July 2021 Summaries

In this tutorial, we learn how to fetch and playback recorded videos from a React Native application using Agora cloud recording. The author provides step-by-step instructions on setting up an Agora developer account, Amazon AWS account, and Heroku account. They also explain the process of enabling cloud recording in the Agora console, creating an S3 bucket for storing video recordings, and adding a bucket policy to make files accessible by all users. The tutorial concludes with information on deploying the back end using Heroku and building the app using React Native components. Additionally, it discusses security considerations for making video recordings private in production environments.

On July 15, 2021, Agora released version 3.5.0 of its Native SDK. The update includes new features such as virtual backgrounds for Android and iOS in beta, and access to raw video data using native languages Java for Android and Swift/Objective-C for iOS/macOS. Improvements include automatic optimisation for camera capture on iOS, better control over video whiteness and colour richness, and support for the Apple M1 simulator. The SDK is now also available through Swift Package Manager for iOS and Maven Central for Android.

In this tutorial, we will develop a web application that supports muting and unmuting the video and audio streams of remote users in a group video calling application using the Agora Web SDK and the Agora RTM SDK. The prerequisites for this project include basic working knowledge of JavaScript, JQuery, Bootstrap, and Font Awesome, an Agora developer account, the Agora Web SDK, and the Agora RTM SDK. We will first set up the HTML structure with necessary UI elements such as buttons for joining, leaving, and muting/unmuting. Then we will add custom CSS to match the site with a blue Agora-based theme. The JavaScript code uses the Agora Web SDK to create clients, audio and video tracks, join channels, publish streams, and subscribe to remote users' streams. Finally, we will incorporate the main functionality: muting remote video and audio tracks using the Agora RTM SDK by creating a RTM client, logging in, joining a channel, getting a list of all users in the RTM channel, handling MemberLeft and MemberJoined callbacks, sending peer-to-peer messages for mute/unmute actions, and adding a logout function. The finished product is available on GitHub, and a demo can be seen in action at the provided link.

In this tutorial, we will develop a web application that highlights active speakers in a group video calling application using the Agora Web SDK. The project requires basic knowledge of JavaScript, JQuery, and Bootstrap, as well as an Agora developer account. We start by setting up the HTML structure and adding CSS to match the site with an Agora-based theme. Then we add the JS code that uses the Agora Web SDK for group video calling functionality. Finally, we incorporate the main feature: highlighting any user who's speaking through a blue box shadow around their video stream by enabling the volume indicator and using the callback to report the volumes every two seconds. The finished product is available on GitHub, and a demo can be seen in action.

Yaniv Elmadawi, Agora VP of Solutions and Technology Services, explains that the highest resolution is not always the best choice for real-time video applications. Factors such as app usage, targeted users, devices, and environment should be considered when deciding on a resolution. While high resolutions are common in on-demand video streaming like Netflix or Hulu, they may not be necessary for real-time interactive video chat and streaming. Real-time video requires no buffering time and has different technical tradeoffs compared to VOD. Agora's RTE Platform supports various voice and video chat and streaming use cases with its low-latency network, secure SDKs, and flexible APIs.

This tutorial guides developers on how to integrate video calling features into their applications using vanilla JavaScript and the Agora Web 3.x SDK. The Agora Video SDK abstracts away the details of maintaining a low-latency video server, load balancing, and listening to end-user events. The tutorial covers setting up an application structure with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files, creating a client object, joining a channel, publishing a video feed into the channel, handling remote users' view appropriately, and testing the project. It also provides resources for further learning about building applications using Agora SDKs.

Agora has introduced support for Swift Package Manager (SwiftPM), a package dependency manager integrated with Xcode, making it easier to integrate its SDKs into iOS applications. The available packages include AgoraRtcEngine_iOS, AgoraUIKit_iOS, AgoraAudio_iOS, and AgoraRTM_iOS for iOS devices, as well as AgoraRtcEngine_macOS, AgoraAudio_macOS, and AgoraRTM_macOS for macOS. To add a package dependency, users can follow the steps provided in Xcode. This update eliminates the need to install CocoaPods or generate an *.xcworkspace file, streamlining the process of integrating Agora SDKs into applications.

In this tutorial, we learn how to add in-call statistics to an iOS app using the Agora UIKit CocoaPod. The process involves setting up an Agora video calling project and installing the necessary CocoaPod. We then access and display statistics for local and remote videos, as well as other important call aspects like bandwidth and CPU usage. The tutorial also covers how to use delegate methods to get stats for local and remote videos, and provides examples of additional stats available through the Agora Video Streaming SDK.

This tutorial demonstrates how to remove background from a video stream using the chroma keying technique via the Agora SDK in an Agora-based video calling application. The author provides step-by-step instructions on setting up the project, initializing the Agora client, and implementing background removal. They also discuss basic terms related to media streams and tracks, as well as testing the implementation. The tutorial concludes with a note on potential optimizations and additional resources for further exploration.

This blog by Prakhar Soni demonstrates how to integrate Agora Video SDK 4.x with a React application to enable group video calling feature. The author provides a step-by-step guide on creating a bare-bones React application and integrating the SDK, along with an overview of the front-end architecture and application architecture. The tutorial also includes information about signing up with Agora, prerequisites, and additional resources for further features. The code base for this tutorial is available on GitHub.