Videoconferencing FAQ Select a specific question or scroll down to read the entire FAQ. What exactly is a videoconference? What is the difference between a videoconference and a teleconference? How is videoconferencing used in depositions? What are the various videoconferencing services that Accurate Vision provides? Do I automatically receive a videotape of the proceedings when I conduct a deposition by videoconference? What are the possible advantages of conducting a deposition via videoconference? Can I videoconference from my office, or do I need to use an outside facility? Would it be cost-effective for our firm to invest in on-premises teleconferencing equipment? What factors determine the cost of a videoconference? As an attorney, is there anything I need to do differently when conducting a deposition by videoconference? How can I get answers to questions not covered in this FAQ? Return to Videoconferencing Home Page   What exactly is a videoconference? Videoconferencing is a method of having a conference wherein the participants are in different locations. Each participant can see and hear the other participants via a television monitor. The signal is carried over special telephone lines. Return to FAQ List Return to Videoconferencing Home Page   What is the difference between a videoconference and a teleconference? There are three fundamental differences between videoconferencing and teleconferencing: Teleconferencing does not include video; only audio. A teleconference can be conducted over regular telephone lines, whereas special high-speed telephone lines are required for videoconferencing. Videoconferencing requires more sophisticated equipment at the individual conference sites. Return to FAQ List Return to Videoconferencing Home Page   How is videoconferencing used in depositions? Videoconferencing enables depositions to take place despite the fact that various participants are in different locations. For example, the examining attorney can be in Chicago while the deponent is in another city altogether. When a deposition is conducted via videoconference, the court reporter would be at the same location as the deponent. If videotape of the proceedings is required, the videographer would also be at the site with the deponent and court reporter. Return to FAQ List Return to Videoconferencing Home Page   What are the various videoconferencing services that Accurate Vision provides? Accurate Vision will arrange for any videoconferencing services required (contingent upon the availability of such services in your area). Our administrative personnel maintain a comprehensive database of existing conference sites around the world, and referrals can be made to videoconferencing technicians located in your area to address your particular videoconferencing and facility design requirements. Return to FAQ List Return to Videoconferencing Home Page   Do I automatically receive a videotape of the proceedings when I conduct a deposition by videoconference? Most videoconferencing facilities have a VCR tied into their system. However, a videotape of the conference is not normally made as part of the package. If an attorney wants to make an informal recording of the conference at any one of the sites, he or she would need to bring a videotape, insert it into the local VCR and start the recording when the conference begins. Bear in mind that a tape made in this fashion is an informal recording of the proceedings and will not qualify for playback as a formal video deposition in most jurisdictions. If you require a video of the deposition that will eventually be played in court or for litigation, ensure that a certified videographer is present at the conference. Besides tending to the quality of the audio/video recording, the videographer will perform other important duties throughout the deposition, the most crucial of which is to certify that the recording made is a true, accurate and unaltered record of the proceedings. Return to FAQ List Return to Videoconferencing Home Page   What are the possible advantages of conducting a deposition via videoconference? When counsel and deponent are separated by considerable distance, there are two main advantages in using videoconferencing as a deposition solution: travel expense and time. First of all, there is little or no travel time for the attorneys and deponent(s), thereby eliminating expense. Second, the amount of time counsel would ordinarily spend in transit can be utilized for more productive activity. Saving time and expense in this fashion will very often outweigh the videoconferencing fee. Return to FAQ List Return to Videoconferencing Home Page   Can I videoconference from my office, or do I need to use an outside facility? There are several ways to videoconference. The simplest is to use a service that is in the business of providing videoconferencing. Such services maintain suites that are equipped with the necessary audio/video equipment and high-speed telephone lines. Accurate Vision maintains a comprehensive database of available videoconferencing suites for most major cities in the U.S., as well as for cities around the world. Suites are reserved in advance, and conference participants need only to arrive at the specified location on the date the conference will take place. Another way to videoconference is to have the special telephone line installed in your office. When you have a deposition scheduled for an out-of-town witness, you simply make one call to Accurate Vision. We will direct the deponent to a facility in their area that can tie in to your office line. Under this latter arrangement, there are several options regarding the audio, video and dial-up equipment once you have the high-speed phone line installed. You can lease the equipment each time you conduct a conference, you can lease it on an ongoing basis, or you can purchase the equipment outright. Return to FAQ List Return to Videoconferencing Home Page   Would it be cost-effective for our firm to invest in on-premises teleconferencing equipment? If your firm is doing a lot of depositions around the country and you find that productivity is suffering because of time spent "on the road", installing an on-premises videoconferencing facility can generally be a cost-effective measure. First of all, using your own facility greatly reduces the per-conference cost of each deposition. Secondly, your facility can be used for more than just depositions, and could therefore end up reducing other travel-related expenses, as well as saving time. Also, you can lease out your facility to others when you're not using it and realize a profit in doing so. Considering that videoconferencing facilities are quite hard to find in some areas, a simple ad in the yellow pages can bring in a considerable number of inquiries about leasing your facility. A final noteworthy benefit of having the special telephone line installed on-premises is that it can be used for high speed Internet access as well as other digital telephony needs. To summarize, there are four ways to go about videoconferencing. Lease an outside facility on a per-conference basis Have the high-speed phone line installed in your conference room and lease the camera and other necessary equipment on a per-conference basis Install the line and lease the camera and other necessary equipment on an ongoing basis (yearly, for example) Install the line and buy the equipment outright Our best advice is to analyze the factors described in this FAQ as they pertain to your firm or office. In the final analysis, the most viable solution will be a matter of dollars and cents. Accurate Vision can set up videoconferencing in your area. Request a free consultation using our convenient Videoconference Consultation Request Form. Simply answer the questions on the form as they pertain to your needs. Within 24 hours, an Accurate Vision Video Specialist will respond to your request. You can also call us toll-free at (800) 383-5704 and receive the consultation without delay. Return to FAQ List Return to Videoconferencing Home Page   What factors determine the cost of a videoconference? There are a considerable number of factors that influence the cost of any given videoconference. Unfortunately, this makes it impractical for us to publish a list of rates that would apply in all situations. As a solution, Accurate Vision will provide you with a no-cost, no-obligation quote based on your specific videoconferencing needs. To take advantage of this free service, simply fill out a Videoconference Estimate Request online and an Accurate Vision Video Specialist will contact you within 24 hours with your quote. If you prefer to call in your request, just dial (800) 383-5704 toll-free. The following list will help you gain a better understanding of the factors that influence the cost of a videoconference. If you have your own, in-house videoconference facility, the cost of a given session will vary depending on two factors: Toll charges assessed by the telephone company The cost of leasing (or installing) the remote conference site(s) If you will be leasing an outside facility, the cost of a given session will vary depending on the following factors: The per-hour lease rate charged by the remote facility at each site can vary wildly, depending on the availability of videoconferencing facilities at the particular location. For example, Los Angeles can be expected to have a few more facilities available than one might find in Littletown, Arizona. Lease rates vary in that some facilities include the long-distance toll charges at their hourly rate, whereas others charge an hourly lease rate plus the tolls. If the facilities you will be leasing at the various conference locations are already linked on a common network (i.e., the sites are owned by the same company or videoconferencing service), connection fees for the conference will be less than if the locations do not have sites that are already networked. Even when leasing conference sites on a preexisting network, some services charge a per-site scheduling fee just to reserve and set up the site. This can increase the cost of a session by $50.00 or more per site. The distance between conference sites can have a considerable effect on cost. For example, if one or more of the locations is outside of the continental U.S., you can expect a sharp increase in fees. There is a range of transmission speed available for videoconferencing with higher speeds costing more per hour. The quality of the video varies in direct proportion to the transmission speed. The highest speed provides real-time video images that flow smoothly from frame to frame without noticeable delay. At lower speeds, the continuity of the video transmission suffers. Certain facilities charge more for conferences conducted during evening hours and on weekends. If you know you have a series of depositions coming up and you want to conduct them by videoconference, you can have your office set up for this. Such an arrangement involves the installation of a high-speed telephone line and renting or leasing of equipment. Assuming you have several full days of conferencing planned and they are relatively close to each other in time, this can be the cheapest way to go on a per-hour basis. The only limitation here is that scheduling should be done at least 6 weeks in advance. Return to FAQ List Return to Videoconferencing Home Page   As an attorney, is there anything I need to do differently when conducting a deposition by videoconference? No. As in any other deposition, control of the proceedings is enforced by the Court Reporter and/or the Videographer. The Court Reporter is an officer of the court and the videographer is making a visual record of everything the deponent does. When the deposition is by videoconference, the Reporter and Videographer are in the same location as the deponent. The record is started by the videographer at the request of the examining attorney and stopped only by agreement of both attorneys. A good videographer will bring the proceedings onto the record and then turn control of the deposition over to the examining attorney. The examining attorney proceeds as he or she would in any other deposition. When desirous of going off record, the examining attorney indicates this to the videographer. The videographer would then look to opposing counsel for a nod of agreement and then take the proceedings off record. If the proceedings are not videotaped, the same arrangement exists with the court reporter as opposed to a videographer. Return to FAQ List Return to Videoconferencing Home Page   How can I get answers to questions not covered in this FAQ? Accurate Vision will be glad to provide cost-free, no-obligation consultation regarding your videoconferencing needs. To take advantage of this offer, simply fill out an online Videoconference Consultation Request. Answer each of the questions on this form as they pertain to your needs. Within 24 hours, an Accurate Vision Video Specialist will respond to your request. You can also call us toll-free at (800) 383-5704 and receive the consultation without delay, or e-mail us with your specific questions. Return to FAQ List Return to Videoconferencing Home Page

 
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