Jitsi
- Jitsi
3.1. Connection and Video Quality:
Jitsi could not persuade within our test when it comes to video or sound quality.
The video stream was of low resolution and showed artifact, the sound performed a
constant background noise. Nevertheless Jitsi used up to 2650 kbit/s upload to
stream a webcam picture with 720p@30fps. During the hole test we experienced
bad network connectivity and a high bandwidth load.
3.2. Functions:
Conferences in Jitsi can be used alongside a chat. Jitsi allows screen-sharing and
the share of Youtube content as well as a function to blur the video background.
3.3. Usability/Interface:
The user interface of Jitsi is easy to access and use. The ratio of different webcam
streams are displayed and can be modified. Jitsi offers a fast insight into streaming-
and network-information like frame rate, resolution and latency as well as up –
load and download on a click to the connection sign in the top left corner of each
streaming picture. A slider to match your own streaming quality to your bandwidth
is available. Sadly this slider was not working during our test and on adjustment
the stream kept its bandwidth without any change to the (poor) quality.
3.4. Accessibility:
Jitsi can be accessed with a browser or an installed client-software. The browser
version was tested with Chrome and Firefox. During our test using Jitsi in Firefox
lead to crashes of the browser from time to time while using Jitsi in Chrome we ex –
perienced a drop in video and audio quality and trouble in setting the confirmation
to use the microphone and webcam inside the browser connecting to Jitsi. To use
Jitsi in the desktop-app registration of an account is required. Meetings can easily
be setup over our institutes site at: https://jitsi.fhi.mpg.de/ . The meeting can be
accessed with a link or invitation from the client.
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Pricing:
Jitsi is a free open source video conference system. There are no additional
charges to use it and download of the client is free.
3.5. Data Protection:
Meeting rooms in Jitsi only exist during the meeting itself. When nobody attends
the meeting anymore the room is deleted. Jitsi uses a peer to peer connection for
meetings between two participants. Both facts we regards as positive for security.
For multi-user meetings a server solution is necessary. The complete traffic going
through Jitsi is encrypted and meeting rooms are optional password secured. The
server installation of Jitsi at the FHI is entirely run by PP&B on server systems onpremise
at the institute.
3.6. Conclusion:
Jitsi is a simple video conference tool with all the core features needed. Even
though it has a convincing data security we cannot recommend this tool for profes –
sional use like collaboration calls, group meetings or business meetings due to the
poor video and audio quality and the network and software issues during the test.
Jitsi probably is the best free to use tool to have a fast path to a video conference
for a private meeting if run on a sufficient internet connection.