Video conference facts for kids

Video conference is a way for people to talk and see each other over long distances, almost like they are in the same room! It's like a video call, but usually with three or more people. You can use special computer programs, like Skype, to make this happen. It lets you share ideas, learn, and connect with others no matter where they are.

What is Video Conferencing?

Video conferencing uses both video and sound to connect people. It sends what you see and hear in real-time, meaning there's almost no delay. This technology helps groups of people meet and talk as if they were face-to-face. It's used for many things, from school lessons to business meetings.

How Does it Work?

To have a video conference, you need a few things:

• A camera: This could be a webcam on your computer or a special video camera.
• A microphone: To pick up your voice.
• Speakers or headphones: To hear what others are saying.
• A screen: Like a computer monitor, TV, or phone screen, to see everyone.
• Internet connection: A fast and stable internet connection is key.
• Software: Programs like Skype, Zoom, or Google Meet make the calls possible.

The software takes the video and audio from your camera and microphone. It then sends this information over the internet to everyone else in the call. Their computers or devices receive it and show it on their screens.

A Look Back in Time

The idea of video calls has been around for a long time. People imagined it even before it was possible!

• Early Ideas: As early as 1910, artists drew pictures of what video calls might look like in the future.
• First Steps: In 1969, a company called AT&T showed off its "Picturephone." It was very expensive and didn't work perfectly, but it was a big step.
• Computers Join In: By the 1990s, with the rise of personal computers and the internet, video conferencing became more common. Programs like CU-SeeMe allowed students to connect from different schools.
• Modern Times: Today, video conferencing is easy to use and very popular. Most laptops and smartphones have cameras and microphones built in.

Why Do We Use It?

Video conferencing has many uses that make life easier and more connected:

• School and Learning: Students can take classes online or connect with experts from far away. Teachers can give lessons to students who are at home.
• Work and Business: Companies use it for meetings with team members in different cities or countries. It saves time and money on travel.
• Staying Connected: Friends and families can see each other even if they live far apart. It's a great way to celebrate birthdays or just chat.
• Healthcare: Doctors can talk to patients remotely, which is called "telemedicine."
• Accessibility: It helps people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing communicate using sign language interpreters.

Video conferencing has changed how we communicate. It helps us connect with people all over the world, making distances feel much smaller.

Images for kids

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  An upscale Teliris VirtuaLive telepresence system in use (2007).

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  A 1969 AT&T Picturephone, the result of decades long R&D at a cost of over US$500M

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  Artist's conception: 21st century videotelephony imagined in the early 20th century (1910).

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  Multiple user videoconferencing first being demonstrated with Stanford Research Institute's NLS computer technology (1968).

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  Global Schoolhouse students communicating via CU-SeeMe, with a video framerate between 3-9 frames per second (1993).

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  A modern Avaya Nortel 1535 IP model broadband videophone (2008), using VoIP.

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  An older dual-display Polycom videoconferencing system (2008).

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  A typical low-cost webcam for use with personal computers (2006).

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  Web cameras in laptop computers can allow two people to have a "face-to-face" conversation despite being separated by a vast distance. In this example, a coach helps a student prepare for a college interview.

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  Dual display: An older Polycom VSX 7000 system and camera used for videoconferencing, with two displays for simultaneous broadcast from separate locations (2008).

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  Various components and the camera of a LifeSize Communications Room 220 high definition multipoint system (2010).

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  A video conference meeting facilitated by Google Hangouts.

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  Deutsche Telekom T-View 100 ISDN type videophone meant for home offices and small businesses with a lens cover which can be rotated upward to assure privacy when needed (2007).

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  The Tandberg E20 is an example of a SIP-only device. Such devices need to route calls through a Video Communication Server to be able to reach H.323 systems, a process known as "interworking" (2009).

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  A mobile video call between Sweden and Singapore made on a Sony-Ericsson K800 (2007)

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  A Tandberg T3 high resolution telepresence room in use (2008).

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  Indonesian and U.S. students participating in an educational videoconference (2010).

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  The scene of Dr. Heywood Floyd in 2001: A Space Odyssey placing a videocall to his daughter on Earth helped popularize the videophone just as AT&T began to commercialize its Picturephone (1968).

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  Modern Times: An early depiction of videotelephony as shown in the Charlie Chaplin movie, with an employee receiving instructions from a factory executive (1936).

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  Video telephone booth, 1930

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  A deaf or hard-of-hearing person using a Video Relay Service at his workplace to communicate with a hearing person in London (2007).

See also

In Spanish: Videochat para niños