I worked this week for a lady who asked me to buy her a video camera, or “webcam,” for use with her laptop computer. She has relatives in Italy, who had been pestering her for the longest time to get a webcam so that they could keep in touch over the Internet.
“How,” you may ask, “would a video camera for my computer help me keep in touch with my family and friends?” Remember those video telephones that we were all promised back in the 1970s and 80s? They never quite materialized, did they? Even though the technology to make video phones did in fact exist, it was so expensive that hardly anyone could afford it. The Internet, for all practical purposes, didn’t really exist at the time and the idea of video phone calling for the masses just sort of faded away.
Things are different, now; relatively powerful home computers, combined with inexpensive video cameras and the Internet, have made video phone calls a reality. You can now contact anyone in the world and see their face and hear their voice, all for free. One of the easiest ways to do this is using a free service called Skype.
To get started, you and whoever you wish to contact will both need a computer and the Skype program. Any modern computer will do, but those with faster processors and larger amount of random access memory (RAM) will see better performance. While you can make voice-only calls using a simple microphone/earphone headset, it’s way more fun to make video phone calls. As such, you’ll need a webcam, preferably one that has a built-in microphone. Prices range from about $30 on the low end to $100+. The webcam that I picked out for my customer was a mid-range model made by Logitech, and cost $60. Look for a webcam that has at least a 1.3 megapixel sensor and does video capture of at least 800 X 600 pixels, with higher numbers being better. Many newer laptops have built-in webcams, in which case you’re ready to go.
You’ll also need a fast, broadband Internet connection, such as cable or DSL; funky old dial-up simply will not do.
Installing a webcam is fairly straightforward; just put the CD that comes with the webcam in your computer and follow the instructions. Next, go to skype.com and download and install the Skype program. The program will ask you to create a Skype account, and make up a password. Use a strong password (see my previous article, “Type Password Here.”); you don’t want anyone hijacking your Skype account. After the program is up and running, go to the Tools/Options window. Click the Video Settings tab and select your model of webcam. I also like to check the “start my video automatically” box. There are other video settings that you can fiddle with, but they’re not essential. You may want to click the “Audio settings” tab and turn up your microphone and speakers.
Making Skype calls couldn’t be easier. On the Contacts screen there is even a “Skype Test Call” link where you can check out connectivity and audio, but not video. Once everything is in place, you’ll need to know the Skype Name, full name or email address of who you want to contact. Click the Add Contact link, enter the required information and Skype will find your contact. Click the green telephone symbol and, if your contact is on line, you’ll be connected. Click the Full Screen button for even more fun.
Don’t expect Hollywood-quality video or audio. After all, it’s not unusual for a video production company to spend $50,000 on a camera and $2,000 on a microphone. Internet dropouts and routing will also affect performance. Still, I think that it’s amazing that we can even make video phone calls in the first place. Skype is super-easy to use and loads of fun; I recommend it.