Effective communications make use of many of our senses but what we see presents a huge amount of information – a picture is worth a thousand words – and can convey all sorts of meaning with a glance. Face to face, we can rely on visual cues, but the amount of information transmitted in more distant communication is limited by cost and complexity. As this cost falls, while the costs of transportation, both environmental and commercial, rise, broader use of remote visual communications becomes increasingly viable. But, after the relative anonymity and privacy of more discrete forms of communication – letters, email, the telephone – is the experience useful and comfortable for the individual and does video now add sufficient value to the organisation to justify the cost?