Making a Skype video call is not only free but also remarkably easy. If youve got an Internet connection and a Webcam, nothing stands in your way.
But be warned: this means the age of video calling has arrived. When a phone call means your caller sees you, its now rude to be doing 18 things as you talk. (And please, no personal hygiene maintenance.) Oh, and its easy to record a video call--meaning any of your calls could end up on YouTube.
If none of this deters you, heres what you need:
Download Skype. Its free. Register as a user and create a user name.
If you want to record your video call, download Call Graph or Pamela (for Windows), or Call Recorder (for Mac).
Now, turn on your Webcam and make sure your space is well lit. Boot up Skype and click on the name of another registered Skype user (youll need to add their user name before you call).
Once that person answers the call, click on the little video icon near the bottom of the screen. Presto! Youll see video of the person and hell see video of you. (Have you brushed your teeth recently?)
[Click here to view a sample Skype video with tech pundit Mike Elgan.]
User tips for Skype video calling:
Its natural to want to look at the video of the person youre calling, instead of looking into your Webcams eye. But only if you look into the Webcam will it appear you are facing the viewer. One solution: position Skypes video screen as near to your Webcams eye as possible, so you appear to be facing the Webcam.
Video Skype sucks up a lot of bandwidth. If youre on a shaky wireless connection your Skype connection might waver or drop. Shut down everything else (such as your browser or your second computer) that also hogs bandwidth.
In Skype, go to Preferences to change any parameters. For instance:
You can make a video call using the Picture in Picture option (like in the sample video here) or Side by Side.
If youve got the disk space, you can record at higher quality settings, or capture a larger video picture with better audio.
You can use your built-in Webcam, or connect a high-end video camera for a deluxe recording.
Smile! Youre on camera!
Adapted from Datamation.com.
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This article was originally published on March 23, 2009