Low-cost room-based video conferencing systems

A room-based videoconferencing system having a plurality of videoconferencing stations, each station comprising:

• a computer having video conference imaging means that provides a videoconference image having fewer pixels than a NTSC image;
• a communication link connecting said computer and one or more of said videoconferencing stations for communicating said videoconference images;
• a video graphics card connected to said computer for generating a VGA or higher pixel count image from said video conference image supplied by said computer;
• a NTSC converter connected to said graphics system for converting said VGA or higher pixel count image to a NTSC image;
• a first NTSC television monitor connected to said NTSC converter for displaying said NTSC image;
• and
• a NTSC video camera;
• a video capture card connected to said computer and to said NTSC video camera for digitizing NTSC images supplied by said NTSC video camera;
• a second NTSC monitor connected to said NTSC video camera for displaying images generated by said NTSC video camera.