[NPMUG] Video Chatting - Mac/PC

[David M. Marra]

> My friend just got a new PC laptop with built-in camera.  Is video
>chatting possible Mac to PC?  My image comes up when I click her camera
>on my buddy list but my friend does not seem able to get connected to a
>video chat.  I get the message that she is not able to participate in a
>video chat.  We're both new at this (and pretty dense, I might add). 
>Any suggestions?

A couple of suggestions...

- AIM for Windows version 5.5 or newer supports for video conferencing
with a Mac running iChat AV.  (The current version of AIM is 7.1, which
is probably what your friend is using, but I am just mentioning this for
other folks who might run into this same situation.)

- In order for iChat AV to work, the appropriate ports for iChat AV must
be opened on your firewall and/or router, as described here:

    iChat AV: How to Use With a Firewall or NAT Router
    <http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93208>

- In iChat, select your buddy's name, and do Buddies > Show Info.  In
the middle of their Profile screen, you should see "Capabilities".  This
is what the AIM service itself sees for what they (on their end, not
yours) are capable of doing.  A typical list should look something like this:

Buddy icon, Inline images, Chat, Receive files, Send files, Encryption,
Direct IM, Multiperson conferencing, Camera, Microphone, AIM audio,
Recording, iChat Theater, Screen sharing

The important ones are: conferencing, Camera, Microphone, AIM audio, etc.

- Last, but not least, as a test, add any one of these AIM buddy names
to your iChat buddy list and then try to do a video conference with them:

> appleu3test02
> appleu3test03
> appleu3test04
> appleu3test05
> appleu3test06

Your friend should also do this.

Adding any of these to your iChat buddy list, and establishing a video
chat with them, should result in a continual test video stream sent back
to your iChat or AIM client.  If it works, and you are able to see the
video and hear the audio, then you should have no problem doing a "real"
video conference, from a Mac or PC, using iChat or AIM, respectively.


Good luck!



-Dave