Video chat has been a part of our lives for over a decade. Also known as a video call or video conference, this term derives precisely from the evolution of text-based chats.
Quick Throwback
With the integration of two-way video technology, the use of video chat became widespread: it is, therefore, face-to-face visual communication online.
Its popularity is due to one of the services pioneered by video chat, the well-known Skype. It has enabled people from all over the world to make video calls with each other. An Internet connection, a computer, and the Skype application installed allowed the world to enjoy long-distance visual communication for free. Along with Skype, other software started to offer video chat-based services.
Facebook incorporated Skype-based communication in 2011; since then, many social media and messaging apps have integrated the video chat option.
In 2010, Skype introduced the ability to talk simultaneously with multiple people, baring the way for video conferencing as we know it today.
Video Chat vs Video Conference
Although video chat refers primarily to point-to-point interaction, it can also be used for multipoint (one-to-many) interactions. This distinguishes between video chat and video conferencing.
We have already had a chance to clarify the difference. Let us briefly reiterate how these two terms are understood today:
– Video conferencing is a multipoint video-audio interaction conducted in a corporate environment with three or more participants; considered a tool primarily for meetings, business meetings, events, seminars, and courses. Giving it more professional use, usually, businesses use paying services to have access to several tools and privacy
– Video calling, on the other hand, is a quick and informal way in which usually only two people interact, so it is point-to-point interaction. It is direct, primarily at no cost, simply with a smartphone or device of preference.
Video Chat SDK
What makes it possible to include video chat in any application and software, whether on Android, iPhone, and computer, is a video chat SDK or Software Development Kit. This software kit assists in everything that can facilitate video communication.
To learn more about the definition and use of an SDK, you can check out this link which refers you to the relevant article.
We continue here instead with an introduction to one of the best video chat SDKs on the market today.
ZEGOCLOUD Video Chat SDK
ZEGOCLOUD offers a fully customizable and easy-to-integrate video SDK to quickly create high-quality, scalable video chats in mobile, web, and desktop applications.
The video chat SDK and feature-rich APIs allow video functionality to be created in just a few lines of code, significantly accelerating time to market.
Main advantages
Indeed, it creates immersive, high-quality video chat communications with up to 4K resolution for a crisp and vivid visual experience. Not only that, but it also enables smooth video to live-streaming.
Engagement is real-time thanks to extremely low latency, 300 ms on average and 79 ms at best. This is possible thanks to AI algorithms developed by ZEGOCLOUD, for instance, from the ultra-light 0.972k params model and 0.2422G FLOPs.
In video conferencing, up to 50 live video screens are possible simultaneously. The number of participants in the room can reach one million.
So many participants will have no technical problems due to cross-platform compatibility. The SDK supports more than 30,000 models of end-user devices on all major OS platforms.
One of the most exciting features is the improvement of FHD video frames in low-light conditions. This makes the viewing experience comfortable and natural, even on low-end devices.
Features and components
Other features include face beautification, co-hosting, screen sharing, and call recording.
ZEGOCLOUD offers a rich set of add-ons, including interactive avatars, AI-enhanced video effects, and whiteboards. It also provides robust monitoring and analysis tools to respond to any issues and continuously improve services quickly.
ZEGOCLOUD’s live-streaming SDK and API-related documentation and downloads are available for any device and operating system, making it remarkably comprehensive. Developers have a full range of tools to consult on the ZEGOCLOUD website.
Excellent value for money that considers industry experience and ongoing customer support comes from ZEGOCLOUD.
To unlock innovation, try ZEGOCLOUD’s live-streaming SDK and API.
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