Mac to PC Video Chat...Seeking Advice

aswitcher · Oct 15, 2004

Ok, I have some friends who have justed move to the UK for a year. I couldn't convince them to pony up the extra for an iBook so they have a new low end Dell with XP.

So, I want to help them set up video chat with their Australian relos (windows users) and hopefully figure out a video solution for me on my mac.

Help?

Whats the best XP to XP solution?

Is there a OSX to XP solution?

Sly · Oct 15, 2004

I regularly video conference with friends & colleges who own PC's - ichatAV to AIM 5.5 with no problems at all, set up is a breeze. If you have issues with connection, it tends to be the PC users firewall muscling in. AIM 5.5 will also work PC - PC however, I would probably go with MSN messenger PC - PC?

aswitcher · Oct 15, 2004

Sly said:
I regularly video conference with friends & colleges who own PC's - ichatAV to AIM 5.5 with no problems at all, set up is a breeze. If you have issues with connection, it tends to be the PC users firewall muscling in. AIM 5.5 will also work PC - PC however, I would probably go with MSN messenger PC - PC?

Ok, thanks. Any advice on a good PC camera? They have Kodak digital but I dont know if that can be used for video chats...is there a good place to sus that out? I suspect they will need to get a USB camera...

Mmm. I hear rumors of an iSight mark 2 so I dont know if I will race out and get a camera myself...

Sly · Oct 15, 2004

I use an isight with the iglasses program to sort out the low light issues, which works really well. A digital video camera doubles for a good high quality web cam on both PC & Mac. Most PC web cams I have come accross don't even begin to compare to the quality of isight or a DV camera.

aswitcher · Oct 15, 2004

Sly said:
I use an isight with the iglasses program to sort out the low light issues, which works really well. A digital video camera doubles for a good high quality web cam on both PC & Mac. Most PC web cams I have come accross don't even begin to compare to the quality of isight or a DV camera.

Well I have Canon DV camera which I think should work fine...

Not sure about their Kodak 4mp digital still camera...

iglassess..ok I'll check that out

johnnyjibbs · Oct 15, 2004

Just make sure you have that Canon DV camera hooked up - at least one of you needs to have a camera for Mac -> Windows iChat/AIM to work - there is no audio only at present.

Gee · Oct 15, 2004

Note that you'll both need broadband connections to be able to use iChat to AIM video chat. If you've got dialup, as far as I'm aware, it won't work. Your options are then more limited - iChat will do audio only over dialup, and Yahoo IM (Mac and PC versions) will do video only (no audio).

Cheers
G

johnnyjibbs · Oct 15, 2004

If you want to do audio only cross-platform, you can get Windows, Mac and Linux versions of Skype (www.skype.com) which is very easy to set up and is effectively its own IM service.

aswitcher · Oct 15, 2004

johnnyjibbs said:
If you want to do audio only cross-platform, you can get Windows, Mac and Linux versions of Skype (www.skype.com) which is very easy to set up and is effectively its own IM service.

Yeah Skype works a treat but now I want to venture into video.

jdebeer · Oct 16, 2004

Sly said:
I regularly video conference with friends & colleges who own PC's - ichatAV to AIM 5.5 with no problems at all, set up is a breeze. If you have issues with connection, it tends to be the PC users firewall muscling in. AIM 5.5 will also work PC - PC however, I would probably go with MSN messenger PC - PC?

What if I can't use iChat b/c I have a USB webcam? Is Mac AIM to PC AIM better than Mac MSN to PC MSN? Any opinions out there? (sorry for the double-post).

Gee · Oct 16, 2004

jdebeer said:
What if I can't use iChat b/c I have a USB webcam? Is Mac AIM to PC AIM better than Mac MSN to PC MSN? Any opinions out there? (sorry for the double-post).

Never looked at Mac AIM, but Mac MSN doesn't do video. Yahoo for Mac and PC does video, but not audio with it.

DJY · Oct 16, 2004

Gee said:
Yahoo IM (Mac and PC versions) will do video only (no audio).

I mucked around with Yahoo one night with a PC based mate... and yuck!
Video - not audio - as previously mentioned - and it looked and felt terrible. Then realised how spoilt I am with iChat - and how much PC users don't realise they are missing!!!
I haven't tried the iChat - AIM combo yet... as I don't know too many people with AIM. Do know one - and she chats (text only) in iChat - she doesn't have a camera though.

How does the iChat - AIM combo compare witih Yahoo IM? Has to be better I'd hope.

radiocore · Oct 16, 2004

I've used iVisit too and it works. I use that now when I sometimes can't connect using ichat to AIM

virividox · Oct 16, 2004

ichat av is good

although some brit unis are really tight with their firewalls and block ports that are needed

redAPPLE · Oct 17, 2004

Sly said:
I regularly video conference with friends & colleges who own PC's - ichatAV to AIM 5.5 with no problems at all, set up is a breeze. If you have issues with connection, it tends to be the PC users firewall muscling in. AIM 5.5 will also work PC - PC however, I would probably go with MSN messenger PC - PC?

the pc user in the scenario "pc - iChatAV" has to have a firewire webcam.

aswitcher · Oct 17, 2004

redAPPLE said:
the pc user in the scenario "pc - iChatAV" has to have a firewire webcam.

Oh, ok. Most are USB...I wonder if there is a PC one that does both...? Probably not.

johnnyjibbs · Oct 17, 2004

jdebeer said:
What if I can't use iChat b/c I have a USB webcam? Is Mac AIM to PC AIM better than Mac MSN to PC MSN? Any opinions out there? (sorry for the double-post).

There's a shareware program that allows you to use any Mac-compatible webcam with iChat AV - it's called iChatUSB or something like that - check versiontracker.com.

Sly · Oct 18, 2004

redAPPLE said:
the pc user in the scenario "pc - iChatAV" has to have a firewire webcam.

The PC user can use either USB or Firewire webcams with AIM 5.5. The quality is pretty poor with most PC USB webcams.

redAPPLE · Oct 18, 2004

Sly said:
The PC user can use either USB or Firewire webcams with AIM 5.5. The quality is pretty poor with most PC USB webcams.

is this a fact? not seeming to be rude, but, can you proove it?

johnnyjibbs · Oct 18, 2004

redAPPLE said:
is this a fact? not seeming to be rude, but, can you proove it?

AIM will work with any camera that your computer has drivers for (Windows software is always provided on the included software CDs).

USB webcams are generally USB 1.1 and are poor quality due to low bandwidth. Only Apple appears to have set high standards with the video conferencing - but this comes at a price: 1) Firewire webcam needed (any DV will do) and 2) broadband internet connection (at least 256k I think).

Sly · Oct 18, 2004

redAPPLE said:
is this a fact? not seeming to be rude, but, can you proove it?

http://aimtoday.aol.com/features/main_redesign.adp?fid=video_im

kabokuti · Oct 19, 2004

VideoConferencing between Mac -iChat- and PC -AIM.

Hi, I'm currently having problems with my brother who is usung a PC, with Windows XP, AIM latest version. Although the icon of the camera appears, we are never able to connect usung the camera. He doesn't have a firewall. With him a have problems, but with friends using macs, we can do videoconferencing very easily. Anyone knows what can be happening with my brother?

johnnyjibbs · Oct 20, 2004

kabokuti said:
Hi, I'm currently having problems with my brother who is usung a PC, with Windows XP, AIM latest version. Although the icon of the camera appears, we are never able to connect usung the camera. He doesn't have a firewall. With him a have problems, but with friends using macs, we can do videoconferencing very easily. Anyone knows what can be happening with my brother?

I get the same problem with my PowerBook and our Dell. But my brother's ordering a new iBook today so I'll be able to do Mac to Mac for the first time when that arrives.

redAPPLE · Oct 21, 2004

kabokuti said:
Hi, I'm currently having problems with my brother who is usung a PC, with Windows XP, AIM latest version. Although the icon of the camera appears, we are never able to connect usung the camera. He doesn't have a firewall. With him a have problems, but with friends using macs, we can do videoconferencing very easily. Anyone knows what can be happening with my brother?

i think the word "pc" was somewhere in your message... that must be the problem 😀

Mac to PC Video Chat...Seeking Advice

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