6.5.1. General (informative)

Clause 6.5 (Video communications) provides performance requirements that support users who communicate using sign language and lip-reading. For these users, good usability is achieved with Common Intermediate Format (CIF) resolution, a frame rate of 20 frames per second and over, with a time difference between speech audio and video that does not exceed 100 ms.

When the resolution is reduced to Quarter Common Intermediate Format (QCIF) and the frame rate drops to 12 frames per second the communication is still usable with some restrictions.

A lower resolution causes less disturbance to the perception of sign language and lip-reading than that caused by a lower frame rate.

Delay can be a problem in video communication. Overall delay values below 0,4 s are preferred, with an increase in preference down to 0,1 s. Values over 0,8 s are felt to hinder a good sign conversation. Overall delay depends on multiple factors, including e.g. network delay and video processing. For this reason a testable requirement on minimum values for overall delay cannot be produced.

Testing methods

This clause is informative only and contains no requirements requiring test.