Meeting24.tv is a new web conference system that lets up to 24 users simultaneously hold meetings online through an extra-simple UI. The service is offered by WIT, a Tokyo-based research lab (meeting.24 is available in both English and Japanese). Utagoe, the same Tokyo- (and San Jose)-based company that runs Utagoe Live 100 (FriendFeed for video streams), developed the streaming technology behind it.
Like Utagoe Live 100, meeting24.tv also has a similar minimalistic feel to it, which is supposed to make it easy for anyone to use – even those with little web experience. The service is based on the assumption that other online meeting solutions such as TokBox (which we covered three times), Cisco’s Webex, Polycom or Skype are just too complex.
In fact, meeting24.tv tries to be useful through its lack of functions. There is no client installation needed, no registration, no document sharing, no video mail, no contact list and even no text chatting (short Twitter-style messaging is possible, though). And meeting.24 is simple indeed, and it’s also free in its basic version.
I tried the service out with a few participants within Japan (where I live), in Europe and the US and everything worked flawlessly.
Only the organizer of the planned meeting is required to sign up and receives a dedicated URL (which looks something like http://meeting24.tv/meetings/page/tc_japan). The URL can then be mailed to a maximum of 24 users who just have to click on the link to go to the “meeting room”. They are then instantly able to see and talk to the other participants for up to 24 hours before the lights go out. (You can then add another meeting room with a different URL for free.)
But $100 a month get you a pro account, which lets you use a single meeting room without limitations and protect access with a password (users of the free version also get to see ads). The fee is a bit on the steep side, but in this economy holding meetings online should be a particularly attractive option for many companies trying to push down travel expenses.
What is the voice quality like? Does this include audio conferencing too? It doesn’t look very secure for enterprise use.
It’s possible to use meeting24.tv for audio conferencing when you turn off the camera (did I understand you correctly?).
The video and audio quality was very good in my tests.
So lets try it….
http://meeting2...ec83eace6cb5d14
How much bandwidth it takes? Is it sent as 1 channel or 24 channels??? Is there option to adjust quality depending on bandwidth available?
Required bandwidth is 400kbps at most for 24 channels. (not 1 channel)
Quality is adjusted automatically. (it is the core technology of this)
Is it for both Mac and PC?
Yes, we can use both Mac and PC.
I think the ’simpler is better’ approach is correct here, and the free service could be something of interest if executed well. But 100 bucks month for the next level of service? Then there are better options for small business which will want more features.
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The marketplace for audio and video conferencing services is getting hotter. With this sluggish economy big companies will probably cut out on expenses like – travelling.
The TOS is written in Japanese. Used Google translator to see it in my native language.
I tried testing this service a few times because I of how much I despise all the competitors in this space but this is just way too slow, buggy, and really not that simple.
If you want to checkout someone that’s simplifying at least one component of online meetings (screensharing), check out these guys. http://www.miko...om/Welcome.aspx – not a great looking site but it works.
Very buggy. Crapped out for me a few times when trying it.
This looks interesting. I signed up but forgot about the activation when it went to junk.
They should really get an English version of their ToS if they´re pursuing English speaking users.