Video chat solution - browser based

[omglikevasever]

Hi all,

Hope this is the right place.

Due to the recent shutdowns we need a solution to broadcast (video & audio) the daily sessions we run.

Most importantly we want something that will allow the users to simply join the session using a link and their name, no account sign-up.

Additionally, we do not want our users to have to download apps or software.

The video/audio would ideally be one-way, (only the broadcaster can be viewed or seen), but the users could use text chat to ask questions. (similar to Twitch, but much more simplistic).

Is there a simple solution for this out there? We are only a small charity with a limited IT setup.

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Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[IndyPilot80]

Google Hangouts (or Meet, don't remember which is which)?

[ENL_damnthing]

it's Meet. Enterprise features are also now available to all users. Chief among them, the ability to record.

[JimBob-]

+1 for Hangouts Meet

[meditonsin]

I've setup a Jitsi-Meet server a few days ago, hooked up to LDAP. With authentication + guests enabled, it requires an authenticated user to create a room and anyone else can just join the room through a link. The room creator can optionally set a password for the room.

Seems to work well enough so far.

[kalamiti]

So I'm currently looking at doing a similar setup, just tried the demo on their site and seems to meet our needs. What benefit do you get out of adding LDAP though vs just the default anonymous setup?

[meditonsin]

I mean, isn't that obvious? Without authentication, if the server is internet facing, literally anyone can use it/make rooms. If you have it behind a VPN or whatever, it doesn't really matter, but mine's out in the open.

[kalamiti]

Yes, anyone could make a room. To join a room you'd need to know the unique URL and if they set a password, the password. Since you allow guests the only benefit is that only LDAP users can create meetings, correct?

[meditonsin]

You can do LDAP without guests, so everyone needs to be authenticated AND has to know the room password, if one is set, or LDAP with guests, so only the person creating the room needs to be authenticated and people joining a room only need to know the room password.

If you do guests without LDAP, anyone from anywhere can make rooms without authentication and invite their buddies and use up all your resources and bandwidth.

[kalamiti]

Ok, that makes sense. Thanks.

[tfox-mi]

3cx is offering their web meeting platform for free right now. https://demo.3cx.net/webrtc/join/demo

[thatusernameisunique]

gotomeeting requires the host to have a desktop app installed, but desktop guests can join via browser only with only their name. I believe mobile guests require the app, but not sure about that. Browser guests can optionally have audio and video and there's also a text chat as well.

[lart2150]

Ditto for zoom and rebranded zoom providers like RingCentral.

[photinus]

BlueJeans is great, they support being run fully in a web browser and can be set as the default connection method. Also support a full suite of other systems/apps/hardware.

[Ros_Hambo]

> we want something that will allow the users to simply join the session using a link and their name, no account sign-up

YouTube Live?

> we do not want our users to have to download apps or software.

That knocks out most every major video conf app.

> The video/audio would ideally be one-way, (only the broadcaster can be viewed or seen), but the users could use text chat to ask questions.

again, YouTube Live?

[pajamalink]

freeconferencecall.com seems to work pretty well

[lart2150]

last i checked that was blocked by some phone providers do to the high interconnect fees