H.323


H.323

(communications, standard)The ITU-T standard for sendingvoice (audio) and video using IP on a LAN withoutQoS.

H.323 includes Q.931 for call setup, H.225 for callsignalling, H.245 for exchanging terminal capabilities,RTP/RTCP for packet streaming, G.711/G.712 forCODECs, and several other protcols, many of which need tobe negotiated to setup a simple voice call.

The complexity of H.323 has lead to the IETF proposing thesimpler alternatives SIP and MGCP/Megaco.

H.323

An ITU standard for real-time voice and videoconferencing over packet networks, including LANs, WANs and the Internet. Although H.323 is a very comprehensive standard that supports voice, video, data, application sharing and whiteboarding, the parts relating to audio protocols have been widely used for IP telephony applications.

H.323 defines various elements including media gateways for conversion to packets, gatekeepers for call control and multipoint control units (MCUs) for conferencing. Following are the various protocols referenced under the H.323 umbrella. See videoconferencing, codec, H.225, H.245, IP telephony, gatekeeper, SIP and MGCP/MEGACO.

Standard Function G.711 Audio codec G.722 Audio codec G.723 Audio codec G.728 Audio codec G.729 Audio codec H.261 Video codec H.263 Video codec H.264 Video codec H.225 Call control H.245 Control messages Q.931 Connection messages RAS Control channel T.120 Data collaboration