Jitsi is an open source video conferencing application with high quality and low latency.
The application was developed for ad-hoc video conferences. The more participants you have on a call, the more resources you will need for your hardware.
For optimal use, it is recommended to limit the total number of participants to six.
If you are planning a conference with more than 6 participants, you should keep the use of video and audio streaming to a minimum.
Note: The RHRZ operates the Jitsi server, but cannot provide support for your conferences. Thank you for your understanding.
Start Jitsi video call in the browser
Only use the Chrome browser or the Jitsi client to prevent disruptions that could affect all participants.
Netiquette for video conferences
How to make the video conference a success. Practical tips for all participants.
What is required to use Jitsi?
- Webcam/microphone: Most notebooks already have an integrated webcam and microphone. These may need to be installed/activated. Alternatively, you can connect an external webcam or microphone to your computer.
- Client: As a rule, no additional client is required. The software is used via the web browser.
Create a web conference
- Go to the URL https://jitsi.rptu.de. Enter the web conference name of your choice in the field to the left of the "Start meeting" button or simply use one of the automatically generated names suggested by the system.
- Click on the "Start meeting" button to create and enter your web conference room.
- A pop-up window will now appear at the top of the browser window, click on "Allow" to give your browser authorization for video and audio transmission.
- As the first participant, you are now automatically the moderator of the meeting.
Invite more people
To invite other people, you simply need to provide the URL of your web conference, e.g. in an invitation email as a link to the conference. You can simply copy the URL from the address bar of your browser window and paste it into the invitation email.
You will find further options for inviting additional people via the attendees window. (see Control panel -> Attendees)
If you have assigned a password for the web conference in the security options (under "Other settings"), it is best to communicate the password in a separate message.
The invited persons can now join the web conference by calling up the conference link sent (and entering the password if necessary).
The control panel
If you move the mouse pointer over the control panel, the function of the individual buttons is displayed. The following is a brief overview of the panel functions from left to right:
Activate / deactivate mute (sound settings)
By clicking on the microphone button, you can specify whether your microphone is active or muted. If the microphone button is shown with a dash, your microphone is currently not active.
(Clicking on the small up arrow ^ takes you directly to the sound settings, where you can select and test the available output and input devices).
Start / stop camera (video settings)
By clicking on the camera button, you can specify whether your camera is active and the video image is transmitted to the other participants. If the camera button is shown with a dash, your camera is not active at the moment.
(Clicking on the small up arrow ^ takes you directly to the video settings, where you can select and test the available output and input devices).
Screen sharing
By clicking on this button, you can share individual application windows or the entire desktop instead of your camera image. The first time you use it, you will be prompted to install a plugin (depending on your browser version). If screen sharing does not work immediately after installing the plugin, it usually helps to reload the page. The current version of Google Chrome no longer requires a plugin.
Open / close chat
Clicking this button opens the chat window on the left-hand side of the browser window. Here you can exchange short text messages with the other web conference participants by entering text in the input field.
Report
Use this symbol to virtually raise your hand to signal your wish to speak. In many cases, this facilitates communication in a video conference. When you click on the button, a blue symbol with a hand appears in your preview image. If you click again, it disappears again.
Present (invite more people)
By clicking on the symbol, a list of those present appears on the right-hand side of the browser window.
(You will also find the "Invite person" button above the list. Click on this button to open a pop-up window. There you can copy the conference link to the clipboard and share it with other people).
Switch tile view on/off
Switch the view between full screen and tile view for all participants.
Further settings
This menu item contains further settings which are explained in more detail in the following section.
Exit
Click on the red telephone receiver to end your participation in the web conference and leave the web conference room.
Further settings
Open the other settings in the control panel by clicking on the button with the three dots. You have the following setting options:
Profile
Click on your name ("me" is displayed here if you have not yet entered a name) to open the profile settings. Here you can define your display name.
Quality settings
Here you can set the transmission quality in 4 levels (audio only, low resolution, standard, high resolution).
Full screen mode
You can use this button to display the web conference in full screen mode. Full screen mode can be deactivated again by pressing the ESC button.
Security options
The moderator of your conference can set a password here, which must be entered by the participants before entering the video conference room. If you are not moderating the conference, you will only see whether a password has been set or not.
Share YouTube video
By clicking on this button, a field appears in which you can easily insert the URL of the video; by clicking on "Share", the video is played for all participants.
Share audio
If your browser supports this function, the "Share screen" window will open. Here you also have the option of sharing audio content in the video conference. Select whether you want to share individual application or browser windows or the entire desktop and activate the "Share audio" option at the bottom left of the "Share screen" window.
Select background
You can use this function to select a camera background, e.g. to make things in the background unrecognizable.
Speech statistics
Here you will find statistics on the length of the talk times of the individual participants in the video conference.
Settings
"Devices" tab - here you can select your "Camera" and "Microphone" and check whether the image and sound are working properly.
"Profile" tab - see above.
"More" tab - under this item, you as the moderator can specify whether microphone or camera transmission is deactivated by default when entering the web conference room by setting the options "All participants join muted" or "All participants join without video". If you as the moderator activate the "Follow-me for all participants" option, you determine whose video image is displayed as the large main video for all participants (the same as for yourself). You can also set the language of the user interface here.
Show keyboard shortcuts
Shows an overview of various keyboard shortcuts, e.g. to switch video on/off.
Embed conference
You can use the displayed code fragment to embed the video conference into your website.
Additional moderation functions
When you first enter the web conference room, you will automatically become the moderator of the video conference. You will then be shown the following additional options under "Further settings":
- Start recording (without function/ not supported)
- Mute all
- Switch off all cameras
- Start livestream (without function/ not supported)
Please note that if you mute everyone, for example, you will not be able to unmute them immediately. If necessary, the participants must reactivate their microphone themselves.
FAQ
See "Other settings", sub-item Settings.
There you can select the available devices under "Camera" and "Microphone" by opening the drop-down list.
Ensure that the devices have been installed correctly. An additional driver from the manufacturer may need to be installed.
Some computers/laptops have a special key combination to deactivate the webcam or microphone, make sure that both are activated.
Under Windows 10, there are special authorizations for some devices (e.g. webcam and microphone). These must be activated so that your browser can use them.
The web conferencing service https://jitsi.rptu.de is subject to German data protection law.