There are so many web chat websites and software applications offering video chat services at little or no cost. Choosing the one that exactly fits your video chatting needs can be a daunting task as there are so many of them. A brief look at the most common and working video chat platforms is probably what you need. We will try to break it down to the basics – what you needs are may just meet your needs so you can have an easier time settling on one.
One of the first things you want in a video chat platform is a simple interface coupled with interactive features and requiring less of your disk space and which can work as well in the event of an unstable or slow connection. You would also want to use a video chat platform that is not so crowded or keeps going on and off due to overloading.
The second thing is to realize that probably no platform will meet your every need 100 per cent. So, it helps to first decide on what you really want to achieve with the video chat facility. Do you want to broadcast online? Just chat for fun? Do you want actual real time chat with the people the other side, or would your needs still be met if you could record a podcast and have it available for download? In cases where live broadcast is your need, it is just enough to record a video and put it up online and then invite people to watch it. But, it is different if you need interactivity. Even then, you still have to decide how much interaction of what nature you need. Again, do you desire a one-on-one chat or a one-to-group discussion?
There are several video chat solutions once you have decided on your need and articulated it, for instance Ustream. It is a contemporary chat facility with pre-existing chat rooms hosted on ustream.com. It offers ‘social chat’ where the chats can be shared in real time on social networking sites Facebook, MySpace, AIM or even twitter.
Generally, the various video chat web facilities are best suited for particular purposes. If for instance you need to hold a group video conference where observers should also have a chance to view what’s going on and comment, then Stickam is the best solution for you. It is hosted at stickam.com. TokBox is more secure than Stickam if the content of your video chats requires a certain level of integrity and you may need to use it. For a show for a relatively large audience, blogtv would perhaps suit you best. But, it fails the test if your needs include the need to interact with interviewees or the callers in which case it can be quite limiting.
Skype, AIM, Google Video Chat and Facebook (upcoming) are best suited for one-on-one situations where there is not much need for group video chat. AIM is quite easy to use but many don’t seem enthusiastic to go that way.
So, now you have it. It’s your pick!