VC-ing on the cheap
| VC-ing on the cheap | |
03 October 2006
The video conferencing software comes in the shape of free downloads, namely Skype or Windows Live Messenger, which both incorporate video conferencing/web cam features. Hardware needn’t be a problem either. Most recent digital cameras now have a web cam mode that is more than adequate for the job. But even if you don’t have a digital camera to hand, as little as £9.99 can bag you one of those small dedicated web cams with built-in microphone. If you have a spare USB port at the front or side of your desktop/laptop, there are now webcams available that are mounted on a flexible stalk that can be manipulated to point in any direction. Generally, the minimum spec for a webcam should be 300 pixels and a frame rate per second of 20 or more. You’re now set to use your broadband connection to save time and money by doing your meetings online. A full description of setting up a digital camera/web cam for Skype was recently covered in VoIP getting started guide #3. And read all about a test video conference with New Zealand too. A number of Instant Messaging applications include web cam capability, including Google Talk with video plug-in, Yahoo and AIM. But a trawl of the web suggests that the best quality and best synching of video and audio is achieved by Skype. Apple Mac users, meanwhile, have iChat built-in to OSX. However, there are a number of factors that will influence the quality. These include:
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