Making Video Phone Calls
“Be prepared for video communications.”
by Jack Dunning
Unlike voice calls and text messages, video phone calls are an event. Just as with having someone come over to visit your home, you need to be ready for people to see you—and possibly your home, as well. Only close friends should routinely participate in this type of visual and vocal communication. A voice phone call always includes a wall of protection, leaving our imagination to create the shared chat room. The same is even truer for online chat. If we are to venture into video communications, we need to be prepared.
As pointed out by the article in this issue, "Video Telephony, Then and Now," by Michael Ross, video phone calls are a long time in coming. Different pieces of technology need to be in the same place at the same time for the application to emerge. I'm not convinced that cell phones are the future of video telephony. It's awkward to view a cell phone while talking; plus, the screen is too small.
The real explosion in video chatting seems to be emerging from the laptop computer. Just as a camera is standard on almost all cell phones, most laptops now sport a built-in webcam. We are also seeing many more desktop monitors with built-in webcams. The future of video phone calls appears to lie with the computer and the Internet. The come-into-my-living-room nature of video calls may leave the cell phone companies out in the cold. Both the online chat systems, such as AOL Instant Messenger, and the Internet phone call services, such Skype, seem to have the edge. Video phone calls are a hassle, not because they are difficult to set up, but because you need to comb your hair.
Since a video call is an event, you may not quite be ready to include video in your everyday communications. It's more for talking to close friends; it's not for casual contact between two or more people. Casual, or business, contact can be done with a voice phone call or a text message. Video chatting is too scary for an initial interaction with the unknown. Most of us need to be presentable when we go out in public. Therefore, it's likely that video chatting will supplement rather than replace the privacy of the old-fashioned voice phone call.
Video Calls with Instant Messengers
Video chatting has slowly crept into my life. Some calls were made as a test; others were almost accidents. The first video call I had with my daughter was when we were text chatting with AOL Instant Messenger. At the bottom of the chat window, there is a Video button. Out of curiosity, I clicked the button. My daughter, half-surprised by the request, clicked OK. (We were both using laptops that came with built-in webcams.) We were left staring at each other. It was that easy. We were soon engaged in relaxed conversation. Rather than sending text messages that crossed in the mail, we were talking as if we were in the same room.
For anyone who wants to check out video calls, I would recommend using an IM (AOL Instant Messenger (dashboard.aim.com/aim), Yahoo! Messenger (messenger.yahoo.com/), Windows Live Messenger (download.live.com/messenger), and many more can be found in a Google search). Virtually all of them support video calls—and they are free. The only requirement is that both parties be on the same IM service. The quality is dependent upon computer power, Internet connections (on both ends), and the webcams. For the IMs, the webcams built into the laptops seem to be adequate. They are of the same type as the cell-phone cameras. While the pictures may not be the greatest, they are certainly better than nothing, plus you will get a good feeling for the potential of video calls.
Going for a Little More
My primary use of video calls is for interacting with my grandchildren. It is a major event when we set up a video call. The time needs to be prearranged due to dinnertime, bedtime and the other chaotic routines involved with raising kids. However, it is something that both my wife and I look forward to. For these calls, we use Skype (www.skype.com/).
Skype is an Internet phone-call service that offers free video calling. In many ways it is a high-powered instant messenger, but it has established a reputation as the place to make your video calls. To take advantage of the power of Skype, you need power on your end—in the form of computing muscle and Internet bandwidth. It is also helpful to have a higher-quality webcam.
As for webcams, there is one source of reviews, Cowboy Frank (cowboyfrank.net/webcams/index.htm#revews), that will tell you almost everything that you may want to know about selecting and setting up webcams. If you are launching your video calls on a dual processor—or better, a computer with lots of memory—plus cable-modem Internet (DSL at a minimum), then it may be worthwhile to get a higher-end webcam.
As for the effect of Internet bandwidth, it is huge. Video calls require bandwidth in both the up and down direction. Typically, ISPs offer much faster download speeds than upload. While your cable company may be giving you great downstream speeds, the up speed could limit the quality of your connection. I've noticed that using a T-1 connection (same speed available in both directions) produced a much better call than a cable modem connection with comparable download speeds.
Goodies for the Kids
Kids quickly become bored with looking at their grandparents on the computer screen. In the beginning, it's a novelty, but soon SpongeBob Square Pants comes calling. To entertain the kids, it's a good idea to use some of the many video accessories available for adding spice to your calls. A software program called YouCam (www.cyberlink.com/multi/products/main_125_en_US.html) came with my HP computer. I don't even remember activating it, but it appeared during one of our video calls with our grandkids. It's loaded with special effects that can help to entertain the kids—they need that (see Figure 1). YouCam 2 is now available. (It would cost me $19.99 to upgrade.) It could be well worth it if I were capturing and editing video, but my main purpose involves making images run across the screen in front of Nana's face.
Figure 1. YouCam special effects showing the teddy bear avatar with a kid(?) skating by.
There are other features in YouCam that may be worthwhile investigating, such as drawing, if you're planning to produce YouTube videos, but primarily the YouCam software appears to be special effects.
Many Logitech Webcams (www.logitech.com/index.cfm/webcam_communications/video_software_services/video_effects/&cl=us,en) come with special-effects software similar to YouCam. The avatars will follow your motions, even moving the lips and eyes. I have no doubt that there is much more available. I would like to hear about other people's favorite programs.
After the kids are bored and have gone in search of SpongeBob, their parents will often drop into more relaxed conversation. Since the video chat is like being in the same room, the conversation proceeds without pressure. People can leave the room and return at will—without comment. Soon, it's just as if you had visitors at home—you start to wonder if they will ever leave.
Jack is the publisher of ComputorEdge Magazine. He's been with the magazine since first issue on May 16, 1983. Back then, it was called The Byte Buyer. His Web site is www.computoredge.com. He can be reached at
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04/03/2009
