Jamie's Random Musings on Video IM
Having spent a good part of the last year struggling with a variety of video chat and IM programs, I have decided to write a few things down and see what other people have to say about them.
Monday 14 April 2008, 8:20 PM
Video IM - Pulling It All Together
I got a very nice example this evening of how all of the things I have been writing about here can come together and work really nicely. I was on the train, on the way home, and was text chatting with a friend via ooVoo. I mentioned to him that I was on the train, and was connected via my cellular modem. He thought that sounded pretty cool, and asked if I would like to try a video call. I was skeptical, because my previous tests with that modem, even with an HSDPA connection, had not produced very good results even on audio-only calls. But I'm just about always willing to at least try, so he called me... and it worked great! I mean, not just "acceptable", it was really good! Audio was flawless, and video was consistently smooth and clear. I have written before about all of the things that were involved in this:
- ooVoo: the new release, 1.5, is just great. There's just not a lot more to be said about it, it works really well, and it doesn't make a big fuss about it.
- Sierra Wireless AirCard GSM data card: At the time I made the call, it said that it had an HSDPA connection; although the card is supposed to be HSUPA capable, I have never seen it report an HSUPA (or HSPA) connection. I don't know if that is because Swisscom isn't doing HSUPA yet, or if the software isn't able to report it yet. I checked one of the VoIP speed test sites before making the call, and it said that I was getting approximately 250Kbps both up and down.
- Fujitsu Lifebook S6510: Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, Vista SP1, and a built-in Logitech webcam, Realtek audio and integrated speakers and microphone, it was ready and up to the task.
- Logitech Premium Notebook Headset: I decided that the people around me on the train weren't interested in what I was doing, and didn't want to be bothered by it, so rather than use the built-in audio, I plugged this in quickly.
It is really gratifying when a number of different things that I have been talking about, and recommending, work together to produce something really useful. I hope that it provides some useful information and examples to some other people as well.
jw 14/4/2008
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