A videoconference enables direct interaction between multiple parties. The simplest example is a direct connection between two computers, such as an extension office and an on-campus expert. In this setup, the computers call each other directly and set up a connection over the internet, allowing video and typed text to be sent via CU-SeeMe.

Once the connection has been established (see the imaging tutorial), everything within view of each camera will be sent to the other computer in close to full-motion, 'real-time'. Thus the camera can be pointed at the participants, then shifted to give a view of a sample. The flexible gooseneck of the 'flex-cam' enables positioning to adjust the view, and the focus ring allows a clear image even when the sample is very close to the lens. Using direct videoconferencing gives you:

• interaction--Since you are involved in a two-way discussion, rather than sending messages (as with email), the other party can easily request a different view of the sample or ask questions, without the lag involved in e-mailing images. This is quite possibly the most powerful aspect of the RDI project: the ability to get virtually instant responses from experts on campus.
• speed--As mentioned above, there is no lag involved in waiting for the other party to check his or her e-mail, and any additional information can be requested on the spot.

• mediocre quality--The images transmitted do not have the same high-definition clarity that e-mailed messages do, since a much higher number of images must be sent. In the images on the right, the upper window is the original image, the lower window represents what the person on the other end receives. (Note: Your copy of Cu-SeeMe will not necessarily look like this; these screenshots are from the Mac version, but the same principles apply).
• participant limits--Only two parties may be in a direct videoconference at a time. If a third party needs to join the conference, all three must move to a reflector
• large bandwidth requirement--Since the images are sent as full-motion video (or as close to it as possible), a large amount of data must be sent. Motion is accomplished by sending many images a second, each representing the view at a particular time. When these images are shown in sequence, the brain interprets them as motion. Thus, instead of sending one high-resolution image, as with e-mail, videoconferencing necessitates sending many, many, medium-resolution images. The number before 'fps' in the windows on the right shows the number of 'frames per second': in this case, nearly 5 full images are transmitted each second. Initial tests indicate that a single videoconference in a county extension office noticeably slows down other internet accesses in the office, although it is still possible to surf the web during a videoconference.
• contact difficulties--E-mail is definitely more convenient for the experts on-campus, as they can deal with the submissions as their schedule allows. In order to contact them for a videoconference, they must:
  1. have their computer turned on
  2. have either Cu-SeeMe or the "Listener" running
  3. be in their office
  4. not be busy with something else