LivHub What is video chat
What is video chat?
Video chat is a live, two-way conversation over camera and microphone — both people present at the same moment, both able to see and hear each other, either able to end it. Everything else is a variation on that.
How it differs from the things it gets confused with
- Two-way
Video chat
Both people on camera at the same time, talking. Either side can end it. This is the format on this site.
- Two-way
Video call
The same mechanics, but with someone you already know and usually arranged in advance. The word choice is mostly about whether the other person is a stranger.
- One-way
Live stream
One person broadcasts, many watch and type. Nobody in the audience is on camera.
- Delayed
Video message
You send one, the other person opens it whenever they get round to it. Useful, but it is correspondence — nothing has to happen now.
How it works underneath
Your camera and microphone produce a stream, the browser compresses it and sends it to the other person, and theirs arrives the same way. Modern browsers do this natively through a standard called WebRTC, which is why a site can put you on a call without installing anything.
The practical consequence is that the quality depends on the weaker of the two connections, not on the site. A call that stutters is usually one of the two rooms, not the service between them.
Random video chat, specifically
The variation this site runs is random matching: instead of calling someone you know, you are paired with whoever else is live at that moment. Same technology, different social contract — nobody arranged it, nobody owes anybody a conversation, and either side can move on without it meaning anything.
Common questions
What is video chat, in one sentence?
A live conversation between two people over camera and microphone, where both can see and hear each other at the same moment.
What is the difference between video chat and a video call?
Mechanically, very little. In practice "video call" usually means someone you already know and often something scheduled, while "video chat" covers talking to people you have not met, including strangers matched at random.
Is video chat the same as live streaming?
No. A stream is one person broadcasting to many, and the audience is not on camera. Video chat is two-way — both people are visible to each other and nobody else is watching.
Do you need an app for video chat?
Not necessarily. Modern browsers handle it directly through WebRTC, which is why sites like this one work with a camera permission and nothing installed.
Does video chat use a lot of data?
More than text, less than watching video at high quality. On a phone connection a short call is unremarkable; an hour of it is not something to do on a tight data plan.
Is random video chat a type of video chat?
Yes — it is video chat where the other person is chosen for you rather than by you. Everything else about the format is the same.
Someone is live right now
Open your camera and find out who it is.
Start video chat→