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Google WebRTC: Can It Replace Skype?

Posted by Roblimo on from the the-battle-of-the-computer-industry-giants-heats-up dept.

mikejuk writes "Google WebRTC, all open source, is part of the web revolution that allows one browser to talk directly to another without the need for a server getting involved. WebRTC is an API that used the new P2P web API to allow developers to implement audio and video communications using direct P2P links between browsers. This really is a game changer." And, while this feature doesn't seem to have gotten a lot of attention so far, Google Voice can call landline and cell phones for a small fee, just like Skype.

3 of 199 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Great Opertunity For Google by Yvan256 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It's also a great opportunity for Apple to (finally) open the specifications for FaceTime, as they said they would when they introduced it.

  2. Yo Dawg, by clarkn0va · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I heard you like an OS in your OS, so I put an app in your app so you can experience the reinvention of every app while you surf the web.

    I'm not sure I like this trend of taking every piece of software functionality, making it work inside a browser, and then treating it like it's something new. I feel like I'm back in the 90s, where every new song on the radio was some old song sung by a new person.

    --
    I am literally 3000 tokens away from the chaotic crossbow --Stephen
  3. WebRTC Open Code is missing important bits by Tester · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The WebRTC code that was released is missing many important bits that are required to compete against Skype. The most important is probably a bandwidth management engine, the code that's currently public just sends at a pre-configured bitrate. That means it can only do low resolution video with a shitty quality.

    That said, Google Talk in GMail and Android have a dynamic bitrate stuff, and I expect they will be released at some point. I should also mention that Farsight2/Farstream using in Empathy and Pidgin are currently gaining the same kind of bandwidth management that Google is doing. So we should get at least two independent open implementations soon.