iChat AV four way conversation requirements

[thequicksilver]

To initiate a four way video chat in iChat AV for Tiger, you need a Dual 1 GHz G4 or any G5 Mac. (You can, however, participate in one with a single 1 GHz G4, dual 800 G4 or any G5 to participate).

I'm sure there's a perfectly sound technical reason for the limits being so high, but ruling out Powerbook users from this seems a little, well, with want of a better word, crappy. If the new Powerbooks can cope with Core Image/Video, why can't they do iChat?

Anyone else feel this is a bit disappointing? If I were to get an iSight to use with iChat, my friends and I wouldn't be able to do this multiple way thing as we all have the audacity to own Apple notebooks.

 

[liv2wrshp]

Agreed

 

[stoid]

What about 3-way video chats (You+2)?

 

[wwooden]

I was just as surprised when I saw this. I figured the requirements would be higher then just a one-to-one video chat. But with the new codec, I didn't expect it to be this extreme. I wonder why it is so high to initiate the chat but not to enter? I know my family was really looking forward to trying the multi-video conference, but seeing my sister only has a 600mhz G3 iBook, it might not be so easy.

 

[SoGood]

Sure put a damper on conference AV chats by that high spec requirement.

 

[BWhaler]

Technical limits are technical limits.

I am sure Apple tried to get this technology to as wide an audience as possible, and this is the best they could do. No such thing exists elsewhere, especially the video, so I am thankful Apple is pushing the limits of the hardware, even if it is the high end hardware.

 

[Punani]

Given the fact that current PowerBooks are unable to support the 4-way AV chats...is it reasonable to expect them to be supported by the next upgrade?

 

[Logik]

Given the fact that current PowerBooks are unable to support the 4-way AV chats...is it reasonable to expect them to be supported by the next upgrade?

again, i think it's Dual 1ghz or FASTER meaning..

1.2 ghz
1.33 ghz
1.5 ghz
1.67 ghz


whether dual processor or not. meaning 1ghz probably wont' cut it but if you have 2 processors that will make it capable.

 

[pinks]

To initiate a four way video chat in iChat AV for Tiger, you need a Dual 1 GHz G4 or any G5 Mac. (You can, however, participate in one with a single 1 GHz G4, dual 800 G4 or any G5 to participate).

I wonder whether this means that G4-users will actually be able to see and hear all the other iChat participants, or whether they will be limited to one-to-one A/V with the host - with the host (plus any G5-enabled participants) being the people who are genuinely in the four-way video chat? It's certainly not entirely clear from the iChat webpage.

Any thoughts?

 

[Platform]

again, i think it's Dual 1ghz or FASTER meaning..

1.2 ghz
1.33 ghz
1.5 ghz
1.67 ghz


whether dual processor or not. meaning 1ghz probably wont' cut it but if you have 2 processors that will make it capable.

Hope that it is like that if not they would be cutting out so many users...

Nobody with a PB or iBook or eMac or last gen iMac could have a chat like that

 

[wrldwzrd89]

I started a thread on this same topic.

Anyway, I think the requirements are due to the CPU-intensive nature of encoding and decoding H.264 video.

 

[thequicksilver]

I started a thread on this same topic.

Anyway, I think the requirements are due to the CPU-intensive nature of encoding and decoding H.264 video.

Indeed you did - after this one was started, however.

Anyway, back to this iChat thing - I find it just a little bizarre for Apple to release this advance in iChat at a stage where no sub $1000 Mac can handle it. iChat's a consumer app - Apple's marketing for this always mentions connecting families across states and countries above anything else - and to limit it to such professional use is quite sad really.

It's too melodramatic to call this a wasted opportunity, but having already limited iChat AV to those with Firewire webcams or DV cams, to limit the app's coolest function even further seems to make this new feature of iChat a tiny niche (those with Macs this powerful) within a tiny niche (those with a compatible camera) within a small niche (Mac OS X Tiger users). Makes you wonder just how many people this is a useful feature for.