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April 20, 2007
Video Conferencing: Smile for the Camera
Dear Larry,
How can I make video conference calls to family and
friends?
M. D.
Dear M. D.,
To begin with, each person who wants to transmit audio will
need to have a microphone connected to his computer. In addition, each person
who wants to transmit video will need to have a “webcam” connected (webcams
typically contain embedded microphones so they handle both the transmission of
video and audio without the need for additional hardware). It’s not necessary
that both parties have a camera hooked up, but if you own a camera and Grandpa
at the other end only has a microphone, then Grandpa will be able to see and
hear you, but you will only be able to hear Grandpa. (Of course, you need
speakers connected to your computer in order to hear anything!)
Webcams come in many different shapes and sizes and vary in
cost from around $30 to $100. The main difference is in the quality of the image
and sound. But considering that average Internet speed often results in video
delays and video and audio syncing problems and does not allow for highly
detailed video images, you don’t necessarily have to go overboard in your webcam
purchase. Probably the biggest player in webcam technology is a company called
Logitech so you might want to purchase one of their models.
Once you have the camera and/or microphone hooked up and
working, you’ll need some software. Arguably the most reliable video
conferencing software available is Skype, now owned by the folks at eBay. Skype
has been used by millions of people around the world to talk to millions of
other people around the world for years now. To download their free software, go
to
www.skype.com/download/skype/windows and click Download now. When prompted
to save or run, click Run to install the program on your computer. Once the
program has been successfully installed, you’ll need to establish a “Skype name”
and run a test call or two to make certain everything’s functioning correctly.
Again, both parties will need to be running Skype in order to communicate.
Now for the bad news. If your Internet connection operates
through a wired or wireless router, you may need to have a professional help you
configure the router for video use. (Many routers will block video transmission
out of the box.) My recommendation would be first to try video conferencing with
Skype and see if it works. If you can only seem to transmit sound but no video,
then you may need some professional technical assistance.
This is Larry Schneider, logging off.
