There’s a lot of talk these days about the importance of high definition technology. Many telepresence and videoconferencing vendors promote their video systems as having HD capability. It’s an essential tool businesses use for clear and effective communication.

 

Beyond video, audio and data broadcasts can also benefit from HD technology. But the way telepresence and videoconferencing vendors offer that service should change, officials with BrightCom, a provider of integrated telepresence and videoconferencing services, told TMCnet in a recent podcast.

 

Today, most videoconferencing and telepresence vendors convert data from laptops into video signal and then broadcast it across the network. But that’s a costly undertaking from a bandwidth perspective. Bob McCandless, CEO of BrightCom, said. Vendors, for example, are sending 30 frames per second of HD video for a data file, such as a PowerPoint presentation or spreadsheet.

 

But BrightCom takes a different approach, McCandless said.

 

“At BrightCom, we really think data should be kept as data,” he said. “You should not convert it into video or change it from its original format.”

 

Unlike other vendors, which convert signals to video or broadcast a PowerPoint file for their telepresence and videoconferencing needs, BrightCom presents the files in their native format. That gives users the power to view, edit, print or save the file, whether it is in a pdf, PowerPoint or other Microsoft (News - Alert) Office format, and make notes in real time, McCandless said.

 

 “By presenting the file, we introduce this concept of collaborative mark-up where you are able to draw, circle things and make notes on the file in real time in the meeting,” he said.

 

The solution also gives users the ability to see data in its original format, removing the potential for blurry images and other data broadcast issues, McCandless said.

 

To listen to the full podcast, click here.