skype

[Channing]

I got a webcam with the intention of being able to keep in touch with my parents, family oversees, and friends. I am using skype, but it does not seem like a very sound program. The sound cuts out, and sometimes just goes fuzzy. Does anyone know how to either make skype more efficient or if there is a better program available (maybe a google application)?

thanks!

[hc5duke]

I got a webcam with the intention of being able to keep in touch with my parents, family oversees, and friends. I am using skype, but it does not seem like a very sound program. The sound cuts out, and sometimes just goes fuzzy. Does anyone know how to either make skype more efficient or if there is a better program available (maybe a google application)?

thanks!

That's odd - I've been calling my parents in Korea with Skype just fine. Are you sure your Internet connection is fast enough? I've also used it with a webcam (CA to NC) and that worked pretty well from what I remember.

[Channing]

i am in NYU student apartments - i assume its a pretty powerful connection. perhaps my webcam is just bad.

[DevilAlumna]

You could always just use Windows Live Messenger (http://get.live.com) I've started using it for webcam calls with my mom in DC.

IIRC, you can use it with anyone's IM account (yahoo, msn, aol, etc.)

Additional thought -- you might want to make sure your drivers for the web cam and video are up to date.

[Deslok]

I haven't been using skype myself, though a couple guys in our tech office have it and a couple of times I've "borrowed" it to make a call back to the states and have had no issues. I mostly just live chat via messenger(though honestly, I find the webcam thing vastly overrated and rarely connect mine anymore), voice is more than enough and unless you are both on more than just basic broadband, webcams don't give a sufficiently powerful connection IMO. Oh, and I'm doing this from Korea to talk to folks in a) the USA b) London c) elsewhere around Asia

[knights68]

How timely a topic! I am currently working out a plan to have my 70 year old dad conference with my aunts in another state and was just wondering what would be the best conference system to use. I was contemplating something simple like Yahoo or AOL.
My aunts live 4 hours away, granted it's nothing like NC to CA or Korea to the states, and originally I was going to try to drive my dad to the aunts house, but his health isn't all that great. So instead of kidnapping him (his wife would never allow him to go if I was dumb enough to tell her of the plan), I am going to do the conferencing via internet instead.

Anyone have any tips, hints or additional ideas?

[billybreen]

You could always just use Windows Live Messenger (http://get.live.com) I've started using it for webcam calls with my mom in DC.

IIRC, you can use it with anyone's IM account (yahoo, msn, aol, etc.)

Additional thought -- you might want to make sure your drivers for the web cam and video are up to date.

If you are fortunate enough to be using iChat, you never need to worry about drivers. It just works.

Sorry, that was unavoidable. For a cross-platform solution, I've had good luck using Skype for both phone and video. When I'm traveling internationally, I use Skype from my MacBook to keep in touch with the home team. Works great.

[pacificrounder]

Often Skype hiccups when it is through a wireless connection. Is that what you are using? Otherwise try shutting down other programs that may be eating up system memory and causing the sound to cut out. I've never had a problem with Skype over a suitable internet connection, but using it over a bad wireless connection (which should be at 54 mbps but is running between 12-24 mbps) is awful.