Optimizing video conferencing using contextual information

1. A method comprising:

receiving data representative of a video conference by way of a first video conference channel and a second video conference channel;

determining, by at least one processor, that the first video conference channel is a video channel and that the second video conference channel is not a video channel;

analyzing information associated with the video conference to identify user information for a video conference participant depicted within the first video conference channel;

analyzing the second video conference channel to identify one or more characteristics from the second video conference channel; and

optimizing, by the at least one processor, a display of the first video conference channel based at least in part on the user information for the video conference participant and the one or more characteristics from the second video conference channel.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising determining that the second video conference channel comprises presentation content for screen sharing from a client device participating in the video conference.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein analyzing the information associated with the video conference to identify user information for the video conference participant comprises analyzing social networking system information associated with the video conference participant to determine user information comprising social networking profile information, a social networking activity history, and co-user information associated with the video conference participant.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein analyzing the second video conference channel to identify the one or more characteristics from the second video conference channel comprises determining one or more of a type of presentation content associated with the second video conference channel, a size of font used in the second video conference channel, or a word quantity of the second video conference channel.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising determining a significance for the second video conference channel based on the one or more characteristics; and

wherein optimizing the display of the first video conference channel comprises generating a display layout for arranging one or more video streams captured by client devices participating in the video conference and a presentation of the second video conference channel according to the user information for the video conference participant and the significance of the second video conference channel.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein optimizing the display of the first video conference channel comprises:

generating a first presentation of a first video stream captured by a first client device participating in the video conference, the first presentation having a first quality according to the user information for the video conference participant; and

generating a second presentation of a second video stream captured by a second client device participating in the video conference, the second presentation having a second quality lower than the first quality according to additional user information for an additional video conference participant.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein generating the second presentation of the second video stream having the second quality lower than the first quality is based on determining, via a social graph of a social networking system, that the video conference participant is more important than the additional video conference participant based on comparing the information for the video conference participant and the additional user information for the additional video conference participant.

8. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

receive data representative of a video conference by way of a first video conference channel and a second video conference channel;

determine, by at least one processor, that the first video conference channel is a video channel and that the second video conference channel is not a video channel;

analyze information associated with the video conference to identify user information for a video conference participant depicted within the first video conference channel;

analyze the second video conference channel to identify one or more characteristics from the second video conference channel; and

optimize, by the at least one processor, a display of the first video conference channel based at least in part on the user information for the video conference participant and the one or more characteristics from the second video conference channel.

9. The system as recited in claim 8 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to determine that the second video conference channel comprises presentation content for screen sharing from a client device participating in the video conference.

10. The system as recited in claim 8 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to analyze the information associated with the video conference to identify user information for the video conference participant by analyzing social networking system information associated with the video conference participant to determine user information comprising social networking profile information, a social networking activity history, and co-user information associated with the video conference participant.

11. The system as recited in claim 8 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to analyze the second video conference channel to identify the one or more characteristics from the second video conference channel by determining one or more of a type of presentation content associated with the second video conference channel, a size of font used in the second video conference channel, or a word quantity of the second video conference channel.

12. The system as recited in claim 11 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

determine a significance for the second video conference channel based on the one or more characteristics; and

optimize the display of the first video conference channel by generating a display layout for arranging one or more video streams captured by client devices participating in the video conference and a presentation of the second video conference channel according to the user information for the video conference participant and the significance of the second video conference channel.

13. The system as recited in claim 8 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to optimize the display of the first video conference channel by:

generating a first presentation of a first video stream captured by a first client device participating in the video conference, the first presentation having a first quality according to the user information for the video conference participant; and

generating a second presentation of a second video stream captured by a second client device participating in the video conference, the second presentation having a second quality lower than the first quality according to additional user information for an additional video conference participant.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to generate the second presentation of the second video stream having the second quality lower than the first quality based on determining, via a social graph of a social networking system, that the video conference participant is more important than the additional video conference participant based on comparing the information for the video conference participant and the additional user information for the additional video conference participant.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to:

receive data representative of a video conference by way of a first video conference channel and a second video conference channel;

determine, by at least one processor, that the first video conference channel is a video channel and that the second video conference channel is not a video channel;

analyze information associated with the video conference to identify user information for a video conference participant depicted within the first video conference channel;

analyze the second video conference channel to identify one or more characteristics from the second video conference channel; and

optimize, by the at least one processor, a display of the first video conference channel based at least in part on the user information for the video conference participant and the one or more characteristics from the second video conference channel.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 15 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to determine that the second video conference channel comprises presentation content for screen sharing from a client device participating in the video conference.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 15 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to analyze the information associated with the video conference to identify user information for the video conference participant by analyzing social networking system information associated with the video conference participant to determine user information comprising social networking profile information, a social networking activity history, and co-user information associated with the video conference participant.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 15 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to analyze the second video conference channel to identify the one or more characteristics from the second video conference channel by determining one or more of a type of presentation content associated with the second video conference channel, a size of font used in the second video conference channel, or a word quantity of the second video conference channel.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 18 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:

determine a significance for the second video conference channel based on the one or more characteristics; and

optimize the display of the first video conference channel by generating a display layout for arranging one or more video streams captured by client devices participating in the video conference and a presentation of the second video conference channel according to the user information for the video conference participant and the significance of the second video conference channel.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium as recited in claim 15 , further storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to optimize the display of the first video conference channel by:

generating a first presentation of a first video stream captured by a first client device participating in the video conference, the first presentation having a first quality according to the user information for the video conference participant; and

generating a second presentation of a second video stream captured by a second client device participating in the video conference, the second presentation having a second quality lower than the first quality according to additional user information for an additional video conference participant.