BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?

Subject: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: wilbyhillbilly
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 11:16 AM

Our friends in France who have finally got online have now said they would like to get in touch and have we got a webcam.

I have sorted my digi camera via USB to be able to sit and look at myself, (NOT a pretty picture) but how do I proceed from here.

I assume I need some sort of software to be able to go "live", can someone please advise.

We are in UK and I'm runnung Win XP Home on this pc.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, please keep as non-tech as possible, so I can follow, thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 03 Jan 11 - 12:08 PM

Assuming that you can use your camera for such purposes, all you need to do is go to this website and download Skype.

http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/get-skype/on-your-computer/windows/

System requirements
◦PC running Windows® 2000, XP, Vista or 7, both 32- and 64-bit operating systems. (Windows 2000 users require DirectX 9.0 for video calls).
◦Internet connection – broadband is best (GPRS is not supported for voice calls).
◦Speakers and microphone – built-in or separate.
◦For voice and video calls we recommend a computer with at least a 1GHz processor, 256 MB RAM and of course a webcam.
◦For best quality on group video beta calls, we recommend that calls include up to five people.
◦For group video calling everyone on the call needs Skype 5.0 for Windows plus webcams. You'll also need a high-speed broadband connection (we recommend sustained 512 kbit/s downlink or more) and a computer with a 1 GHz processor (minimum) or Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz (recommended).

If your camera is not suitable then you will need something like these http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/754/195/xx/104/9/criteresn.html

This video should help you understand how to download, install and run Skype. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssLj_89FHKI&feature=related Watch it before doing anything. Don't worry too much about any techi speech, just concentrate on what they do.
Then if you are happy with it, have a go at doing it for real.

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: open mike
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 02:02 AM

my web cam is a simple usb add on device, but my video camera has a web feature too...i found out it does not work with the fire wire cable but the usb cable allows video conferenceing...

you might take a look at paltalk...the download is free and you can connect over a private room....actually you might need to pay a bit
to get full functioning video for unlimited time...www.paltalk.com is the site that i hosted an online jam on for many years...it was great!

some folks regularly use paltalk for international communications..

i think skype requires membership payment...i am not sure, though.

i hear a lot about google phone or google voice...and have seen people
video conference with that..

good luck...and let us know what you find out!

(I AM THINKING OF OPENING MUDCAT JAMS ONLINE AGAIN AT SOME POINT AND WANT TO KNOW WHAT SYSTEMS AND PROGRAMS WORK FOR VIDEO SHARING, TOO)

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: Arnie
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 05:48 AM

You can buy a small, round webcam with built-in mike for around £10-15. This will then clip to the top of your screen for ever, and saves you having to fiddle around with a digi-camera. Have a look online as there are many to choose from and they come with software and easy instructions.

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 06:12 AM

Thats normally the best Arnie.
I put a link in my post above.

Skype is free for videoing to anybody who has Skype on their machine. I use it and it works great even for abroad. We video link with relatives in South Africa.

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: wilbyhillbilly
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 06:42 AM

Thank you Arthur itus, it was great seeing and talking to you.

Now I shall start making contact with family and friends and get myself one of those "proper" clip on webcam/mic outfits.

Once again Mudcat has excelled.

Thank you all, from a very happy bunny.

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 07:06 AM

I went through three cheap webcams before finding one that would do Skype on my system (MacOS Tiger on a couple of different machines). They can be very fussy about both their software and hardware environment, so make sure before buying that it will work on EXACTLY the setup you have.

I still haven't figured out a free Mac-based solution for recording video with one. The microphone on mine (a MacAlly Icecam2) is surprisingly good. The video quality it produces in Skype would be adequate for simple YouTube videos, if I could only figure out some way to save it.

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 07:07 AM

Great stuff wilbyhillbilly. Glad it's all working for you.

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: GUEST,kendall
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 11:52 AM

Jacqui and I were on SKYPE yesterday with KT in Alaska, and it worked great. She sounded like she was in the same room with us. I'm sure the UBL platinum speakers helped.

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: olddude
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 02:36 PM

Any of them will do fine today, however the big key is your internet speed

skype, I live for it, I see my grandson everyday with it

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 05:36 PM

I miss the sessions Mike...

As far as I can tell, Paltalk is Windows only - and I dropped out of it when they stopped updates for Win98. While I can use Win 7 on the laptop atm, I will be exclusively Linux soon.

Skype seems to be available on Linux. I have heard from many gamers that Skype is used a lot for conferencing to coordinate, I think they mainly use voice only.

Personally, I'd be happy with sound only for the new sessions, apart from needing far less bandwidth, I doubt that there would be too much call for video originating with me ... and then I'd HAVE to wear clothes too, probably ... sorry, TMI, I know :-p

OK, it would be nice to post pics of the instruments...

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 05:38 PM

To use skype, I'm pretty sure you need an account that costs money. Also I would need to organise that thru my ISP, and then would need other accounts for using it from other sites, thru other ISPs.

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: olddude
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 05:41 PM

Skype is free, you can purchase their long distant telephone service but I do not know anyone that does that, video chat is free and very stable

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: framus
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 05:53 PM

Can anyone tell me how to get a photo from Windows Media to, for example, my profile page in Mudcat. Primitive language would be appreciated, as I'm pretty new to all this lark.
Thanks, Dave.

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 06:49 PM

Skype to Skype is free, including video. Skype to any other service costs.

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 06:52 PM

You can't get any kind of non-text media into Mudcat except for midi files. It was once possible but isn't any more.

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: framus
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 07:20 PM

Can anybody help - it was actually the Irish Tenor Banjo society I was aiming for, Mudcat was just a "for instance"?
I've got my photo, I just don't know how to export it.
Dave.

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 07:54 PM

Generally the site you want to put it on will have their own way of importing the file. Best to look around the help stuff or FAQs etc there.

But basically, to use Facebook as an example, once you get to that 'file import' page, you see a 'browse' button, which allows you to find the file on your own PC, and then upload it. You don't really 'export it to the site from your own PC', to use the correct concept.

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: olddude
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 08:04 PM

PM me your address my friend, I found a very nice webcam that I had at my office and I will send it to you. Just plug it in and download skype

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 08:11 PM

our son and I use skype a lot..all free, all easy, though he needs better reception for the video. He's in an RV park with a bunch of others using wifi so it gets overloaded at times.

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 08:50 PM

The Skype Download page only shows a Ubuntu version 8 link - I have version 10 on this box, and have found a real V10 link in the package handler - you can also have skype contacts using Pidgin (libpurple) - so if you want to try, let me know...

No camera as yet...

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: olddude
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 09:29 PM

works with version 10 just fine, However just go to Ubuntu software manager and install it from there, don't download it yourself no need to. I have it on my version 10, works fine

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: framus
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 09:31 PM

Thanks, Foolstroupe - I'll try facebook first.
Davy.

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 04 Jan 11 - 09:31 PM

OK it seems to be installed... :-)

All Skyped up and no one to call ... :-P

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 07 Jan 11 - 02:03 AM

From the dnld page

Start your free trial for group video calling beta
Sign in to Skype 5.0 for Windows. Click on a contact, add more people to the conversation, click the Video call button, and select Get group video from the pop-up message.

Note: group video calling is a beta feature which means it's still work in progress - but please go ahead and try it.

Remember: everyone on the call needs Skype 5.0 for Windows for group video to work.

~~~~~~
So the Linux types may not work ...

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 07 Jan 11 - 05:31 PM

OK have got the basic Skype working on both Win 7 and Ubuntu,

Don;t know if 'group calls' works on Linux yet, as have had no chance to test it.

Ok Open Mike, do you want a test in the near future?

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: open mike
Date: 08 Jan 11 - 01:57 AM

yes let's test the jam room...
i have found a situation,though,
which i would warn others about..

i downloaded Paltalks's most recent
version and shortly after that, i had
a webpage install itself online,
and now "Ask" a search engine seems to
have insinuated itself as my home page
and i do not seem to be able to put mudcat
back in it's place. somehow, the option
to change my home page is no longer available
to me...i am not sure how to find the homepage
menu...

Subject: RE: BS: HELP! Webcam, what do I need?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 08 Jan 11 - 09:02 PM

I noticed those Ask related 'options' as I installed and unticked them - those 'options' are getting fairly common on a lot of 'free' SW - seems to be a sponsorship arrangement - you don't say what browser and OS.

I can assist with Firefox.

If you did that windows 'system backup' thingy recently, you may be able to just roll back and recover and then reinstall.