Real-time videoconferencing and media streaming
Innovative Internet services promise to provide users with the essential means to hear and see each other in real time, to share information and learn, as well as to be entertained. Users, coming together in pairs for intimate conversations or forming large groups can be located anywhere in the world, while their image and voice is transmitted instantly. With the use of software technology that is readily available for all modern computer systems, videoconference sessions are supported on specific networks around the world. Partners of 6NET, the largest IP version 6-related Internet research project, came together to develop intradomain multicast services for a native IPv6 network throughout Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region. The 6NET infrastructure connects more countries and delivers higher capacity bandwidth than any other native IPv6 network deployed ever before. It therefore offered the necessary test bed for MBone videoconferencing tools. The dedicated versions of videoconferencing tools, to be made available with IPv6 multicast support, were produced and/or recommended by the University College London - Networked Multimedia Research Group. The Robust Audio Tool (RAT), based on the Internet Engineering Task Force standards, is an open-source audio conferencing and streaming application. It allows users to participate in audio conferences over the Internet without requiring special features for point-to-point communication, just a network connection and a soundcard. On the other hand, IP multicast technology and network design for multicast support is necessitated for multiparty conferencing RAT. The Video Conference tool, covering the entire chain from video capture to full-screen and high quality video delivery over the Internet, allows users to participate in videoconferences. For the simultaneous editing of a shared text during the conference session, the Network Text Editor tool can be employed as a support tool, rather than the only channel of communication. Having benefited from testing and use, both for demonstration and communication purposes throughout the 6NET project, all conference tools are available for a wide range of operating systems. With improvements incorporated and bugs fixed, the core tools and the common library they depend on are accessible through the 6NET website: http://www-mice.cs.ucl.ac.uk/multimedia/projects/
