Videophone Communication Like on the Jetsons

Videophones Are Bringing Families Together

More and more consumers are turning to the more high-tech VOIP technology when they need to make a phone call.  VOIP subscribers get not only the best rates on local and long distance calls (including international calling), they also get fast service that is unparalleled to land line service.

VOIP, or Voice Over Internet Protocol, is threatening to completely change the way that the world communicates.  VOIP works by converting your voice into a digital signal that is transmissible over the Internet.  This signal is sent either by using a converter alongside a traditional phone, calling directly from a computer, or by using a specially designed VOIP

The most common way that VOIP is used by customers is via a device known as an analog telephone adaptor, or ATA. The ATA takes the analog signal from your telephone and adapts it into digital data that is transmitted over the Internet.  Some services include an ATA for the buyer at initial set-up of the service, others charge a fee for the device.

VOIP can also be used computer-to- computer.  Calls made this way (even long distance) are usually free, although service provider charges vary. Other items needed for computer to computer VOIP calls may include a microphone or specially designed headset, software, speakers, sound card, and a DSL connection to the Internet. 

Specially designed phones called IP phones are becoming very popular in the VOIP boom. These phones connect directly to a router that runs to the computer, and are preprogrammed with all needed software.  Wi-Fi IP phones can also makes VOIP calls from Wi-Fi hotspots in the area. 

The newest friend for fans of VOIP is the IP videophone.  Videophones were once just an accessory used in science fiction movies.  But technologists had envisioned a videophone that can be easily afforded by the average consumer for years, and now their dreams have been realized. The videophone is now a hot and in-demand electronics item, and its here to stay. 

Using a videophone and internet connection, people can talk face-to-face in ‘real time’ with whoever they want to as long as they both have a videophone.  That means that whether you are talking to your grandmother in Detroit, or your pen pal in Hong Kong, you can actually see the person as they speak.  Videophones are no longer a concept for the future; they are a wave of the present!

In terms of VOIP usage, the videophone can works in much the same way that calls are made using VOIP, but instead of just voice, image if also transmitted as a digital signal to the party on the other end.  Videophones with VOIP are being touted for their ability to allow nearly instant conferencing with high quality picture and sound, but have many practical purposes outside the business arena. Some VOIP service providers believe in the quality of service that provide to such an extent that they actually offer these fabulous videophones free to customers who sign up for services for a certain period of time.  This type of offer is very appealing to those who know that videophones can forever change the way they think about talking on the phone. 

Perhaps one of the most heartwarming uses of the videophone has been its ability to connect soldiers serving overseas with loved ones.  There have been many instances where the first image that a woman has seen of her husband since his deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan has been through the use of a videophone; one can only imagine the sense of relief that must wash over these anxious wives as they see, after months of worry, that their husband is alive and well, right on the videophone, talking to her in real time.  The same is true of those who might have lost touch over the years as a result of work obligations or for health reasons, and have been unable to make the trip back home – such as to see elderly parents or aging relatives.  What comfort they find when they can not only see the person that they have longed to be reconnected with for such a long period of time, but actually get to talk to them in a face to face situation on their videophone. The video phone technology is just astounding with its ability to connect and reconnect people over thousands of miles.

Even short trips away from the family become less stressful when a videophone goes along for the ride.  Many executives carry their videophone on trips out of town in order to stay connected with their young children or wives while they are away.  This means that even though Mommy has a conference in San Francisco, she can still sing baby to sleep in his crib in Houston. 

 Also, these videophones are allowing for those who are deaf to communicate with others.  Using an interpreting service, a deaf customer can call in on their videophone, give a sign-language message to the interpreter; the interpreter, in turn, translates the original message to the recipient.  In a related use, there have been instances of doctors doing patient assessments via the use of a videophone, which greatly increases the availability of good medical care in certain areas that lack a multitude of doctors, or in situations where a second opinion or referral is required to a specialist on the other side of the country, or even the globe.

These are just some ways that lives are being changed by the videophone. As the industry grows and use becomes even more widespread, there will no doubt be more uses and indications for the use of the videophone in the near future.