Skype - is it a good way to keep in touch by webcam?

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ndp

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I have a general question about Skype. Basically, I want to be able to keep in touch using a webcam (grandkids, etc.). Is Skype the best way to do this? If so, what do I need to get to be up and running with it? How do I go about getting Skype?

Thanks in advance for any help.
 
ndp said:
I have a general question about Skype. Basically, I want to be able to keep in touch using a webcam (grandkids, etc.). Is Skype the best way to do this?
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It's a good way. Whether or not it's the best is a subjective matter.
If so, what do I need to get to be up and running with it?
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Have you read the Skype FAQs?
So, what can I do with Skype?

Skype is jam-packed with [broken link removed] to help you stay in touch with friends, family and colleagues, share your thoughts and views and find the information you need. You can use Skype on your computer and on both [broken link removed] and [broken link removed].

Just for starters you can [broken link removed] with anyone on your [broken link removed] or even use [broken link removed] to chat with up to a hundred people. You could hold a [broken link removed] with up to nine other people to organise a get-together and then use [broken link removed]™ to search for the perfect venue to hold it.

There are also really cool video features. All you need is a [broken link removed] to make [broken link removed] or even [broken link removed] to personalise Skype.
Click to expand...

How do I go about getting Skype?
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Download Skype
 
Probably the best thing to do is to try it without the webcam and see what the quality is like (i.e. doing voice calls). If this is okay, then get a webcam and try that out.

You can download Skype from:
www.skype.com
The user guides are [broken link removed].

The other person you are trying to call will need to have Skype aswell. You will both need webcams if you both want to see each other. You will both need broadband connections.

Adding a webcam is *relatively* simple! It's worth buying a slightly more expensive one (a low-end logitech one for example) if you are unfamiliar with computers, as I bought a cheapo one recently and the instructions were in the most bizarre chinglish! You will need to install the driver for the webcam and then connect the webcam to a USB port. Skype should (never seen it not) pick up the existence of the webcam automatically.

I use Skype between Ireland and Indonesia regularly and it works well. Sometimes the connection is not great at the Indonesian end, so we can only do voice calls, but mostly it works well and you get used to the occasional freeze and delay. In fact, my children (4 & 2) are better at coping with it than I am!

(I have no connection with Skype, other than as a user).
(Edit: I knew Clubman was a quicker typer!).
 
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I used Skype for the first yesterday to South Korea.I was very happy with the quality of sound and although I dont yet have a webcam the quality of the small video pic of the person I spoke to was also good and we only have basic broadband.So highly recommended.
 
The use of the webcam with Skype (and presumably in general) uses up a lot of the bandwidth available, and can cause the call to be dropped or the image to freeze or blur. It can be frustrating. I never bother with mine now. By the way I have only a 1 Mbps download speed allowance.
 
Ndp,
Both Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger have webcam facilities which should meet your needs. They're reasy to set up and are worth checking out.

I've used Skype for PC to landline calls but use Yahoo or MSN for webcam

hope this helps
 
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