Optimizing Video Conferences with Macromedia Flash Technologies

The combination of Macromedia Flash Communication Server and Macromedia Flash Player offers many exciting possibilities for live video conferencing. The task of matching hardware configurations with software settings, however, has remained quite burdensome and arcane. All too often, developers have to deal with audio synchronization problems, frozen video images, and lag issues. Even for seasoned Flash developers, the task of implementing quality Flash-based video conferencing applications becomes a challenge when confronted with the bewildering selection of cameras, network configurations, and software settings.

The ability to create high-quality video conferencing experiences in Flash, however, is essential to meeting client expectations for many of today's cutting-edge Flash Communication Server applications. In the course of developing Flash Communication Server applications for a variety of clients during 2004, Architekture.com has conducted significant research on optimizing high-bandwidth video conferencing applications with the goal to find a good balance between video and sound quality that limits the use of CPU and network resources and thus eliminates skipped frames, lag, or out-of-sync sound.

This white paper presents the company's findings and recommendations to the Flash development community. More specifically, it details how hardware choices and software settings can impact the overall quality of the video conferencing experience, and what you can do to improve the performance of your live video conferencing applications through proper camera and microphone selections, network configurations, and Flash Player software settings.

Launch printable document (Flash or PDF, 880K)

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