Video conferencing and virtual desktops

Thin clients (virtual desktops) are not compatible with software based video conferencing in general.

This is not a StarLeaf specific problem, rather an incompatibility with thin clients and real time audio-video applications.

The reason behind this is:

• Real time audio and video relies on a processor being physically connected to a camera and microphone
• The processor receives raw audio and video from the mic and camera, compresses this to reduce data rate, and transmits it over an IP network
• A processor at the other end receives the compressed data, decompresses it to reproduce raw audio and video, and outputs this on the physically connected speaker and screen
• In a thin client deployment, the user’s computer processor is not physically connected to the user’s mic/camera/speaker/screen
• The processor is actually in a server farm and the user only has a thin client on the desktop
• This essentially breaks the premise of the processor being physically connected to the audio/video peripherals, which renders the setup unable to run software-based audio and video

The solution to this problem is either:

• Avoid it entirely by using a full PC (not thin client)
• Alternatively, users look for a cost-effective dedicated video conferencing endpoint

StarLeaf actually offers the most affordable and feature rich personal desktop unit: the StarLeaf PT Mini

• The PT Mini is a dedicated device for video conferencing and does not rely on the thin client for video conferencing
• The PT Mini can integrate with the thin client by allowing the thin client HDMI output to connect to the PT Mini PC input
• The PT Mini passes through and displays the desktop image when not in a call, and automatically switches to video when in a call
• Users are able to share the desktop screen through the easy-to-use StarLeaf user interface