{"id":1203,"date":"2020-10-19T07:49:01","date_gmt":"2020-10-19T07:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/azhari\/?p=1203"},"modified":"2020-10-19T07:49:21","modified_gmt":"2020-10-19T07:49:21","slug":"6-popular-videoconferencing-tools-compared","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/azhari\/2020\/10\/19\/6-popular-videoconferencing-tools-compared\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Popular Videoconferencing Tools Compared"},"content":{"rendered":"
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TO FILL THE<\/span>\u00a0void of lost interpersonal connections brought on by the global\u00a0pandemic<\/a>, businesses and individuals alike have been flocking to videoconference tools\u2014the very ones we all used to dread when some faraway flunky wanted to host a meeting. But our sour attitudes toward these remote chats have quickly sweetened. Some businesses are even leaving tools like\u00a0Zoom<\/a>\u00a0turned on from 9 to 5, creating a virtual work environment that simulates the real thing. Sort of.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no shortage of videoconferencing tools on the market, and the app you might be asked to use next may well not appear on this list of six key players. That said, here\u2019s a look at a half-dozen of the most common and popular video chat\/conference systems available, with a critical eye toward what\u2019s working and what isn\u2019t on each platform. (Remember, while it\u2019s easy to knock video quality and performance, this often has as much to do with the network connection of the users as it does the backend service.)<\/p>\n

Apple FaceTime<\/div>\n
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Best for<\/em>: Apple mavens.<\/p>\n

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FaceTime<\/a>\u2019s tight integration with the iPhone gives it one absolutely killer feature: If you\u2019re on a voice call with someone, it takes just one tap to turn the call into a video chat. It\u2019s a bit more complicated, but you can also create group chats on FaceTime, though this isn\u2019t particularly convenient on a phone, particularly as you approach the 32-user maximum. (The service has no official time limit beyond your iPhone\u2019s battery life.) The bad news is that all other OS’s, including Windows and Android, are not supported, though you can FaceTime on a Mac computer. Sadly, there\u2019s also absolutely nothing in the way of business features (like screen-sharing) in FaceTime, unless turning yourself into an Animoji qualifies. Hey, we don\u2019t know where you work.<\/p>\n

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Supported<\/em>: iOS, MacOS.\u00a0Price<\/em>: Free<\/p>\n

Skype<\/div>\n
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Best for<\/em>: The Windows old guard.<\/p>\n

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Yes,\u00a0Skype<\/a>\u00a0is still around, and since its 2011 acquisition by Microsoft it\u2019s become well integrated with almost all Microsoft products, from Windows to the Xbox. Chances are, if you\u2019re a Windows user, you already have it installed. Skype is part IM tool and part real-time chat system, but its killer feature has always been that you can use it to make calls to any telephone worldwide for low per-minute fees. I put $10 of credit into Skype about a decade ago, and I still have $4.53 left. As for video, Skype\u2019s free system has never worked all that well. It\u2019s prone to stutter and disconnects, which means you\u2019ll probably never approach its four-hour or 50-user limit. That said, since Skype no\u00a0longer requires its software<\/a>\u00a0to join or host meetings, it\u2019s one of the easiest ways to get a videoconference going without anybody having to install anything new. Skype for Business has long been a more robust tool, but it\u2019s officially been sunsetted and replaced by Microsoft Teams (see below).<\/p>\n

Supported<\/em>: iOS, Android, Windows, MacOS, Linux, Xbox, Amazon Echo.\u00a0Price<\/em>: Free<\/p>\n

Zoom<\/div>\n
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Best for<\/em>: Just about everyone, though the time limit is a buzzkill.<\/p>\n

Abruptly, the 800-pound gorilla in this space,\u00a0Zoom<\/a>, has become the default videoconference tool for industry\u2014and individuals who master it at work are following suit at home. Nonpaying users can get up to 100 participants on a call, though meetings can last only 40 minutes before you have to start over if you have more than one guest (though this restriction has temporarily been limited this spring). Designed with business meetings in mind, tools like breakout rooms, private back-channel chatter, and screen sharing are all built in. The $15\/month plan gets you longer meetings, recording features, and more, with two additional plans running $20\/month. Zoom has a small learning curve, but most seem to master it quickly\u2014in part because they\u2019ve been forced to by their bosses. Its most popular feature seems to be that, in general, it works pretty well, with few dropouts and high-quality video that seamlessly shifts to show whoever\u2019s speaking. Multiple users can even share their screen simultaneously, a unique feature to Zoom. You can use Zoom via an app or directly on the web, though web users won\u2019t get access to Zoom\u2019s most beloved feature: virtual backgrounds. Do mind the recent discussion about\u00a0privacy and security on the platform<\/a>\u00a0and protect yourself against\u00a0zoombombers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Most Popular<\/div>\n