Differences between video conferencing applications and live stream solutions.

Both video conferencing applications and live streams include moving images (video) as a central feature. Nevertheless, these two types of applications differ significantly from each other technically.

Video conferencing applications

Video conferencing software is optimized to provide the lowest possible latency for conversations so that you can respond to other participants as quickly as possible without delays. This low latency is only possible at the cost of significantly lower picture and sound quality. In addition, video conferencing systems must dispense with any form of data buffer (buffer) to enable fluid conversations. Therefore, any slightest disturbance in the network immediately leads to “hangs” in the image and/or sound transmission.

Therefore, video conferencing tools are not really recommended for live-streaming in general.

Classic live streams

In contrast to videoconferencing applications, transmission stability and image quality are paramount for live streams according to the RTMP standard. Classic RMTP live streams have a data buffer of 30 to 60 seconds, so that if the Internet has a short disruption (which can always happen), the viewers can first be supplied from the buffer without the transmission being noticeably interrupted.

Integration of live streams in video conferencing software

It is possible to integrate our live stream video feed into various video conferencing software via a special tool as a kind of “webcam simulation”. We have already done this several times with different tools and it ran very stable there. However, if you would like to use a video conferencing solution with which we have not yet gained experience, we would be happy to test the interaction of the individual components beforehand.