Armin's Video Page
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Sice videoconferences came up in the net I did many experiments on video on the internet.
During my video contacts, I was very often asked which hardware I am using and which programs are available. So I decided to make this webpage.
I do not give any kind of warranty on the information you find here. It's just the result of what I learned during my tests and websurfing.
But first of all I want to say thanks to all who helped me to test the programs.
Special greetings to: Steve from Puerto Rico.
About the hardware I am using:
 Because I already had some video cameras (a camcorder and an old colorcam), I decided to buy a video captureboard.
I got one "video only" captureboard called Videum VO and one audio / video capture board called Videum AV.
They were produced by Winnov.
The VO board is intended for use with a soundcard, while the AV board includes a complete soundcard and thus can replace this.
Both cards need a 16 bit ISA slot and only one I/O adress range.
No IRQ, no DMA, that's absolut amazing but it works excellent.
This is the ultimate solution for anybody who has no free ISA slot and no free IRQ. Just replace your soundcard with it.
(The only disadvantage I found was that the sound part cannot play midi files, but I can live with that.)
All these cards have 3 types of video input:
a standard composite video input
a S-Video input
a MXC-Camera input
it can be feeded with NTSC or PAL standard video signals either from a camera or from a videorecorder.

Compared to other capture boards which some friends are using, this one (Videum) seems to be the best in compatibility and audio / video quality. And the experience shows that this kind of hardware gives excellent results compared to a digital cam, because while using the camcorder and the videocam, I can take advantage of all their functions such as zooming, autofocus, AGC, and so on.

Another advantage is that this solution is quite cheap if you already own some kind of video source, such as a camcorder.

For German users: You can order the Winnov card at AG-Funkelektronik
Also they offer an excellent CCD PAL-Standard colorcam. Call +49-2533-3322 for further infos.
About the software I tested:
 (remember: all information without any warranty.)
(all tests have been done on a Pentium 133 MHz or 166 MHz MMX, 32 MB Ram, Winnov Videum AV board, Windows 95; 28k8 Modem or 64k ISDN.)

Program name: Dwyco cdc32 v 2.31beta[new]
Download site: www.dwyco.com
Price: for free, AD-ware, sponsered by advertising
Trial period: none, free forever
Min. system requirements: Win95/98/NT4.0
Advantages: Color Videoconference, Duplex Audioconference, Textchat, Audio-Video-Text messaging, quick and good video, flexible codecs, very good user directory service
Disadvantages: Some windows are not resizeable.
Special: Excellent support !
Remarks: Excellent entry for beginners.

Program name: CU-SeeMe v3.1.2
Download site: www.wpine.com
Price: US$ about 69.00 ? (most sold as bundle with a cam)
Trial period: Connections are limited to 15 minutes
Min. system requirements: Pent.100, 16Meg ram, Win95/NT4.0, 32Bit socket, min.28K8 connect
Advantages: Multiparty Color Videoconference ! Multiparty Audioconference ! Very quick and excellent video, excellent new user directory service
Disadvantages: A bit expensive, but seems to be worth
Special: Many different servers (reflectors) all over the world
Remarks: The best multiparty video and audio conference I found ! (a bit difficult for beginners)

Program name: iVisit 2.3b5 [new]
Download site: www.ivisit.com
Price: Free for privat use
Trial period: none
Min. system requirements: Pent.90, 16Meg free ram, Win95/98/NT4.0(SP3), Video for Win., Winsock2
Advantages: Multiparty Audio / color Videoconference ! Good video quality, very good user directory service
Disadvantages: Very slow video, program somtimes crashes
Special: Conference room directory
Remarks: needs no reflector (a bit difficult for beginners)

Program name: Summersoft V-Fone v2.10
Download site:  
Price: was $ 49.95
Trial period: 60 days
Min. system requirements: 486-50, WIN95 / WIN NT, 32bit socket
Advantages: Good video quality, very good user directory service
Disadvantages: Slow video, slow audio
Special:  
Remarks: A nice program to meet people on the net. (easy to install and to handle)
Attention: By Cybration Inc. I was told Summersoft Inc. no longer exists !
I tried to use the last offer to register V-Fone for $ 9.95 but got no answer at all.
The given Email neil@ktv.net is no longer valied.
Some day I got a hint about a new program called ICUII and after installing it my surprise was big, a program like V-Fone with new features ! I connected to one of the Cybration Inc. and got the information that Bill Summersoft is now a programmer at Cybation Inc. !

Program name: ICUII V3.0[new]
Download site: www.icuii.com
Price: $ 29.95
Trial period: 21 days
Min. system requirements: WIN95/98/NT, 32bit socket
Advantages: Excellent video quality, Video messageing, excellent user directory service
Disadvantages:
Special: some different server available
Remarks: Easy to install and to handle, the best point to point Videoconference I found !
By Cybration Inc. I was told that they work at a multiple videoconference version working without a reflector.

Program name: IRIS' Video Phone v2.5
Download site: irisphone.com
Price: US$ 14.95
Trial period: 15 days
Min. system requirements: 486-40, 4 MB, Win3.x or Win95 or Win NT3.5 / 4.0
Advantages: Good video, very good user directory sevice
Disadvantages:  
Special:  
Remarks: Easy to install and to handle

Program name: Microsoft Netmeeting v3.01
Download site: www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/
Price: free for privat use
Trial period: none
Min. system requirements: Win 95/98, 32bit socket
Advantages: Good video quality, excellent audio quality, very quick audio and video, good user directory service
Disadvantages: Very slow user directory service, often not available at all.
Special: File transfer, white board, application sharing, multi connection conference
Remarks: The versatilest program I found until yet, but difficult for beginners.

Program name: CineVideo v1.20
Download site: www.cinecom.com/download.htm
Price: $ 39.95
Trial period: 30 days
Min. system requirements: 486-50, WIN3.x / WIN95, 16bit socket
Advantages: Good user directory service
Disadvantages: Very slow audio
Special: Can also be used for direct modem to modem connect.
Remarks: A nice program to meet people on the net. (easy to install and to handle) Users are getting less, seems to be dieing.

Program name: Connectix Video Phone v2.0
Download site: www.connectix.com/html/cvp_for_windows_p.4.html
Price: $ 56.45
Trial period: 30 days
Min. system requirements: , 16bit socket
Advantages: Good video quality
Disadvantages: Slow video, awful user directory service
Special:  
Remarks: Not very comfortable.

Program name: VDO Phone v3.0
Download site: www.vdo.net
Price: $ 59.00
Trial period: 5 hours of video receiving
Min. system requirements: Pentium 133, 16MB, Win95, 32 bit socket
Advantages: Not yet tested !
Disadvantages: Not yet tested !
Special:  
Remarks:  

Program name: Intel Internet video phone IIVPHONE Beta 2.0
Download site: connectedpc.com/cpc/videophone/
Price: $ ??.??
Trial period: expire September 30, 1998
Min. system requirements: Pentium 90, 16 MB, Win95, 32bit socket
Advantages: Absolutely none ! :-)
Disadvantages:  
Special:  
Remarks: I was unable to make any stable connection at all !

This list will be updated frequently .... so you should stop by from time to time !

If you find any interesting information that should be mentioned on this page or any errors on it, please send a mail to ag@muenster.de (Armin Gräwe)

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Last update: 28.Nov.99
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