[Deaf-lug] Ekiga

[JGJones]

Dear all,

I'm a member of the GNOME accessiblity mailing list...recently there's a
thread about Ekiga and how to improve video calling on Linux (namely
Ekiga which is a H.323 and SIP videophone). Ekiga is decent and they
recently got a Windows port too - however its weakness is the fact that
it is limited to just QCIF H.261 video (extremely low quality). There is
a version of Ekiga that's gonna be making use of video plugin's so that
we can use codecs of our choice...

Ben - I know you're a big fan of videophones! Interested in joining the
list? I've mentioned you somewhat although not names(!) here's one email
from Guillaume Olivrin below with my replies - I'm interested to hear if
you all have anything else to add to that?
==============
Here is an additional list of enhancements for accessible Video Phones :

> 
> a. The ability to switch OFF the sound totally (no emission, no
> reception, just like for Video, keep the bandwidth for video ONLY);


Agreed - being deaf there's no point in having sound :) Sign language is
a visual language, you only need to see it - I've always just muted my
microphone and speaker for all videocalls.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usher_syndrome 

> 
> b. The ability to record the video stream (logging) for later playback
> and use the Text chat as captions for the annotated video stream (useful
> for actual video conferences);


Again agreed - sometime text is a good addition for a video conversation
(ie video quality not quite up to par at some times or putting in links
etc) 

> 
> c. The ability to request applying perceptual visual filters on the
> video (not only contrast/saturation but colour maps, edge enhancer,
> hasciicam, cheese) FROM the peer-side (emitter-video-client optimises
> compression & perception according to the will of the one who receives
> it);


This is actually a very good point - a small section of deaf people
suffer from Usher syndrome - this leads to increasingly blindness as
they age - they find it harder and harder to see thing as their vision
become more tunnel like. I have a friend who have this - gifted bloke,
he switched to Ubuntu from OSX because he found Compiz so utterly
wonderful for his Usher. Works for IBM and if anyone heard about signing
avatars from IBM, he was invloved there. I'll see if I could get him
into this list as I know he's very keen on video calls - he even use VLC
for this! 

> 
> d. Ability to choose other Video codecs / compression algorithms like in
> the Audio setup;


Agreed - the next version of Ekiga is supposed to use GStreamer (?) so
can use any codecs there, but picking one might be useful
(ie...videophones making use of ogg theora...;-)) But I'll like to add
one another thing - ability to select size too - this shouldn't be
limited to just 320x240 - let's have HD video if there's the bandwidth -
for example I've used a videophone from a company called LifeSize - they
use 1280x800 resolution if I remember rightly - minimum of 1Mbs
bandwidth - when we have that...the quality was just absolutely
fantastic.

At the very last have the ability to do 640x480. 320x480 would be used
most of the time yes, but as I work in a building with a number of deaf
employees, we have a 100Mbs network available for use - I'll like a HD
videocall to someone on the top floor (although I could do with the
exercise mind you so I could just walk up(!)) but for a quick call, it
have its advantage.
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