[RESOLVED] Web Chat Application

So anybody did a similar application already?

It has to handle text-based, video and voice chat with teleconferencing capability.

On initial research I've found that a lot of people use Flash Media Server for developing such applications.

Then I was told to find a "cheap" way to do it and indeed there is the Java Media Framework but from what I can understand it requires a Media Server (separate) to be able to support the latter functions.

I'd like to know what others use and what difficulties they faced. :wave:

Here is a demo project somebody made to build a chat application using the WCF and WPF libraries in C# 2008. It probably wouldn't be too diffiucult to add handling for video and audio streams to that.

Or you could just download Skype or something.

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Originally Posted by Tom Sawyer

Here is a demo project somebody made to build a chat application using the WCF and WPF libraries in C# 2008. It probably wouldn't be too diffiucult to add handling for video and audio streams to that.

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WCF isn't really meant for constant streaming of video of audio. You'd want to use an old fashion socket connection for that. Http could work as well.

Wasn't WCF meant to be a wrapper library for all the socket and connection stuff?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tom Sawyer

Wasn't WCF meant to be a wrapper library for all the socket and connection stuff?

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WCF is more of a lighter web service. It exposes itself as a web service and all data has to be Xml or Binary serialized to go through WCF. WCF can use Http, Tcp or Name pipe protocols which is nice but i'd be hesitant to use it for streaming media since so much serialization occurs.

And I wouldn't use it for TCP on a Vista server (you can't use TCP on IIS on any other OS). It's got the potential, but the environment for it isn't 'out' yet IMEO. Windows 2008, perhaps? So that eliminates TCP and leaves you with HTTP. So I'd agree with kasracer that WCF isn't a good idea for this particular application.

oh yes I forgot about this post.

The managers thought to assign the project to the consultants.

Besides, they want to have an application that would have no expense when it comes to technologies being used. So for that they found Red5