Tips and Training >> Definitions >> X-Meeting
What is X-Meeting?
Video conferencing for the Mac OS X platform is possible using an application called X-Meeting.
X-Meeting is a result of a collaboration effort from many people that collectively work on the H323Plus project which was formerly the OpenH323 project.
X-Meeting requires Mac OS 10.4 or later and it uses the H.323 and SIP protocols which means it offers general compatibility Microsoft Windows NetMeeting and standards compliant H.323 and SIP codecs.
FaceTime vs X-Meeting
FaceTime is Apple Inc.'s proprietary video conferencing application. FaceTime works well on Mac OS and iOS devices but it does not interoperate with traditional standards compliant H.263 or H.264 Video Conferencing equipment on H.323 or H.320 networks.
X-Meeting is both open source and standards based and so it is generally compatible with Tandberg, Polycom, LifeSize, Sony and other video conferencing products that use standards based algorithms but not Apple's FaceTime.
Polycom PVX vs X-Meeting
Polycom PVX Software is a low cost solution for H.323 standards based video communication and it runs on personal computers. This software application from Polycom can be downloaded and setup to run within minutes on Microsoft Windows based computers. Support is available from Polycom and its large reseller base and Polycom assures that its software will interoperate with other H.323 standards compliant video conferencing codecs.
X-Meeting is also standards compliant, however it is supported by a user community. The application is most widely installed and compatible with Apple products such as the Mac OS X version 10.4 and higher. X-Meeting, while capable of interoperating with standards compliant H.323 devices, does not have the explicit support commitment of a commercial enterprise whereas the Polycom PVX software does.
Advantages of X-Meeting
Standards based video communication means wide connectivity. X-Meeting is an open source (meaning free) application that is standards compliant and therefore generally interoperable with most video standards compliant conferencing systems.
Additionally, X-Meeting is a free application and the support community for X-Meeting is extremely broad and helpful. X-Meeting will undergo continued improvement over time and so its interoperability feature set may continue to improve.
Disadvantages of X-Meeting
Support for X-Meeting is user and forum based. While there are thousands of users that work with X-Meeting daily, at any moment, it may be difficult to find helpful users that are online and responsive to questions for assistance.
Most mainstream manufacturers of video conferencing equipment do not commit that their systems support connectivity to X-Meeting clients, even though X-Meeting is standards compliant.
Contact TKO for help today
