PSMail Connect is a new video conferencing service from PSMail. Please see below for the answers to the most frequently asked questions about PSMail Connect.
1. Is there a time limit for a group video conference?
There is a time limit of 6 hours after which all participants will have to rejoin the meeting. However, we do not recommend meetings longer than 2 hours as your browser will slow after sending video and audio data for such an extended time.
2. Is there a participant limit for a group video conference?
The current limit is 254 but we recommend keeping meetings under 25 participants in order to avoid latency and possible tile limitations on browsers.
3. Is it possible for a participant to share his/her screen (to show a Power Point presentation, for example) during a group conference?
The moderator can share his/her screen but only when using a computer; screen sharing is not possible on the mobile apps for iPhone or Android. In order to share the screen, the moderator will need to find the tile in the bottom right corner that has the option to “Share Screen.”
4. Is it secure to share my screen with PSMail Connect?
Sharing your screen requires privileges that are system level to be allowed. This is safe to do as long as your browser remains up to date. Giving sharing privileges to your browser is specific to each website. For example when you give privileges for connect.psmail.net, your browser does not provide privileges to share your screen with other websites.
5. What other specific privileges does the moderator (organizer) of the meeting have during a video conference?
The person who organizes the meeting is the moderator. The moderator has privileges that he/she alone can use. One such privilege is the ability to “Mute Everyone” in order to control the flow of the discussion. Also, as mentioned above, the moderator can share his/her screen with the other participants. Once the moderator has ended a meeting, all the participants will be forced to leave the conference itself (moderators and then all participants can “Rejoin” a meeting that has been accidentally closed). There is a six day window in which a meeting that has ended can be reopened and used again.
At this time only ONE moderator is allowed per meeting, and we have not provided the ability to designate moderator privileges to other users; by default the moderator is whoever organized/set up the meeting.
6. Can I Invite a person after a meeting has begun? How will they be notified?
Yes, you can use the “Invite” button at the top right of your meeting screen to invite any person, even in the middle of a meeting. When using the app, there is a down arrow icon on the top left corner of your phone which can be used to minimize the video and visit the PSMail Connect administration screen to invite other participants.
7. Do non-PSMail users need an account to join a PSMail Connect conference?
Non-PSMail users do NOT need to create an account in order to join a meeting. They will need to use the meeting ID and the meeting password to login. The link they get as an invitation includes this information; they just need to enter their email address to identify themselves.
Non-PSMail mobile users can use the free “PSMail Connect” app, which is supported on both iPhone and Android platforms. Non-PSMail PC users can use their browser; there is NO need for installing any software if your browser is modern and supports camera and mic access.
8. Is it possible to download a setup exe. of Psmail Connect instead of downloading the app from the app stores?
PSMail Connect uses a browser, so there is no need for a fully-installed client for each participant. They can join the meeting without having to download or install anything. They should make sure, however, that their browser permits microphone and camera access (which is almost always the case with a modern browser).
9. How much bandwidth is needed to use PSMail Connect?
At minimum, you will need at least 128kbps bandwidth for reasonable voice and 256kbps for video at Low Definition (LD).
10. Does PSMail Connect have “end-to-end” encryption?
All communications are encrypted but NOT end-to-end as FaceTime and WhatsApp claim. It is all terminated on the server. So decryption is possible on the server, just like in the case of email. We do not record anything like voice or chat data; we only log sessions for debugging (again, like with email).