Video Conferencing

Hi all, fresh face alert!!!!

I am off to Aus in January (hopefully) and really need some advice about Video Conferencing as I want to stay in tough with freinds family etc.

Basically, is anybody on this site videoconferencing with the UK? if so what systems are you using?

Any advice would be really, really appreciated

J

Hi Junglist

I am just trying to set this up myself. So far I have got a webcam and a separate microphone. I have downloaded netmeeting and I can load that up and see and hear myself but I need somebody else, with a webcam and mic to test it.

Can anybody oblige? Do I need to give out my e-mail address to test this?

Cheers in advance

Boomer

Boomer

Well I could buy the necessary equipment and we could test it. The only problem being that my temporary address in the UK only has POTS therefore no broadband. As such I really do not think we would get a decent test going.

From what I have researched you really need broadband with at least 500Kbps upload and download to run a VC system sucessfully.

But we can give it a go should nobody else on this site be able to. Where are you located? are you in UK or Oz?

Cheers

J

Hey Junglist

I have 1 mb broadband. I only have a shite webcam and mic. My dad has broadband as well so I might get another webcam and mic and test it with him. Might take a few weeks but I will get back to you and let you know how it goes.

Cheers

Boomer

Boomer

Nice one, keep in touch

J

Hey Junglist

I have tested it now and it works pretty well. Only thing is I am in Norwich and I tested it with someone in Brighton, slightly shorter distance than Oz, but hey it works.

I was given a webcam (so its pretty crap), bought a mic for £3 and used msn messenger. The connection speed was 1mb at my end and 2 mb at the other. It all works through your msn login and your e-mail address. I will now look into getting a better webcam and see if that improves the image.

I have to say that it is still pretty crap technology, but you can see who you are talking to, etc. so its better than nothing.

If you want to test it give me a shout.

Cheers

Boomer

If you both have a PC and msn messenger , a webcam and a microphone then thats a very simple way to do it. 128kbit/s is more than enough if you only want to send and receive a small blury video window ;-)

If one end does not have a PC or they are a technophobe parent then you can use a stand alone video conferencing system.

I installed one in my parents house in the UK. I signed up Metronet as the UK broadband ADSL provider ( 11 quid a month for low usage) and installed a Dlink "i2eye" videoconf box. Metronet is good as it allocates a fixed IP address.

All my parents have to do when it rings is pick up a cordless phone I attached to the i2eye box and switch the lounge TV to the video input channel and there I am. No computer, no software to get confused with. The box has a built in webcam.

http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=0&pid=8

256kbit/s is OK each way, the faster upload conection the better . Dont forget theres no benefit having 2Mbit/s download at one end if the other end is only using 128Kb for their upload spead. its the upload speed that limits the performance.

You will have to get someone who knows what they are doing to configure your modem and the Dlink box. Ideally buying a box for both ends is the simplest but as its a standards based box I use a PC in Australia using Netmeeting software to talk to the i2eye box in the UK. You will ideally need a fixed IP address at the UK end if you use a PC on the other end. it As the Oz PC end has no fixed IP address it means only I can place a call to parents , not the other way ( which is an advantage LOL )

If you have a i2eye box on both ends they will find each other automatically without a fixed IP address.

If all that sounds like too much trouble then buy a 3G mobile video phone at each end but be prepared to pay per minute!

Nice one Sydney boy. That could save me a lot of effort

Cheers

Boomer

256kbit/s is OK each way, the faster upload conection the better . Dont forget theres no benefit having 2Mbit/s download at one end if the other end is only using 128Kb for their upload spead. its the upload speed that limits the performance.

I have a 1512/256k connection here, with fixed IP address. Based on your comment, the limit at both ends would then be 256k.

Anyone got an ideas what we can do for our parents they are in South Africa and cannot afford broadband. My brother in law has flown over to set them up on the internet so we can all email them. They currently have dial up connection on there PC at 48000kbps so web cams/voice are out of the question even sending pictures takes an age! When we move to Aus we would like them to see us especially the grandson. I think we will see them in person even more rarely than we do now. Flights to Uk are expensive from SA but flights to Aus are beyond their reach.

Any help would be appreciated.

Becca