Software video coding for handheld conferencing

Abstract

Since the time of Dick Tracy cartoons, the idea of wearable videoconferencing devices have been a desirable but unachievable goal. Current technology is now on the verge of making this dream a reality. Existing and future low bit-rate video coding standards such as H.263 and MPEG-4 may require specialised hardware for real-time handheld video conferencing. This paper evaluates the performance of software-based videoconferencing on widely available mobile handheld devices using a range of both traditional and original video coding schemes. Our results demonstrate that wearable videoconferencing can no longer be relegated to the realm of science fiction as practical first generation devices are feasible today.