What is Total Conversation?
A Total Conversation service is an audiovisual conversation service providing bidirectional
symmetric real-time transfer of motion video, text and voice between users in two or more
locations. This real time text differs from instant messaging systems because it is the
transmission bi-directionally of one character at a time. This gives the user the feel of
real-time communication, just like voice or video systems that transport streaming media over
IP. The concept is aimed at providing for rich media real time conversation for all people and
for varying situations. This includes but is not limited to people that are disabled in some way,
e.g. the deaf or hard of hearing, blind etc, but also people who find themselves in a situation where
the complementing media video, real-time text and voice together fulfills the conversation needs much
better than only voice.
Total Conversation is an ITU service description in
ITU-T Rec. F.703
and covers videophone with real time text. Ideally all videophones
should offer "Total Conversation", but in many cases only video and
audio are provided. F.703 is useful not only for the disabled but for
anyone who can benefit from the textual back-up of for example technical
data, language translations, verbal or signed conversations. It has uses
for people who are not only deaf or disabled but people who can’t
communicate in either of the two mediums or do not have the command of
the spoken language used. Total Conversation’s use is useful to document
factual information within videophone calls (e.g. phone numbers and
addresses) without searching for pen and paper. An example would be to
get a flight booking reference when making a travel arrangement. |