SparkWeb Voice and Video Mockups

Hi everybody,

We’‘re looking into adding Flash-based voice and video support to SparkWeb. Attached are a few mockups of how the functionality might look. I would really like to find out what you think, including whether you like video combined into the tabbed chat window (video-combined.jpg) or floating on it’'s own (video-separate.jpg). In the combined view the video would be hidden unless you were on the tab for the person you are viewing.

Thanks,

Greg

Based on the last statement, you imply that you can only have one open video stream. Not that it’‘s a huge limitation, I’'m not expecting the world, just curious.

Either way, I think I prefer the combined. If I’‘m chatting with someone other than the one to whom the video stream is destined, then who knows what random face I’'ll be making while I type.

And in the future, when you support multiple streams , you can have the one portion of the window whose content switches.

BTW, the Big Lebowski theme is 180% awesome, I was laughing just reading the text and thinking about the movie.

Hi Marquis,

Thanks for your post!

Marquis wrote:

Based on the last statement, you imply that you can only have one open video stream. Not that it’‘s a huge limitation, I’'m not expecting the world, just curious.

Sorry, that sentence was a little unclear. The idea is that with the combined version any time you switch tabs you switch which video you are watching (or none if that contact isn’'t supplying a video feed).

Either way, I think I prefer the combined. If I’‘m chatting with someone other than the one to whom the video stream is destined, then who knows what random face I’'ll be making while I type.

Interesting point, does your stream to the other person stop when you switch tabs? I would think no, that they continue to see you’‘re video stream, but I’'m all ears.

BTW, the Big Lebowski theme is 180% awesome, I was laughing just reading the text and thinking about the movie.

LOL, glad to hear it!

Thanks,

Greg

greg wrote:

Hi Marquis,

Thanks for your post!

Marquis wrote:

Based on the last statement, you imply that you can only have one open video stream. Not that it’‘s a huge limitation, I’'m not expecting the world, just curious.

Sorry, that sentence was a little unclear. The idea is that with the combined version any time you switch tabs you switch which video you are watching (or none if that contact isn’'t supplying a video feed).

OK, that makes sense, and is a little upside surprise. Multiple video chats is a good idea.

Either way, I think I prefer the combined. If I’‘m chatting with someone other than the one to whom the video stream is destined, then who knows what random face I’'ll be making while I type.

Interesting point, does your stream to the other person stop when you switch tabs? I would think no, that they continue to see you’‘re video stream, but I’'m all ears.

I would think that, perhaps optionally, they would get some kind of message that you might have switched away. Perhaps even a sort of “Hold” button to press before you switch away. It’‘s a good question, and I’‘m not sure I have the right answer. Those are a couple of possible options, though. I know for sure that if I have multiple video chats going, I’'d like to be able to switch away and have only the actively selected session be able to see and hear me. That may be a personal preference, but there it is.

Of course, if you start talking about multi-party video and audio conferencing, that would be different. Then you’‘re intentionally involving multiple simultaneous contacts and you’‘d obviously want everyone to hear you (although, maybe still, a Hold button to allow you to confer with one colleague separately would be cool). This is all just “want to haves”, obviously, but I figured as long as we’‘re talking about it I’'d voice my opinions.

Thanks for your input!