still-frame videophone
Quick Summary
The term "still-frame videophone" refers to a device that captures and transmits a single video image over standard telephone lines. Unlike full-motion video, these devices do not require real-time transmission, allowing them to operate with commercially available modems at speeds of 2.4 to 9.6 kilobits per second.1
This technology emerged in the late 1980s as companies began developing videophones that could function over the public switched telephone network (PSTN). While early attempts at full-motion videophones, like AT&T's Picturephone, were financially unsuccessful due to high costs and limited functionality, still-frame videophones offered a more accessible option for visual communication.12
The concept of transmitting images alongside sound has roots in the 1870s, with formal experiments beginning in the 1920s. However, it wasn't until the development of digital compression and increased bandwidth that videoconferencing, including still-frame technology, became more practical and widespread.21
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