SKYPE

I have been a fan of Skype. And I still am – but not of their latest version.

For those of you unfamiliar with Skype, it is a free computer program that lets you communicate with other Skype users at no charge. You can communicate using audio only, or with both sound and video. And for a nominal fee, you can call ordinary telephones too, which is how Skype makes money.

I initially used Microsoft Messenger to hold ‘video chat’ sessions with my children and grandchildren. However, when Skype provided better audio and video, I began using Skype. I also use Skype for outgoing phone calls. I do not have a landline phone and it is cheaper to use Skype than to bump up my cell phone monthly minutes to the next plan. For $3 a month, Skype lets me make up to six hours of domestic phone calls per day.

Skype has always allowed voice communications with multiple parties. In fact, you can even do multi-way calling with computer users and standard telephone users at the same time. I have done conference calls with over a dozen participants without noticeable degradation. In fact, I can’t recall any time that voice quality using Skype did not sound better than a typical cell phone call.

Now, with version 5, Skype has introduced group video calling. This is a nice feature, but it appears to come at the cost of versatility and performance. For example, Skype can still achieve HD video resolution, but only with a few specific webcams. Furthermore, certain webcams have become problematic. Specifically, Skype 5 will not accept streaming video from my Sony camcorder. I have to use ManyCam or WebcamMax software to make my camcorder function at all within Skype 5. And when I do that, I only get 320x240 resolution at 15FPS. That video quality is not bad, but it is only one eighth of the quality I previously had.

So I have gone back to Skype rev 4.2.0.187. Now, once again, I can have 640x480 30FPS video chat sessions. But only with one other Skype user at a time. Oh well, talking to all 7 grandkids and their 4 parents at the same time was chaotic anyway.