How to video conference

When I transitioned to freelancing, i.e. became an independent professional, I knew that the basic need I would be addressing would be communication, and remote communication at that. Collaboration is increasingly remote and moving online. But how to handle remote meetings effectively and conveniently? Particularly in the coronavirus era, when experienced face-to-face meetings and associated experienced functioning are limited? Therefore, there has been a great need to address meetings through video conferencing. So there is a need to choose a good tool. What are the tools for video conferencing you can read in this article.

Communication options

I have already tried out most ways of communicating and I use proven tools for them.
Specifically:

• Email for varied and initial communication.
• Ticketing system in gitlab, for communication and project management.
• Chat for quick communication.
• Phone for urgent matters or pre-arranged meetings.

But how do you handle remote meetings efficiently and conveniently? Especially in the time of the coronavirus, when the usual face-to-face meetings, and the usual way of working that goes with them, are restricted, and so there is a great need to hold meetings via video conferencing. So you need to choose a good tool, and which one, you'll find out in this article.

A remote meeting just like in person

To feel like you're at a face-to-face meeting, it's good to see each other's faces in motion, and that's what video calling is for. When you're discussing some documents, you also need to see those documents, i.e. share documents and the screen.
So you need a tool that transmits not only voice but also video, and that can share the screen.
That's why I researched the tools available for this purpose. Then I analyzed what they can do and tested them in practice.
Most such tools also include a chat.

Equipment

The basic prerequisite is that you have the equipment for video conferencing.
For simple calls you can often use just a smartphone, because it already has the necessary peripherals, and once you install the specific native app, you can start calling quickly and without problems.

Another obvious requirement is the Internet. But you need to make sure the connection has at least some speed and stability.

However, for more serious work you'll definitely use a computer. So besides a computer you'll also need:

• a microphone
• a webcam

Most laptops these days have a microphone and a camera.

If you have a desktop, you have to buy these peripherals. Everyone has a sound card in their computer these days - it's integrated on the motherboard. Sound chips are very good quality nowadays. But the ones integrated on the motherboard often have cheaply designed circuitry around them, so you end up with hum etc. For a video call, though, it won't matter, so you simply plug in an analog microphone and headphones, which you often already have at home. Or, with an adapter from a 4-pin jack connector to two 3-pin jacks, you can also connect smartphone headphones. Today's laptops also have a single 4-pin jack connector for a headset with a microphone.

You can also buy some cheap camera. Or, as I did, you can start with an Eken H9R action camera, which acts as a webcam when connected to a PC. Its picture, however, has a fish-eye shape.
Later, for online streaming on my YouTube channel, I bought a Logitech c920 camera, which has Full HD resolution, autofocus and a built-in microphone. So besides a good picture I also have good-quality sound without hum or noise. That makes it excellent for video conferencing too.

Tools for video calls and sharing

Skype

Skype is probably the best-known video conferencing tool. It can also share the screen. However, given its history and my experience with it, I've ruled it out.
What business users should realize, though, is that the regular version is not intended for commercial use.

Whereby

I came across this tool some time ago when communicating with HR ladies. The whereby tool runs in a web browser. It can do video call conferences, screen sharing and chat. However, the microphone didn't work for me with this program on a desktop computer. The internal microphone wasn't even visible, and nothing could be heard from the camera's microphone.

Zoom

Zoom requires you to download an app. Supposedly it can also run in a browser, but I didn't manage to get that working. I use this software for some video calls and it works. On the desktop I had to download the app's binaries, and on a phone you can install the native mobile version.

If you don't let yourself be discouraged, you can also use the web interface. It doesn't have all the features, though, and doesn't work as well. Still, for basic communication the web interface is enough.

Discord

Discord is popular among gamers. I didn't even know that Discord could do video calls. I ruled this software out, though, because although I use it occasionally, it feels rather flashy to me (probably because it's made for gamers). Supposedly, unless that has changed, it can also share the screen, but only at a low resolution.

Update March 2021

With the arrival of the voice-based social network Clubhouse, I've been looking into Discord more, because Discord was developed with good voice transmission in mind, specifically low latency. Low latency means the other side doesn't hear you with a delay, so you can react to each other quickly.
This network has several major advantages over Clubhouse:

• No invitation needed
• The client is multi-platform
• Chat
• Conferences
• Screen sharing
• Advanced settings for user permissions and room access.

Thanks to being multi-platform, you can use Discord on an Apple phone (iOS) or an Android phone. There is a native app for all major operating systems (Windows, GNU/Linux, macOS), or you can use the web client.
It can share the screen in full resolution.

For one-off calls I use Jitsi, because it doesn't require registration, but for regular meetings I plan to start using Discord.

Bluejeans

I've come across Bluejeans only once, on my phone, when I just installed the app. But when I wanted to try it myself and set up a conference, it required registration etc. So I didn't look into it any further.

Google Meet

After Skype, the tool that spread among ordinary users was Google Meet. Google Meet is essentially a standalone solution, like calling via Hangouts used to be, only with more features. This tool is convenient to use. You need a Google account. Definitely for creating a conference. For just joining a conference you may not need an account - you simply join via the link you were sent. It supports video conferences including screen sharing. It works in the browser and has a native app for smartphones.

Jitsi

Jitsi is an open-source solution, so you can check the source code and carry out a security audit of the application, which is essential when working with non-public data. What's more, you can run the application on your own server. So you can address security in detail and stay independent of any vendor.
You can join a video conference using just a browser. For both first-time and regular use, you can simply create a conference room at https://meet.jit.si/.
There are other public providers too, e.g. VPSfree runs a Jitsi server.

Jitsi also has a native mobile client. The mobile app works in the background too, so during a conference you can take notes or read something on the web. In a web browser with Jitsi, both my analog microphone and the USB microphone in the webcam worked without problems.
Jitsi source code

BigBlueButton

Later I also gained experience with the BigBlueButton video conferencing tool. It's an open-source project designed primarily for conferences and training. Probably precisely because it's also meant for training, it has many advanced features for presenting (controlling the presentation) and drawing. It also lets you set user permissions: in terms of conference control options, guest vs. presenter, muting and unmuting microphones, etc.
The application also has an API.

You don't need to register to use BigBlueButton. And a web browser is all you need to join a conference.

The application remembers your name, so reconnecting is quick (no need to enter your name again). I didn't find an Android app, but on a smartphone you can use BigBlueButton through a web browser - as long as it isn't outdated. After adjusting the permissions on the smartphone, both the microphone and the camera worked. The app was also able to play the conference audio in the background.
On the first launch, the camera and microphone didn't work for me on the desktop in either Chrome/Chromium or Firefox, but after adjusting the settings in both browsers, the camera and microphone started working. Clearly you always need to get familiar with a given tool and its settings, but the same goes for being able to set up a PC. (This experience is valid as of 2020.)

As a visitor to the OpenAlt conference, which took place online in 2020, I found BigBlueButton fully functional for listening and watching.

Others

Other software I've come across:

• Apache OpenMeetings
• Screen sharing: https://www.screenleap.com/
• mconf http://mconf.org/
• Microsoft Teams - I avoid MS technologies and products

My choice

So my choice fell on Jitsi, because it has everything I need, has no drawbacks and, on the contrary, has bonuses for the future. What's more, as a Linux admin I can set up private instances of this software for customers. And it's important to me that what I install for customers is something I've already tried out myself, so this way I'll know the tool well and have it proven.

Security

When working from home, be careful about the tools you use for remote collaboration. Here, for example, is a report by NÚKIB (the Czech National Cyber and Information Security Agency) warning about flaws found in the Zoom video conferencing software.

How to make calls

For any activity it's good to master the basic skills, stick to some rules and use the tools appropriately.

• At the start of the meeting, do a round of introductions.
• Have the topic and ideally an agenda for the meeting prepared.
• Have your materials ready.
• If there are more people, someone should lead the meeting. (This applies to ordinary face-to-face meetings as well.)
• Play the sound/voice through headphones, so that your microphone doesn't pick up what the others are saying and they don't hear an echo.
• If you're only listening, mute your microphone.

Use modern technology to make things easier and more efficient, not as a means of repression or of creating obstacles.