical user interface (GUI) window on the PC screen or on the television monitor, with which a user can initiate conferences and set up preferred data rates and compression methods for audio and video. At the system level, the control unit is responsible for end-to-network signaling for accessing the network and end-to-end signaling for proper operation of the desktop terminal.

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

Multiplex-demultiplex-synchronization
Multiplexdemultiplex-synchronization block multiplexes the resulting audio, video, data, and control signals into a single stream before transmission on the network.

Similarly, the received bitstream is demultiplexed to obtain the audio, video, data, and control signals. This block is also responsible for synchronization of the different media (audio/video/data) being transmitted and for receiver feedback for quality of service (QoS) monitoring.
CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009) Video Conference

Network
Entity for transporting videoconferencing data between participants. Preferably a network with low and predictable delay, which is essential for real-time videoconferencing with strict delay requirements.

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

Multipoint Control Unit / Multicast Router

Special network servers are required to coordinate the distribution of the videoconferencing data amongst the multiple participants in a multipoint videoconference. These servers are called multipoint control units (MCU) in the terminology of circuit-switched networks. The equivalent function in packet-switched networks can be carried out by multicast routers (MR).

Not needed if there are only two participants (point-to-point connection).

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009) Video Conference

Videoconferencing over IP Networks

Transmission control protocol (TCP) is not suitable for real-time videoconferencing call due to its retransmission mechanism, which may result in indeterminate delays in receiving the packet data. This will result in distortion and gaps in the real-time playout of the audio and video. Normally uses real-time protocol (RTP) on top of user datagram protocol (UDP) because it doesnt have retransmission mechanism and also it supports multicasting.
CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009) Video Conference

Videoconferencing over IP Networks

Multicasting is essential for videoconferencing over multipoint. Two major standards for videoconferencing over IP networks: ITU-T H.323 protocol.
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

H.323
H.323 describes not only the videoconferencing terminals but also other components on the network. Intended for use in IP networks that do not guarantee Quality of Service (QoS). Four main components: H.323 Terminal.
MCU. Gatekeeper. Gateway.

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

H.323

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

H.323 Terminal
The videoconferencing terminal is where the user initiates a videoconference or receives a videoconferencing call.

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

H.323 MCU
MCU: The multipoint control unit responsible for multipoint videoconferencing. It is divided into two parts: multipoint processor (MP) and multipoint controller (MC).
MP: Performs media processing, such as audio mixing, video mixing, and video/audio switching.

MC: Provides conference control, such as establishment of common communications mode, and of media channels.

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

H.323 Gatekeeper
Controls access of H.323 terminals to the network and regulates the bandwidth that the terminals can use. The terminals have to obtain permission from the gatekeeper before a call can be connected. Depending on the current level of usage of the network, the gatekeeper decides whether the call can take place. This can avoid the problem in which too may conference calls ongoing in the network and the total bandwidth required exceeds the networks capacity.
CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009) Video Conference

H.323 Gateway
Provides interoperability with other terminals on other networks (such as ISDN, PSTN etc.). Provides translation of call signaling, control channel messages, and multiplexing techniques, e.g.,

Call signaling: Q.931 on ISDN to H.225.0 on LAN. Control: H.242 on ISDN to H.245 on LAN. Multiplex: H.221 on ISDN to H.225.0 on LAN.

Provides video/audio transcoding (if required), e.g.,

G.723.1 on H.324 to G.711 on H.323

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

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H.323 Gateway

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

H.323: Audio and Video Coding

An agreed coding standard must be negotiated prior to a call commencing in order to avoid the transcoding of audio and video streams. The audio and video output streams are formatted into packets for transfer over the network using the real-time transport protocol (RTP).

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

H.323 Audio
Audio/speech compression standard can be selected from one of three ITU-T recommendations: G.711: pulse-code modulation (PCM) of voice

frequencies on a 64-kbps channel G.722: 7-kHz audio coding within a 64-kbps channel G.728: coding of speech at 16kbps using low-delay code excited linear prediction (CELP) CELP is an efficient speech coding algorithm using vector quantization and linear prediction with codebook as input.

The choice is determined primary by the amount of transmission bandwidth available for the audio.
CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009) Video Conference

H.323 Video
Video compression standard is H.261 or H.263 Video resolution can be either common intermediate format (CIF) or the quarter CIF (QCIF). The spatial resolutions for these two types of video source are:
CIF: Y = 352 x 288, Cb = Cr = 176 x 144 QCIF: Y = 176 x 144, Cb = Cr = 88 x 72

CIF is used for videoconferencing, and QCIF is used for video telephony.
CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009) Video Conference

H.323 Call Setup Procedure using Gatekeeper

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

H.323 Call Setup Procedure using Gatekeeper

1.The end system initiating the call obtains permission from the gatekeeper to set up a call by sending an access request (ARQ) message to the gatekeeper.

2.The gatekeeper responds with either an access confirm (ACF) or an access reject (ARJ) message. 3.Assuming permission is received for a bipartite call, the initiating terminal then sends a setup request message directly to the called end system.
CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009) Video Conference

H.323 Call Setup Procedure using Gatekeeper

4.The latter first acknowledges receipt of the setup request by returning a call proceeding message directly to the initiating end system. 5.6. Then proceeds to obtain permission from the gatekeeper to take part in the call by means of the exchange of ARQ and ACF messages. 7.Assuming permission is granted, the called end system sends an alerting message directly to the initiating end system. 8.If the user accepts the call, then the called end system returns a connect message directly to the initiating end system.
CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009) Video Conference

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)

The main difference between H.323 and SIP is the use of a different signaling protocol set from that used with H.323. SIP provides services for user location, call establishment, and call participation management. It is a simple request-response (transaction) type of protocol.

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)

It is defined in RFC 2543. Both the request and the response are made through a user agent (UA) which maps the request and its response into the standard SIP format. Each UA comprises two parts
UA client (UAC): enables the user to send request message. UA server (UAS): generates the response message determined by the users response.

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)

Each request and response message consists of a header and a body. Example: INVITE request/response message
To: the SIP address of the called participant From: the SIP address of the caller Subject: a brief title of the call Call-ID: unique call identifier assigned by the caller Require: list of capabilities of the host device can support Content-Type: type of information in the message body Content-Length: length of body contents
CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009) Video Conference

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)

SIP request/response signaling message types:

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)

SIP name/address is similar to an email name/address with the addition that it has a prefix of sip. Example: sip:ycchang@mmu.edu.my

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

SIP Call / Session Setup

Example 1 (directly using proxy server) calling user: sip:tom.C@university.edu
called user: sip:karen.S@company.com

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

SIP Call / Session Setup

PS-A: on receipt of an INVITE request message from the calling host First reads the SIP name/address from the To:
field

Proceeds to obtain the IP address of the proxy server for company.com (PS-B) using the domain name service Then, the SIP in PS-A sends the INVITE request message to PS-B

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

SIP Call / Session Setup

PS-B: First reads the SIP name/address from the To:
field and determined this firstly, that karen.S is currently logged in at this location.

Secondly, the local IP address of the called host. It then uses the IP address to send the INVITE request to the called host

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

SIP Call / Session Setup

Called host: Assuming it is able to accept the call, an INVITE
response is returned over the same path.

Calling host: On receipt the response, this SIP returns an ACK

message.

At this point, these two users/hosts can start to exchange information related to the call.

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

Tandberg Videoconferencing Product

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

Tandberg Videoconferencing Product

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference

Tandberg Videoconferencing Product

CHANG YC: ECP 3086 Multimedia Technology and Applications (2009)

Video Conference