Video Call

 Mary Beth Enggren

Video Call Versus Phone Call

Ever since the invention of the telephone, friends and family members have enjoyed a reliable, instantaneous mode of communication.  Until recently, this technology required that the caller and the recipient remain physically tethered to the telephone.  Additionally, the caller incurred toll charges when making a long distance phone call.  Cell phones marked a dramatic improvement in technology, eliminating long distance charges and enabling individuals to chat with one another anywhere in the world.

Video telephony represents the next logical step in this technology.  Individuals are able to see one another while chatting.  Grandparents can watch the progress of their grandchildren instead of relying on phone calls and occasional photographs.  Husbands and wives can look into one another’s eyes while talking, even if they are located on different continents.  Parents can see whether or not their college student is eating properly and getting enough rest.  Video telephony allows individuals to retain the human touch regardless of the physical distance that separates them.

Video Call Technology Videophones first hit the market in the late 1920s.  This technology relied on two separate cables – one cable to transmit video and one to transmit voice.  The dual-cable system was susceptible to time lags, resulting in the voice arriving slightly ahead of the video.  Cost prohibitive, the original videophones found a niche market in governmental use.

Videoconferencing began in the 1970s.  The small screen functioned well for person-to-person calls.  However, the technology and equipment remained expensive until the development of modern videoconferencing capabilities.  In the business community, videoconferencing systems rely on digital or Internet technology to transmit the large quantities of data.  Such systems allow a group of individuals to see, speak, and interact with another group of individuals in real time.

For individual users, most cell phones allow videoconferencing for person-to-person calls.  Internet services such as Skype, TokBox, and ooVoo turn any computer into a videoconferencing center.  While newer computer models are equipped with an internal camera, older models can be retrofitted with a web cam.