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Apps FaceTime and/or Skype

Seoras

Seoras

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 25, 2007
857
2,274
Scotsman in New Zealand
Will be very disappointed if the new Apple TV doesn't support phone calls and video calls (with a USB attached WebCam).
Googling and searching these forums I don't see any mention of this topic yet?
 
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Seoras said:
Will be very disappointed if the new Apple TV doesn't support phone calls and video calls (with a USB attached WebCam).
Googling and searching these forums I don't see any mention of this topic yet?
Click to expand...

Would be really nice, but the USB in the back of the new box (like all the previous ones) will be for "Service only".
 
2010mini said:
Pretty much this.

Is there really a market for video calls on a tv?
Click to expand...

Who uses FaceTime on their phone regularly?
I never do, except for calling my parents overseas.
They don't want to see me they want to see their grand children. :)

Video calling has it's place but for 1 to 1 communication it's proven everyone (even the Sci-fi authors) wrong.
Watch the extensive use of video calling on Blade Runner as an example (set in 2019).

Comms in the 21st, listed by frequency of use, turned out to be:
1.Messaging
2.Voice
3.Video

So I'm arguing against myself here calling for FaceTime on the AppleTV?
No, not at all. Where video calls are very useful is in the many to many calls.
e.g. my family calling my parents.
Kids fight over the iPad/iPhone to get attention. Not good.
AirPlay sucks big time, it's seriously buggy and unreliable.
(I'm networking engineer by profession using Apples own Airport hardware - it 'aint the network to blame)
My TV hangs on the wall and with a camera on top of it would make the idea video conferencing setup.

I could refresh my TV and get one with Skype built in and a camera or I could wait and see if Apple come to their senses...
 
I picture a wifi or bluetooth Apple iSight, with a rechargeable battery, charged with a lightning cable, that can be attached to the top of a TV or anywhere else appropriate.

I bet there are some prototypes in Apple. What I can't picture is how the mounting hardware would work. It would be very un-Apple to have stick-on mounting points like GoPro, and it would be very difficult to design a clamp system that is both easy to use and would work with the majority of TVs.

I just can't see Apple doing anything with wires anymore, and they seem to be ramping up the lightning-compatible accessories lately.
 
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Seoras said:
Video calling has it's place but for 1 to 1 communication it's proven everyone (even the Sci-fi authors) wrong.
Click to expand...

I'm not saying that I'm the norm, but I use FaceTime video calls with most of my friends rather than just call!

I'm a 20 year old Dane with 40 GB data and only use it with my fiends with plenty data. I will admit though that Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are my most used ways of communicating.
 
albebaubles said:
yep, you can do this with the current gen AppleTv
Click to expand...

Yes, technically, you can airplay a Facetime call to an Apple TV, but the process is awkward. I tried resting my iPhone on my TV set so I could still be facing the camera while viewing other person, but needed to get the right angle. Plus, the other person needs to be holding their phone in landscape mode or you just get a smaller vertical video in your TV set. All this could be fixed with the ability to connect a USB webcam to your Apple TV.

Apple states that the USB port on the back of the new Apple TV is only to be used for maintanance/service.....but it doesn't HAVE to be. Webcam connectivitiy could be enabled in a future tvOS software update if Apple chooses to. I used FaceTime a lot since I have two small kids and my parents want to talk with their grandchildren. Having a web cam i could set on top of my TV would be easier than holding an iPad/iPhone and following my 2 year old around.

I used the Skype video-calling feature when it first came out on the Xbox 360, but the fact that the Xbox Kinect camera was only 640x480 in resolution made the entire experience unenjoyable.
 
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Seoras said:
Who uses FaceTime on their phone regularly?
I never do, except for calling my parents overseas.
They don't want to see me they want to see their grand children. :)

Video calling has it's place but for 1 to 1 communication it's proven everyone (even the Sci-fi authors) wrong.
Watch the extensive use of video calling on Blade Runner as an example (set in 2019).

Comms in the 21st, listed by frequency of use, turned out to be:
1.Messaging
2.Voice
3.Video

So I'm arguing against myself here calling for FaceTime on the AppleTV?
No, not at all. Where video calls are very useful is in the many to many calls.
e.g. my family calling my parents.
Kids fight over the iPad/iPhone to get attention. Not good.
AirPlay sucks big time, it's seriously buggy and unreliable.
(I'm networking engineer by profession using Apples own Airport hardware - it 'aint the network to blame)
My TV hangs on the wall and with a camera on top of it would make the idea video conferencing setup.

I could refresh my TV and get one with Skype built in and a camera or I could wait and see if Apple come to their senses...
Click to expand...

The new Apple TV has been out a few weeks now and I've still not bought one.
I just don't see the need for it in my home.

Apps on the TV screen sounds interesting as a user, but I've got an iPhone, iPad and Mac.
If I want to play games I can do so on those.
I'm not one for buying movies or shows and certainly not at Apple's premium prices.

I'm an App developer and initially I was very excited about another platform to port my Apps to.
Lack of Webkit*, poor app discovery and the overhead of supporting and maintaining something that's not 100% iOS.
Nah... Not at the moment, I'm holding back.

If it had FaceTime support that would have been the tipping point of purchase for me.
I've listed those other points as I think the Apple TV could do a lot better if it didn't come as a stripped down iOS device.

I'm replying to myself here in the hope that someone at Apple reads these forums. :)

*Webkit omission is a strange one.
As a developer I like using html as it's a lot easier for creating nicely formatted documentation pages in-app than the other iOS options.
That and one of my Apps (my most popular app) includes a large number of web references.
 
I think they will invent soon a very expensive iCamera with lighting connector for selling us another gadget... only then we will have Facetime
 
maikel7505 said:
I think they will invent soon a very expensive iCamera with lighting connector for selling us another gadget... only then we will have Facetime
Click to expand...


Well, a lightning connected iSight camera would not be compatible with Apple TV since there are no Lightning ports on the device. It would need to be a USB-C webcam or blutooth in order to work.
 
Seoras said:
Who uses FaceTime on their phone regularly?
I never do, except for calling my parents overseas.
They don't want to see me they want to see their grand children. :)

Video calling has it's place but for 1 to 1 communication it's proven everyone (even the Sci-fi authors) wrong.
Watch the extensive use of video calling on Blade Runner as an example (set in 2019).

Comms in the 21st, listed by frequency of use, turned out to be:
1.Messaging
2.Voice
3.Video

So I'm arguing against myself here calling for FaceTime on the AppleTV?
No, not at all. Where video calls are very useful is in the many to many calls.
e.g. my family calling my parents.
Kids fight over the iPad/iPhone to get attention. Not good.
AirPlay sucks big time, it's seriously buggy and unreliable.
(I'm networking engineer by profession using Apples own Airport hardware - it 'aint the network to blame)
My TV hangs on the wall and with a camera on top of it would make the idea video conferencing setup.

I could refresh my TV and get one with Skype built in and a camera or I could wait and see if Apple come to their senses...
Click to expand...

New grandchild across the country to Facetime for whole family in our Den seems appropriate:
I've asked around different forums here......Asking again:

Has anyone gotten FaceTime to use the browser based display from an IP Wifi nanny/security Cam as the video input?
Concept: IP WIFI nanny Cam via Ismartviewpro will display on my Ipad Air on a browser. IF Facetime will accept as primary video Cam source in realtime. Shouldn't that be Airplayed to my Sony Bravio and full screen with DisplayOut (after jailbreak). Any ideas.........fullscreen ATV3 Facetime with remote IP CAM
 
Seoras said:
Will be very disappointed if the new Apple TV doesn't support phone calls and video calls (with a USB attached WebCam).
Googling and searching these forums I don't see any mention of this topic yet?
Click to expand...
the usb c port is service only. They can prob do facetime audio and you would use the mic on the remote, but anything more is a pipe dream w the current box.
 
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