Videoconferencing: Attend Meetings From Home

The basics, the extras, everything you need.

Steve Bass

Face time: There's nothing like it. Then again, you haven't met my boss. (Stop grinning; your boss can't be much better.) So any chance I get, I avoid visiting PC World headquarters. I'd rather videoconference, quietly sitting at the Bass International home office a comfortable 500 miles away.

Seriously, I've talked with a half-dozen home office workers who are experimenting with videoconferencing. Okay, sure, I agree--you're not helping the economy by staying away from the airlines. But after reading some of the articles I've lined up, you'll see that videoconferencing is convenient and a decent alternative to flying. (And don't worry, before I'm done, I'll show you how to spend a few bucks and make Alan Greenspan happy.)

Videoconferencing Basics

You'll need a camera, and there are plenty of cheap ones to be had. Creative Technology seems to be on the forefront with a $149 point-and-shoot digital camera that doubles as a Webcam. We have the story for you in "Picture This: Hybrid Camera for Novices Unveiled."

If you've never videoconferenced, you might want get a feel for what it's like. Two good articles: The first is old but the content's surprisingly current. It's "The Perils of the Videophone: True Life Adventures." Then for a tutorial, read "Web Savvy: Reach Out and See Someone." It's a well-written, comprehensive article.

BTW, the only videoconferencing rule I know about is that you may have to smile occasionally. But apparently it doesn't mean you have to wear any pants. (Or a skirt.)

Dig this: Want an extremely cool and educational spot to kill an hour? Of course you do. Try the Smithsonian Institution's HistoryWired site. Click on any of the items, say, home or leisure, and then zoom to 4x. (That's cool enough, eh?) Then you can play around by moving the sliders at the top to fiddle with the timeline. When you float the cursor over an item, wait for the image on the left to load. (Warning: Slow loading if you're on a dial-up account.)

Videoconferencing Extras

Now that you have a camera attached to your PC, you might want to explore using it for remote video surveillance. You know, watching your PC's monitor and seeing the dog get into the trash down the hall from your office. Or remotely viewing your office from a Web site while you're on vacation. Here are two things to try. First, read "Watch Your Home Remotely With Affordable New Tools."

Then browse through the software available in our Downloads library. And for an example of the power of these tools, read what I did with Gotcha in my Webcam story.

And whaddya think's going to happen if you're videoconferencing on your dial-up and someone tries calling you? Right, they'll get a busy signal--unless you read Lincoln Spector's ditty on how to "Pause Your Modem to Answer the Telephone." (Me? I always put Lincoln on hold when he calls.)

Focus on a Monitor

One way to make teleconferencing pleasurable is with a new monitor. While you won't look any better, your boss's mug will be brighter, with vivid colors. (Try this: "Honey, this guy Bass--you know, from PC World?--suggested a new monitor would make me more productive.")

Check out our Top 10 17-Inch Monitors. Then use our Product Finder, a handy tool for sifting through the scads of monitors for sale. For instance, you can pick up a top-rated NEC 15-inch flat panel LCD monitor for less than $400.

Check out our Price Grabber for the lowest prices on LCD monitors. (And make sure you click on "Sort by Popularity" to see what other people like.)

However, if you can spend some bucks, Viewsonic's VP201mb, a 20.1-inch LCD, is the one you'll want. I saw one of these big-ass flat panel displays at a trade show in June and finally got a 30-day loaner to try in my home office. The display is gorgeous: crisp, sharp images with vivid colors and absolutely no ghosting. Oh, and how many bucks will you need? Plenty. List is $3295, and I've seen it discounted for about $2500.

You might prefer an old fashioned (now isn't that an amazing choice of words) CRT monitor; you can find one on Product Finder as well. We liked this 19-inch NEC, which can be had for $314 from Provantage.

Okay, so you can't justify buying a new monitor. How about making sure you're getting every ounce of performance from the one you have? I wrote a Home Office column that'll help you--"Hate Your Monitor? Here's Help."

Dig this: Your eyes are getting dizzy looking at all these articles and URLs, right? Here's something that'll soothe you...

Missed an issue? Find back issues of my newsletters and columns.

Sign up to have Steve Bass's Home Office Newsletter e-mailed to you each week.