Survey of programs for command voice communication. Voice Services

Voice communication has already become the standard for multiplayer games where team interaction is provided. If suddenly you begin to notice that the enemy determines your location too accurately and knows where to look for you, do not rush to accuse him of using dishonest methods - it is likely that the opponents are talking to each other using one of the specialized utilities for in-game communication.

Specialized software independent of the game, so that you can communicate constantly. Of the existing programs, we will highlight the popular Ventrilo package, the configuration of which will be discussed in more detail. Its client is free, unlike the server part, so it can be freely downloaded from the official website (ventrilo.com/download.php).

Immediately after installation, go to the settings (Setup button) and specify the devices for outputting and receiving sound. In our case, this is a built-in sound card, so in the fields input device And output device choose the same item. Be sure to check the boxes Use Direct Sound- this will allow you to specify special settings for each of the partners. Detailed volume control ( Amplifiers) is located just below - here you can increase or mute the incoming and outgoing signal if necessary.

In normal mode, the program works automatically, turning on the microphone if the input signal volume threshold is exceeded. However, this is not always convenient and correct - any sneeze or noise in the room will fall into the channel. To avoid this, we recommend using the PTT (Push to Talk) system. Just activate the item Use Push To Talk Hotkey, click on the input field with the mouse and press the key you want to use to activate the voice transmission.

Before connecting to any server, check to see if you can be heard. There are two buttons for this. Monitor And test. The first allows you to monitor the sound level without listening, and the second includes a test mode in which the program will respond to button presses and conversations, but the signal will only be transmitted to your headphones and nowhere else. It is also a good way to check the sound quality when using different codecs.

By clicking the Server button, we get to the window for adding a new connection. Here you need to enter the normal or IP address of the server, port and password(if necessary). You can also immediately specify the channel to which the user will automatically go after connecting to the server. The additional items below are not that important, and it is advisable to leave them activated.

A feature of Ventrilo is the ability to adjust the volume of individual users. To do this, right-click on the name and select Miscellaneous→Special Effects add from right column to left Volume, after which a window with the adjustment slider will appear. You can change the set parameter at any time by opening this panel again and pressing the button Properties. If necessary Volume deactivated by moving it back with Remove.

Let's take a closer look at the server channels window. By default, the user, after connecting, goes to the root directory, then in most cases he will need to select the desired room and enter it. To do this, simply double-click on the name of the selected channel. Note that users on different channels cannot hear each other because the rooms are isolated. Next to each name is a loudspeaker icon that changes color when the microphone is turned on.

Certain channels are protected by a password - do not confuse it with the one required to connect to the server.

Control buttons are located on the right side of the window. First - Disconnect- disconnects from the server, Comment opens a window with the ability to add a comment, displayed immediately after your nickname (for example, AFK if you have moved away from the keyboard) or even the website URL. Chat allows you to conduct text correspondence with other users of the server. Alas, by default there is no one there, and only those who activated this function by pressing a button get into the chat.

At the bottom there are also very necessary items, by marking which you can temporarily turn off the incoming sound ( Mute sound) and a microphone along with the activation key assigned to it ( Mute Microphone/Binds).

Alternative clients

The new version of the main competitor Ventrilo appeared quite recently, and it is worth noting the significantly increased functionality of the package, as well as its redesign. Offline text messages, the ability to share files, record a signal using Teamspeak itself. And finally, separate volume control for all clients.

The main advantage of Mumble is its open source code, thanks to which the community is constantly improving the package and releasing additional skins for it. Free and server part called Murmur. There are versions for both Windows and Mac OS X, Linux. Its functionality is enough for basic tasks.

It's no secret that one of the important factors for victory is voice communication , which allows you to correctly adjust the interaction of the team.
To your attention, there are 3 most popular programs that allow you to implement this function.

Mumble

Free, open source, cross-platform VoIP application. Includes a special technology ("Sound Positioning") that allows you to make the sound of other players' voices dependent on their specific location in the game.

What is Mumble?
It is an open source voice conferencing client.
What is Murmur?
This is a Mumble voice chat server for users to communicate online.
Why is it better than Ventrilo or Teamspeak3?
Ventrilo server - commercial and ordinary users it is not available. Installing a server on your host is almost impossible. You can only rent a server from Ventrilo representatives.
Teamspeak3 is also commercial. The free version has a limit on a certain number of slots. The quality of communication leaves much to be desired.

raid call

A computer program designed specifically for voice communication using VoIP technology. Programs of this type are most often used by gamers, but they can be used wherever you need to maintain voice communication, or coordinate the actions of a certain group of people. Created on the modern Speex audio engine, which allows you to effectively reduce echo (noise) and improve the quality of the transmitted / received signal.
Raidcall is more or less similar in functionality to such programs as (Skype, TeamSpeak, Ventrilo). There are a number of pros and cons.
The guarantor that the software is a quality product was made in 2011 by two well-known gaming teams Fnatic and SK Gaming, for which Raidcall became a sponsor.

TeamSpeak 3

A computer program designed for voice communication on the Internet using VoIP technology. It differs from a classic phone by an almost unlimited number of subscribers talking at the same time. Most of all, this is similar to a multi-channel walkie-talkie in which you can use several channels at the same time. At the same time, all the options developed earlier for the convenience of using radios in the field (combat) conditions are available. Programs of this type are intended primarily for gamers, but can be used wherever voice communication and coordination of a large group of people is needed.
It is worth noting that such services can be implemented within the gaming applications themselves, where communication between participants and coordination of actions are essential for the gaming process. There are programs with a similar set of features, such as Ventrilo, Skype, Roger Wilco, Mumble, TeamTalk. and TeamSpeak are the most popular programs among computer users

There is no point in arguing that for the normal operation of a smartphone, the full disclosure of its potential, access to high-speed mobile Internet LTE or 4G is simply necessary. In this case, data transfer on the network is very fast: you can comfortably watch movies online, play games and surf the pages of social networks serenely.

How does the operator solve this problem?

The time-tested CSFB (Circuit-Switched Fallback) technology is used. At the moment when you get a call or you initiate a call yourself, the operator transfers the subscriber from LTE mode to 2G or 3G. At the end of the call, the connection is again maintained in 4G format. On the one hand, this is a rather complicated scheme, once again loading both the mobile network and the user's receiving equipment. On the other hand, the subscriber almost does not notice this, the switching takes place automatically and relatively quickly. However, the key word here is “relatively”, because on different devices the cooldown time can be from 4 to 20 seconds.

What is VoLTE

The way out of this situation promises to be a new product in the domestic communications market - Voice over LTE ("voice over LTE"), abbreviated as VoLTE. The introduction of this communication format eliminates the dilemma: in order to make a call, there is no need to switch to 2G / 3G - everything happens right on the LTE frequency. That is, voice communication is carried out via high-speed Internet LTE (4G), just as it is done in Skype or Viber. Some will understand the analogy with the IP-telephony protocol SIP.

This allows you to stay in the 4G network even during a call, since voice traffic is now transmitted digitally along with the rest of the data received and transmitted (photos, videos, web pages).

What specifically benefits the subscriber

1. High connection speed

If now, with the usual connection algorithm, the call time is from 5 s (in the 3G band), then with Voice over LTE you will hardly have to wait. The smartphone will take from 0.25 to 2.5 seconds to establish a connection with another subscriber. Such an improvement will be immediately noticeable and will make daily use of the gadget more enjoyable.

1. Calls and internet at the same time

Since there is no need to exit the 4G mode, the mobile device may not interrupt the reception and transmission of real-time data. Even at the time of the conversation, you have a fast Internet connection, downloading selected content or social networking continues.

1. Battery saving

An unexpected plus of VoLTE is the ability to save battery power on your smartphone. Firstly, the device no longer needs to spend a lot of energy on throwing between 4G, 3G and 2G, as it used to be. Secondly, the new format provides a special battery saving mode called DRX. In this mode, the signal from the base station is not received continuously, but intermittently. In other words, the smartphone's built-in radio turns on and, as a result, consumes power only intermittently. With VoLTE, your gadget will keep the charge longer not only in standby mode, but also in talk mode.

1. "HD Voice"

One of the most important advantages of Voice over LTE over circuit-switched networks is the high quality of the audio signal. The so-called "HD-voice". This effect is achieved due to more than doubled (in comparison with 3G) frequency range. True, for this it is necessary that both subscribers talk from devices that support VoLTE.

1. Enhanced multimedia services

Among other things, the implementation of the above standard will allow operators to offer you enhanced multimedia services (Rich Communication Services - RCS). The list of available services may include, for example, advanced voice call functionality that allows subscribers to share multimedia content during a call, or the status of a subscriber's communication readiness.

The advantages of introducing VoLTE are obvious. But it is worth considering that:

• while not all smartphone manufacturers are ready to offer a product with support for voice communication in the 4G standard;
• to connect the gadget to VoLTE, additional software, “flashing” may be required;
• Voice over LTE requires high quality coverage, which is not available everywhere in Russia;
• calls in 4G significantly increase the volume of traffic.

Prospects in the Russian market

Despite some difficulties with the introduction of this know-how, VoLTE technology is very promising for the domestic communications market. The main problem in the form of the lack of a legislative framework has been successfully eliminated, and now Russian operators only need to provide the material base for the normal operation of Voice over LTE. Moreover, by 2020 it is planned to launch networks of the fifth generation - 5G.

The high quality of data exchange, including voice, in wireless networks implies, first of all, stability and high speed of information transfer. Work on improving the quality of mobile networks is ongoing and it should be noted that over the past few years, a lot of success has been achieved in this area. More and more new and advanced communication standards are becoming available, for example, Long Term Evolution or LTE for short. This standard is also known as 4G.

According to the specification, the maximum speed that 3G networks can provide is 42 Mb / s, but in reality it rarely exceeds 2-3 Mb / s, while the fourth generation network already now allows you to transfer data at a speed of about 20 Mb / s, a good example what is the Moscow LTE network Megafon. LTE/4G is also good because it is fully compatible with 3G based on UMTS/HSPA and CDMA, which allows it to be implemented without significant infrastructure reconstruction. But LTE also has its drawbacks, of which perhaps the main one is the lack of support for telephone voice communications.

VoLTE - what is it and how does it work

To make calls, the user can switch to 3G, but this is not an option. Instead of returning to aging standards, it is better to use a new technology called VoLTE. But what is VoLTE? If we draw the closest analogy to this new standard, then Skype is one. In VoLTE, as in Skype, the voice is transmitted not via switch channels, but via the Internet. In short, VoLTE is a voice-over-LTE technology that allows you to make calls at high speed, while enjoying all the benefits that a fourth generation network provides.

But that's not all. Previously, when making a voice call, the operator transferred the subscriber from LTE mode to 2G or 3G using the widely used Circuit-Switched Fallback (CSFB) technology.

When the user ended the call, his phone automatically switched to LTE. This time-tested method has, however, a number of disadvantages. In particular, the use of CSFB created an unnecessary load on the mobile network, and also increased the user's connection time with the subscriber, although neither the caller nor the receiver of the call, as a rule, noticed this. With LTE, everything is much faster and easier, because now calls are made within the network itself.

Advantages and disadvantages of the standard

Although VoLTE technology is still in its infancy at the moment, its benefits are quite clear. These include:

• Higher connection speed achieved by eliminating the need to switch the mobile device to GSM or 3G when making a call.
• Higher voice quality. The data transfer rate in 2G and 3G networks is limited, which does not allow the transmission of voice modulation components in full. The bandwidth of LTE is much higher, more voice data is transmitted through such a network, and the use of HD Voice codecs adds volume to the sound and reduces the amount of noise.
• When using VoLTE, simultaneous transmission of voice and other data is possible. In 2G and 3G networks, when making calls, the transfer of Internet traffic was usually temporarily suspended. This is due to the fact that with the simultaneous transmission of voice and other data, the quality of communication dropped sharply, while the load on the network, on the contrary, increased. VoLTE does not have these restrictions.
• Increasing the capacity of cellular networks. The use of VoLTE technology makes it possible to increase the number of subscribers simultaneously using communication compared to 3G up to three times without a significant increase in network load.
• Free calls. Since voice is transmitted in packet mode when using VoLTE, only Internet traffic is consumed. If the user is connected to an unlimited tariff, all calls made by him can be considered as practically free.
• Save battery power. The VoLTE standard provides for a special DRX mode that provides reception of the base station signal with short breaks. During these interruptions, the device's radio is turned off, and therefore the battery consumption is reduced.

These were the main advantages of VoLTE. On the other hand, it has its own set of shortcomings, due to which users often abandon the new technology. At the moment, the main cons are:

• Increased demands on the hardware resources of the mobile phone. The VoLTE operation algorithm must be implemented at the processor level; if the requirements do not meet, the load on the mobile device may increase.
• Limited number of phone models supporting VoLTE. The new technology is supported only by the latest models of mobile devices.
• To ensure the declared sound quality, it is necessary that both the caller and the receiver use VoLTE.
• Difficulties of transition to the new standard by mobile operators. It will be possible to take advantage of VoLTE only after all operators decide to make the standard the main one.
• VoLTE is not supported by all operators and not in all regions due to the lack of appropriate equipment on the towers.
• The presence of vulnerabilities in VoLTE technology.
• The standard may not be available in intranet and international roaming.

How to enable VoLTE on your phone

The use of the new standard is subject to two basic conditions. Firstly, your operator must support it, and secondly, the standard must be supported by the mobile device itself. Everything is more or less clear with the operator, to find out whether he supports the new standard or not, just call the support service. Now let's see what VoLTE is in a phone. This is an option enabled manually or automatically in the mobile settings. If this option is not available in your phone, the VoLTE standard is not supported by either the firmware or the device.

VoLTE is currently supported by more than thirty smartphone models from leading manufacturers. Among them are iPhone, LG, Vertex Saturn, Samsung Galaxy, Sony Xperia and ZTE. How to enable/disable VoLTE? It all depends on the device model. In the iPhone, for example, the VoLTE standard is enabled in the settings Cellular - Data Options - Enable LTE - Voice and Data.

To enable the option in Samsung Galaxy, you need to go through the chain Settings - Connections - Mobile networks - VoLTE calls. In LG smartphones, you need to go to Settings, and then follow the path Networks - Advanced - Mobile networks - VoLTE. VoLTE is turned off in the same place where it was turned on.

Development prospects

Despite the many challenges and hurdles facing VoLTE adoption, the future of the new technology looks very promising, especially given that 5G networks are just around the corner. The main obstacle to the development of the standard - the lack of an appropriate legal framework in Russian legislation - has already been successfully eliminated, now it is up to the leading mobile operators, as well as the users themselves.

However, one should not expect the rapid spread of VoLTE, especially in the regions. There are still too few devices capable of working with this technology in the hands of subscribers of cellular networks, and secondly, there is still no complete and final agreement between operators regarding the transition to a single standard. The victory of VoLTE can only be expected if all operators create and adopt common principles, and also if the standard manages to compete with services that provide voice OTT services.