System for collaborative conferencing using streaming interactive video

1. A computer-implemented method of operation for a hosting service system which includes a plurality of servers comprising:

running one or more twitch video games or applications on the servers, one or more streams of uncompressed streaming interactive video being generated therefrom;

compressing the one or more streams of uncompressed streaming interactive video, thereby producing one or more compressed streaming interactive video streams;

routing the one or more compressed streaming interactive video streams to a plurality of client devices over the Internet, each of the client devices being located remote to the plurality of servers;

receiving, by one or more of the servers, input transmitted from one or more of the client devices, the input including video input;

integrating the video input into the one or more streams of uncompressed streaming interactive video to produce one or more streams of uncompressed collaborative streaming interactive video;

compressing the one or more streams of uncompressed collaborative streaming interactive video, thereby producing one or more compressed collaborative streaming interactive video streams; and

routing the one or more compressed collaborative streaming interactive video streams to the client devices over the Internet.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the video input is compressed.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the input further includes audio input.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the client devices comprises a mobile communication device having a camera.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising sizing the video input appropriately for each of the client devices depending on characteristics of a display associated with each client device and a corresponding connection between each client device and the servers.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the one or more compressed streaming interactive video streams are compressed with a finite latency of about 80 ms or less.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the one or more compressed collaborative streaming interactive video streams are compressed with a finite latency of about 80 ms or less.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the one or more compressed streaming interactive video streams are compressed with a finite latency of about 150 ms or less.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the one or more compressed collaborative streaming interactive video streams are compressed with a finite latency of about 150 ms or less.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

running, at a hosting service center, a twitch video game or application as part of a collaborative conference among a plurality of users, the twitch video game or application running on a plurality of servers that generate a one or more streams of uncompressed streaming interactive video therefrom;

compressing the one or more streams of uncompressed streaming interactive video thereby producing one or more compressed streaming interactive video streams;

transmitting the one or more compressed of streaming interactive video streams over the Internet to a plurality of client devices correspondingly associated with the plurality of users, the client devices each having a display screen and each being located remote to the hosting service center, at least one of the client devices comprising a communication device that includes a camera;

receiving, at the hosting service center, input from the communication device that includes real-time video captured by the camera;

integrating the real-time video into the one or more streams of uncompressed streaming interactive video to produce one or more streams of uncompressed collaborative streaming interactive video;

compressing the one or more streams of uncompressed collaborative streaming interactive video, thereby producing one or more compressed collaborative streaming interactive video streams;

transmitting the one or more compressed collaborative streaming interactive video streams to the client devices over the Internet; and

wherein the one or more streams of collaborative streaming interactive video are compressed with a sufficiently low-latency as to make the real-time video appear on the display screen of each of the client devices without perceptual delay.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the one or more compressed streaming interactive video streams are compressed with a finite latency of about 80 ms or less.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the one or more compressed collaborative streaming interactive video streams are compressed with a finite latency of about 80 ms or less.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the communication device comprises a mobile communication device.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the input further includes audio input.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the one or more compressed streaming interactive video streams are compressed with a finite latency of about 150 ms or less.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 wherein the one or more compressed collaborative streaming interactive video streams are compressed with a finite latency of about 150 ms or less.