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rockitdog

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Mar 25, 2013
2,721
1,238
As great as Android is, the one area they continue to fail at is sending and receiving vides via MMS. I'm amazed they can't come up with some that compares to iMessage that makes videos come through clearly.
 

TimelessOne

macrumors regular
Oct 29, 2014
236
2
As great as Android is, the one area they continue to fail at is sending and receiving vides via MMS. I'm amazed they can't come up with some that compares to iMessage that makes videos come through clearly.

Are you compare iPhone to iPhone connection for video. iMessage does not compress stuff as much as MMS protocols do. Add to this any thing coming form an iPhone to another device should be question as it would not be the first time Apple screws with it to make it harder or worse.
If so they are not the same thing.
As for video I have never had an issue with MMS video being sent.
 

bkends35

macrumors 6502a
Feb 24, 2013
941
422
USA
iMessage doesn't compress media at all. I've sent 5min+ videos and the quality is exactly the same as it is on my phone. What OP is saying is that android needs a messaging client like iMessage that is integrated into the stock messaging app so people will use it. They have hangouts but it's clunky and a separate app.
 

MasterRyu2011

macrumors 65816
Aug 22, 2014
1,064
359
Have you tried it with Google Hangouts (because that is really the equivalent of iMessage). Just a serious question if Hangouts compresses or not.
 

rockitdog

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Mar 25, 2013
2,721
1,238
Have you tried it with Google Hangouts (because that is really the equivalent of iMessage). Just a serious question if Hangouts compresses or not.

On any Android I've evert had (currently S5) whenever anyone tries to send me a MMS video it's always super grainy and unclear. Reminds me of cell phone videos from 2004... does matter if video is coming from an iPhone or Android.
 

MasterRyu2011

macrumors 65816
Aug 22, 2014
1,064
359
On any Android I've evert had (currently S5) whenever anyone tries to send me a MMS video it's always super grainy and unclear. Reminds me of cell phone videos from 2004... does matter if video is coming from an iPhone or Android.

Understood, but have you tried Google Hangouts. Hangouts is Google's own messaging service ala iMessage. Every Android device either has it pre-installed or can get access to it as at the Play Store. I wonder if someone were to send you a video via Google Hangouts whether it will compress it. I will test it out.

----------

nvm..It doesn't seem like Hangouts allows video messaging at this time.
 

bearda

macrumors 6502a
Dec 2, 2005
502
175
Roanoke, VA
On any Android I've evert had (currently S5) whenever anyone tries to send me a MMS video it's always super grainy and unclear. Reminds me of cell phone videos from 2004... does matter if video is coming from an iPhone or Android.

That's to be expected, really. MMS is using the same video codec that it was in 2004.
 

skratch77

macrumors 65816
Mar 20, 2013
1,241
5
Imessage is through data not sms through phone number.if you want better video send through what's app or hangouts.

Its the same reason I messages get lost when people leave ios.it's using data not cell networks sms lines

When ever I get a video from an ios user it looks like **** because I don't have imessage and it gets compressed to hell and sent through sms
 

eclipse01

macrumors 68030
May 16, 2011
2,813
392
Eau Claire, WI
I agree, another thing that really annoys me is that fact that I always have to remember to send a picture separate from the message, otherwise they will either receive a slide show or no picture at all.

so annoying...
 

kevinof

macrumors 6502a
Jul 30, 2008
742
157
Dublin/London
try sending an mms video on from an iphone to another iphone (does't ios support mms?). it will come out exactly the same as on Android. MMS is a network standard and nothing to do with ios or Android.

On any Android I've evert had (currently S5) whenever anyone tries to send me a MMS video it's always super grainy and unclear. Reminds me of cell phone videos from 2004... does matter if video is coming from an iPhone or Android.
 

gotluck

macrumors 603
Dec 8, 2011
5,712
1,204
East Central Florida
I agree, another thing that really annoys me is that fact that I always have to remember to send a picture separate from the message, otherwise they will either receive a slide show or no picture at all.

so annoying...

this does not happen anymore on the newish google messenger app, I send multiple photos with message to my wife on ios daily. definitely used to happen on the stock messaging app
 

eclipse01

macrumors 68030
May 16, 2011
2,813
392
Eau Claire, WI
this does not happen anymore on the newish google messenger app, I send multiple photos with message to my wife on ios daily. definitely used to happen on the stock messaging app

problem is "knowing" if they have a newer system to text with. Same issues with emoticons, you have to think..."hmmmm... do they have a newer phone that supports this?"
 

gotluck

macrumors 603
Dec 8, 2011
5,712
1,204
East Central Florida
problem is "knowing" if they have a newer system to text with. Same issues with emoticons, you have to think..."hmmmm... do they have a newer phone that supports this?"

this problem is on the sending side though i believe, if you have the google messenger app as a sender, it should work.

I have not tried sending from new google messenger app to someone that uses old stock messenging app, my worry was primarily to work well with ios users. though i never had a problem receiving multiple photo mms from my wife when i was using old stock messenger, only had the issue when I sent to her

though from what you say, seems like you have had that problem

i hear you on emoticons

edit: yeah i think your right that I did have issue receiving too. tell your android buddies to use google messenger for sms, that much i can promise does work
 
Last edited:

eclipse01

macrumors 68030
May 16, 2011
2,813
392
Eau Claire, WI
this problem is on the sending side though i believe, if you have the google messenger app as a sender, it should work.

I have not tried sending from new google messenger app to someone that uses old stock messenging app, my worry was primarily to work well with ios users. though i never had a problem receiving multiple photo mms from my wife when i was using old stock messenger, only had the issue when I sent to her

though from what you say, seems like you have had that problem

i hear you on emoticons

I am mainly talking about using IOS messenger to any google mms. I guess I could get the hangouts app or whatever on my IOS device...but still a PITA
 

gotluck

macrumors 603
Dec 8, 2011
5,712
1,204
East Central Florida
I am mainly talking about using IOS messenger to any google mms. I guess I could get the hangouts app or whatever on my IOS device...but still a PITA

yea i hear ya, if the android user is using the new google messenger, you will not have issues with regular mms photos though i promise!
 

spinedoc77

macrumors G4
Jun 11, 2009
11,391
5,254
I love android, but MMS is an atrocity. They really need to put some energy into improving it. I haven't used Hangouts in a couple of months, but I remember having issues with group messages in general, sending MMS to more than one person, sending multiple pictures, and quite often having a file refuse to be sent because it was too large. Inexcusable in light of iMessages.
 

mi7chy

macrumors G4
Oct 24, 2014
10,495
11,155
Aside from the fact that MMS is a dumb idea to begin with since protocols like SMS, IRC, Twitter, etc. were meant to be light weight to cater to limited bandwidth, the low quality MMS is not an Android issue but a carrier size restriction and use of compression to avoid an unintentional distributed denial of service against their network when people flood video attachments to other people whom may not even view them. iMessage to iMessage MMS behaves like properly sharing via YouTube, Facebook, Google+, etc. since it avoids carrier servers and restrictions. Use proper etiquette and the right medium for sharing videos. Anyone who lacks common sense and continually spam flood MMS usually end up on my Google Voice block list.
 

flybub

macrumors regular
Sep 17, 2011
182
43
This is a horrible part of Android. My wife sent me 3 videos from her iPhone 6 plus to my droid turbo of our kids sledding and the quality is terrible. Not sure if that's apple or Android but when I watch them on her phone they are clear as can be.
 

mi7chy

macrumors G4
Oct 24, 2014
10,495
11,155
This is a horrible part of Android. My wife sent me 3 videos from her iPhone 6 plus to my droid turbo of our kids sledding and the quality is terrible. Not sure if that's apple or Android but when I watch them on her phone they are clear as can be.

Lets hope so since it was recorded on her phone and the behavior of all phones.
 

gotluck

macrumors 603
Dec 8, 2011
5,712
1,204
East Central Florida
This is a horrible part of Android. My wife sent me 3 videos from her iPhone 6 plus to my droid turbo of our kids sledding and the quality is terrible. Not sure if that's apple or Android but when I watch them on her phone they are clear as can be.

Yea sending videos over MMS is an exercise in futility. It's not really android though, disable Imessage and iOS has similar problems. You have to use another method really.

I have no problems with multiple photos via MMS though
 

flybub

macrumors regular
Sep 17, 2011
182
43
Yea sending videos over MMS is an exercise in futility. It's not really android though, disable Imessage and iOS has similar problems. You have to use another method really.

I have no problems with multiple photos via MMS though

It is what it is I guess. I also don't have an issue with multiple photos.
 
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