A videoconferencing system couples to a network for providing videoconferencing services to a user. The videoconferencing session is controlled and initiated by a user in a manner consistent with establishing a conventional audio-only session. In one embodiment, an independently operable voice-only telephone handset couples to an audio and video communication device. The videoconferencing session is established by taking the telephone handset to an off-hook status and entering a dialed phone number sequence. The audio and video communication device retrieves a network address corresponding to the dialed phone number sequence and initiates a call sequence corresponding to the retrieved network address until the telephone handset goes into an on-hook status. The audio and video communication device further includes video interfaces for presenting the video aspects to the user.