What Makes swyMed’s Technology Different?

While some well-known companies in the telemedicine industry have recently been in the headlines for growing pains, swyMed has firmly established itself as the leader in connecting providers and patients in circumstances that other platforms rarely even try. If the local network is overcrowded or has sparse coverage, causing fluctuating or poor network conditions, how can an application hold a steady connection to the internet or cloud server? swyMed has found a way to do exactly that.

Despite the apparent omnipresence of cell phone communications, reliable live video technology is far from everywhere. Video calls must process high volumes of data instantly and require a stronger, more stable network connection than audio calls, emails, or simple data sharing. The human eye and ear are very sensitive to disturbances, and in the natural flow of a conversation, a quarter-second glitch is a noticeable interruption.  The issue is compounded with the addition of shared content. This is where video communications platforms tend to stumble: The poor connection creates delay, packet loss, and jitter, which then lead to videos freezing, lost information, and frustration.

So how does swyMed overcome this problem? In a nutshell, it uses a patented data transport protocol to minimize data loss and reduce bottlenecks. This means that data is preserved more accurately and can be transmitted securely in low-bandwidth situations where bottlenecks are more likely to occur. 

• To view an animation that demonstrates how this works, visit swyMed-video-test and scroll down to the “Why is this relevant?” button.

The swyMed data transport process runs smoothly and quietly “behind the scenes” to deliver crisp, polished audio and video consultations. To quantify the difference in video call quality between swyMed and other platforms, a head-to-head comparison was performed using a movie clip and simulated network issues. Two key metrics were measured for swyMed and five well-known video conference solutions: 

1. The Video Multi-Method Assessment Fusion (VMAF) uses mathematical models to evaluate the quality of the transmitted video as compared to that of the original video. A higher score indicates a more accurate and synchronized video transmission and receipt.

2. The Difference between Mean Opinion Score (DMOS) estimates what people’s perceived quality of the video received would be. In this method, the quality of both the reference video and transmitted video are rated not based on pixel by pixel match, but by whether the “failures” in transmission would be noticed by a person (based on an algorithmic model not actual people). A lower score means that the output video more closely mimics the input video as it would be judged by the human eye.

The full data reports are available for private viewing, as are the recordings of the reference and transmitted videos via each platform. For a more tangible comparison, all of these videos have been made available as well; the transmitted videos can be played simultaneously, allowing the viewer to see how faithfully each application reproduces the reference video. In other words, does the video keep freezing? Is it choppy or smooth? Does it play in real-time like the reference video, or are there delays?

• To view the test videos, click here. Select a video conferencing vendor, then click “Play videos.” The recordings made by swyMed and the chosen platform will run side-by-side for a real-time comparison.

As you watch the videos, consider: 

• If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is a video worth?
• How large an impact does a video’s quality have on its value?
• What is the minimum standard for an acceptable telehealth video call?

Call us biased, but we feel confident that swyMed’s delivery of video quality, even in low-bandwidth or poor network conditions, will impress you. Rather than take our word for it, we encourage you to view the videos and data for yourself and form your own conclusions. For a live demo, contact us here. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have.