Video
Issues - Using
Your Existing Cameras and Audio system, and your H.323 Group
Videoconferencing Systems . . . on Skype video calls.
Using your existing AV cameras and
sound system . . . or your Group Videoconferencing system
. . . for live web streaming . . . and interfacing with Skype.
With our VSS-1 kit, your videoconferencing system camera and mics
will work as a high end webcam and mic for Skype or other
PC applications. In a typical modern
group videoconferencing system
(using H.323 or H.320 for communications), there is a large screen
monitor (LCD/Plasma), a PTZ camera, a mic and speakers.
The remote site will appear on the large screen monitor.
Login to Skype using your Skype account info.
In Skype main window, click on Tools, then Options,
then Video Settings. Select the VSS-1 related
Webcam from the dropdown box.
The video from the camera should then appear in the
Skype test window.
To set up & test your webcam, please follow these
steps:
* Download and install the most recent drivers for
your video device (see VSS-1 documentation section
13).
* Select your video device in Skype under:
Tools > Options > General > Video Settings
If your webcam is functioning you will see your live
video displayed.
If you are not seeing yourself make sure that you have
Enable Skype Video checked and click Webcam Settings to see more info.
·
The recommended system requirements for Skype video calls are
a 1Ghz CPU, 512MB RAM, a video card with at least 16MB of memory (also the
latest version of DirectX installed) and a 512/256kbit (down/up) connection.
Video and call quality may vary greatly in environments with conditions
below those recommendations.
·
One key issue it to be sure that your webcam is connected and
not in use by another program.
Check the System tray; bring
up Task Manager and check processes.
Uninstall any application
software that came with your webcam (not the driver).
Some webcams can be set to run
continually e.g. to take periodic snap shots, and then Skype reports
that the webcam is “Used by another Application”.
·
There are many PC configurations in use and many other issues
that arise – the Skype forum can often help – see
http://forum.skype.com/
·
Generally speaking, you won't be able to use your web camera
in more than one application at the same time. And you will have problems
too if you have more than one webcam or video source connected to your PC.
·
If you have multiple cameras/webcams, then software
must be placed between the camera(s) and the Skype
communication software. That software should split
the video signal and send it independently to each video consuming
application. VSS-1 has software that does exactly
this. Plus it adds some video processing: contrast, brightness and color
adjusting to enhance your video. Then you are not
limited to taking video from one web camera only - you can as well use your
existing video files as the video source . . . and live video from the your
videoconferencing system or other video sources.
You can change the video source in Skype from your webcam to the
any source, on the fly and back again.
