Imagine this: While on a business trip, a colleague informs you that the proposal still needs revisions, which you immediately address using your tablet. Upon arrival, you convene a video conference with your team. You say, "Let's take a look at my revised proposal." Then, you pull out your tablet and wirelessly share the screen with the entire video conference. Furthermore, as you present your PowerPoint slides or documents, your annotations are simultaneously displayed, and any actions you take on the tablet can be seen and implemented remotely. Of course, you can sit in any corner of the meeting room with your tablet, or even move around while giving your presentation—conducting the video conference with complete freedom.
This is the functional scenario of wireless auxiliary streaming. It allows for the direct transmission of images, documents, audio, and video content from smartphones, tablets, or PCs to video conferencing terminals via wireless networks, enabling presentation or sharing during video conferences and making communication more flexible, richer, and freer.
Most hardware video conferencing systems currently use wired networks, meaning that all local data access during video conferences for presentations or data sharing must rely on wired connections. However, cable connections present challenges such as interface type compatibility issues, being constrained by the cable itself, and experiencing image trailing and latency problems. Furthermore, due to the limitations imposed by the cabling locations of the interfaces, presenters are confined to fixed positions; if different individuals need to share data, they must switch seats or even reconnect cables to different computers.
Currently, with the widespread adoption of smart mobile devices (such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones), more and more people are getting used to using BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) for work and video communication. As we all know, unlike laptops, the hardware interfaces and connection cables of personal consumer smart devices are not standardized. Therefore, if video conferencing systems still rely on traditional wired connections, meeting rooms will inevitably become a mess of cables. Wireless streaming technology can effectively solve the problem of difficult local presentation data access, allowing users to have a better mobile work experience in video conferencing.
Huawei's wireless auxiliary streaming solution primarily utilizes mobile terminal multimedia streaming technology (i.e., wireless multimedia sharing technology). It transmits presentation data to the video conferencing terminal's data interface, and then leverages the video conferencing terminal's auxiliary streaming function to share the presentation image throughout the entire video conference. The underlying technologies available in this solution include: Apple's official AirPlay operating system solution; the Miracast solution, led by the Wi-Fi Alliance and integrated into Android 4.2 and later versions; WiMo, led by China Mobile in China; DLNA Alliance technologies; and other independent solutions that achieve similar functionality using different technical means.
AirPlay is a wireless technology developed by Apple that allows users to wirelessly transfer images, audio, and video data from iOS devices such as iPhones, iPads, and iPod Touches to AirPlay-enabled devices via Wi-Fi. Currently, AirPlay is only available for certified Apple devices and devices from Apple's authorized partners.
DNLA, or Digital Living Network Alliance, is a protocol initiated by manufacturers such as Sony, Intel, and Microsoft to enable interconnection between PCs, mobile devices, and consumer electronics. Its aim is to allow users to "enjoy music, photos, and videos anytime, anywhere." DLNA is similar to Apple's AirPlay, with largely the same protocol; both allow you to cast media content from your phone to a TV screen. Numerous electronic products currently support this standard, including high-end LCD TVs from manufacturers like Samsung and LG, Huawei's home wireless and entertainment gateways, Microsoft's Xbox Kinect 360, and Google TV.
Miracast, developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance in 2012, is a wireless display standard based on Wi-Fi Direct. Devices supporting this standard can wirelessly share video feeds; for example, a mobile phone can use Miracast to play videos or photos directly on a TV or other device without being limited by cable length. Because this technology is relatively new, there are currently not many supported devices. Android devices running Android 4.2 and later versions support this new feature.
Huawei's wireless auxiliary stream solution supports multiple technologies such as AirPlay, DLNA, and Miracast by building WiFi wireless network access into video conferencing equipment, thus achieving full compatibility with smart mobile terminals running iOS and Android operating systems.
Moreover, Huawei's wireless auxiliary stream solution is extremely convenient to use. Upon entering a video conferencing room, users simply need to download and install the client software built into the Huawei video conferencing equipment via the wireless network, and the connection to the Huawei video conferencing terminal will be automatically discovered and established. Users can send a wireless auxiliary stream with a simple click on their personal devices, and switching between multiple speakers is also very simple; a new speaker can send an auxiliary stream with a single click, directly replacing the original speaker.
Huawei's wireless auxiliary streaming solution offers enterprises an effective and convenient innovative way to address the drawbacks and problems of traditional wired auxiliary streaming solutions. With the widespread adoption of WiFi, UPnP, AirPlay, DLNA, and Miracast technologies, intelligent wireless networks will fully cover all types of mobile internet devices in video conferencing rooms, including televisions, speakers, desktop computers, projectors, printers, and multimedia phones. These devices will then be able to discover, connect, and interact with Huawei video conferencing terminals, creating a truly "intelligent video conferencing room." Huawei's video conferencing system will also transform from the traditional single-screen application and human-video conferencing terminal interaction to the integration and interaction of multiple screens and personal mobile office devices with video conferencing terminals, thereby achieving more free, rich, and flexible video communication. In short, Huawei's wireless auxiliary streaming solution showcases the promising future of traditional video conferencing systems embracing and integrating mobile office capabilities.
