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Group video calling is a real-time call in which more than two people communicate from two or more locations using video, usually alongside audio. The broader technical term, multiparty telemeeting, can also describe meetings that use audio, text, or graphical communication without video.
What makes a call a group video call?
The defining feature is the number of people: more than two participants. They can join from two or more locations, and video is part of how they communicate. In everyday product language, “video call” may also refer to a one-to-one call; the more-than-two distinction comes from the standards term for multiparty communication.
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The International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T) defines multiparty communication as involving more than two meeting participants who can be located at two or more locations. Its broader category, multiparty telemeeting, includes audio-only, video-only, audiovisual, text-based, and graphical communication. A group video call is one kind of multiparty telemeeting, not a name for every possible kind.
ITU-T Recommendation P.1301 covers subjective quality evaluation for audio and audiovisual multiparty telemeetings.
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How does group video calling work?
A participant’s device captures audio through a microphone and video through a camera when video is enabled. The calling service sends and receives the media over an internet connection, while speakers or headphones play incoming audio. Computers and smartphones are common devices for joining. The exact system architecture varies by service.
Some internet multimedia sessions use metadata to describe media and transport details. The Session Description Protocol (SDP), specified in RFC 8866, provides a standard way to represent session descriptions; it is not itself a transport protocol. This is technical context rather than a description of every calling service.
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How is it different from a video conference?
In ordinary usage, “group video call” and “video conference” can describe much the same experience: people in different places meeting online with video and audio. Microsoft defines video conferencing as an online meeting between two or more participants that provides video and audio. That definition includes one-to-one meetings, while the ITU-T definition of multiparty communication requires more than two participants.
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- 【Wide Compatibility】Works with USB 2.0/3.0, no additional drivers required. Ready to use in approximately one minute or less on any compatible device. Compatible with Mac OS X 10.7 and higher / Windows 7, 10 & 11, Pro / Android 4.0 or higher / Linux 2.6.24 / Chrome OS 29.0.1547 / Ubuntu Version 10.04 or above. Not compatible with XBOX/PS4/PS5.
What do participants need?
For a basic call, participants need a device with a network connection and the audio or video hardware they intend to use. A camera is optional: someone can take part with audio only if the service and meeting allow it. An external camera is also optional; Microsoft’s room guidance describes it as one possible choice for personal spaces.
For a shared meeting room, usable audio depends on coverage. Microsoft Learn advises that microphones and speakers cover every seat. In shared spaces, it calls for a single audio source, with the device arrangement suited to the room’s size. A camera with a wide field of view can help capture people in a room, but the appropriate setup depends on the space.
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See Microsoft’s meeting room guidance for its recommendations on room audio and cameras.
What affects what people see and hear?
Video services may show several participants at once or make one speaker more prominent. There is no universal screen layout, participant limit, or network requirement established by these general definitions; those details depend on the particular service.
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Audio and video quality are distinct dimensions. They can also become out of sync: ETSI defines audio/video asynchrony as audio and video from one party reaching the other at different times. The definition alone does not establish a numeric threshold for when a delay becomes noticeable or unacceptable.
For a general explanation of the devices and connection involved, see Microsoft’s video conferencing overview. ETSI’s terminology is available in its definitions guide for real-time communication services.
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