Situation: Girlfriend and I are long distance and trying to vidchat. (Don't be ghey. Or if you must, at least be helpful, too.) Video works just fine using Yahoo! Messenger. Audio, is what's brought us here.

We tried using AOL Instant messenger. The Mac version, no update since '04, has no audio/video chat.
We tried using MSN Chat. Hahaha...like Bill Gates would make an MSN version compatible with Mac.
We tried using Yahoo! Messenger, which gave the best results: video with no sound.

The Problem: She can hear feedback (only feedback) when she tries to use her microphone/headset combo (GE Portable Jasho 98970), but only when she makes sound on her side. I neither hear her through my speakers, nor any recognition that she's making a sound at all (confirmed via phone).

Checked already: I've checked the Audio levels to make sure that my mic is picking up sound. I've also confirmed my speakers are working and on.

She's has a HP - Pavillion ZE 4400.
I have a MacBook.

Any other questions, please ask.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

2/4/2008 11:00:29 PM

so why dont you look at each other with the video and talk on the phone?

2/4/2008 11:01:19 PM

she's tryin to save minutes, homes

i know

2/4/2008 11:02:41 PM

http://www.skype.com/allfeatures/videocall/

Concurrent Mac & PC versions.

2/4/2008 11:08:46 PM

^^^^ Have her switch which plug is in which jack. She might have the headphone jack in the microphone jack and vice versa.

[Edited on February 4, 2008 at 11:09 PM. Reason : ]

2/4/2008 11:09:21 PM

I will certainly lol if ^ is correct. This is a frighteningly likely solution however...

2/4/2008 11:21:22 PM

^^ Not the case.

Trying Skype...

2/4/2008 11:26:19 PM

Did it work?

2/4/2008 11:36:40 PM

Almost. D/L'd Skype.

Have video and sound of her. She can hear me. She cannot see me. We are on right now, but I don't know how to add video to the chat.

Now what?

2/5/2008 12:08:02 AM

You fail. Kill yourself.

2/5/2008 12:09:49 AM

Helpful.

2/5/2008 12:18:22 AM

iChat won't video with AIM?

And if one app gives you video and another gives you audio, just run them both at the same time

[Edited on February 5, 2008 at 12:23 AM. Reason : ]

2/5/2008 12:22:57 AM

Eh,
Yahoo video works
Skype sound works
use 'em both?

Or, I'd guess Skype simply doesn't see your webcam... google for instructions?

^Better solution

[Edited on February 5, 2008 at 12:24 AM. Reason : ...]

2/5/2008 12:23:05 AM

Use Ichat on the mac to do video through AIM, it works great.

2/5/2008 12:48:14 AM

iChat + aim should work

The thing with yahoo is probably because she has stuff selected wrong for recording devices in either windows or yahoo. If there is a mic built into her cam then she has two recording devices atleast. One from her sound card and one from the mic. She needs to open up the sounds and audio devices control panel in windows and do a couple things.

1). On the audio and voice tabs make sure that the micropone in the camera is set as the default device for recording.

2). On the Volume tab click advanced. This will bring up the mixer. Go to options -> properties. Check playback devices and then make sure the microphone is checked. Then click ok. Find the slider for the microphone and make sure its muted. Otherwise any sound she makes will get picked up by the mic and played back over her speakers wether shes recording or not.

3). Go back to Options -> properties and select recording devices. Make sure the mic is checked. Click ok. Find the microphone slider and make sure its set as the default recording device and not muted.

That should make sure its setup right in windows. From there you can fidle with the options in yahoo im to make sure its using the right recording device.

2/5/2008 10:17:49 AM

I use Skype on my Macbook to video chat with relatives in Egypt who are on PCs, it works perfectly. On the little window that pops up that his her video in it, there should be a little camera icon in the lower left corner. Click that to start sending your video to her.

2/5/2008 10:21:33 AM

^ I saw that and tried it last night, but the button was grayed out and didn't do anything. With Skype, the technical issue seems to be mine. Skype -- for whatever reason -- does not recognize my onboard video camera, even though the indicator light automatically turns on when Skype opens.

^^ Thanks for the step-by-steps. After farting around w/iChat this morning I think I figured out how to make it work with Skype. We'll try again when she gets home from work. Last night we just went with windhound96's solution (Yahoo! for vid, Skype for sound).

Thanks for the help TWW!

2/5/2008 11:00:23 AM

gl on your vidchat sex0r

2/5/2008 11:07:57 AM

You could try to use PalTalk.

2/5/2008 11:11:41 AM

I'm pretty sure you can video chat using meebo but skype and a webcam with a built in mic works fine for me.

2/5/2008 2:05:32 PM

Skype should work. Sightspeed should also.

2/5/2008 8:56:10 PM

Thanks from both of us, TechTalk. We've got Skype working now.

2/7/2008 8:09:03 PM