W3C Interview: Bistri on WebRTC for Video Chat Services
by Ian Jacobs, Head of W3C Marketing and Communications
IJ: How did you get started on this project?
AB: Two years ago I decided to create a web-based, peer-to-peer video call system based on the standards-track document that was just an early draft at the time. We raised funds and started following the WebRTC Working Group. To help us start building the product while the different editors were working on the implementation of WebRTC, we worked with Flash, using their protocols. Our first focus was on simplicity and interoperability, while we built our technology-agnostic platform.
IJ: Now you’ve moved to HTML5?
AB: Yes, the Bistri Web application is fully built with HTML5; we only use Flash as a fallback now. As Chrome support for WebRTC has increased, we have seen WebRTC take over the Flash calls.
IJ: What other technologies are you using?
AB: The tool includes text chat, video effects and screen capture as well. So we use XMPP (chat, signaling), HTML5 video, WebRTC, CSS, JavaScript, WebGL (for video effects), Canvas (for screen capture). We plan to use Rich Communication Services (RCS), which is promoted by telcos in Europe in particular.
