Reach out and see someone

New software makes it easy for anyone with a webcam and a fast connection to video-chat over the web.

from the March 7, 2007 edition

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Ultimately, if you want to connect with friends and family via video, it's the software that counts. And there is some very good free software available online.

For PC users, Windows Live Messenger is a good place to start. The program is easy to install and use. Most important, it allows live video. (Some programs will only let you record video and then send it.) You can do plenty of other things as well, such as create "theme packs" for how your interface will look and start a blog on MSN Spaces' social networking website. Despite Apple's jabs at Microsoft, in this particular case the software giant has created a better program than its competitor.

But as much as I like this software, I chose SightSpeed, because it works on my PC as well as on my wife's Mac. I want the same programs on both machines, in case the computing giants get snippy and won't allow software from a competitor to work with its machine.

SightSpeed was easy to set up, but to use all of the program's features, there's a monthly fee of $4.95. (The paid subscription comes with a free microphone, but I paid a little extra to get a really good laptop webcam instead.)

So far, we've experimented with the SightSpeed software a few times with mostly positive results. I have found that the picture can be a little slow if the Internet is busy, and we occasionally get an echo on the audio portion of the call.

After using the webcam, one of my daughters said it was like "being on TV" – one of the highest compliments you can get from a 7-year-old. But she didn't like putting on the headsets we use for audio. We may switch to a stand-alone microphone that sits beside the computer, although the sound quality isn't as good.

Is it the next-best thing to being there? I won't know until I start traveling in a few weeks. But I like the way the young military father profiled in the Spokesman Review's video blog described it: "At least I can be there emotionally, even if I can't be there physically."

Other video software options include PalTalk, Yahoo! Messenger, Eyeball Chat, Festoon, Aim Triton, and IChat AV, to name a few. To find a more extensive list, visit TopTen Reviews (www.video-chat-im-software-review.toptenreviews.com/yahoo-review.html) and then try a few yourself until you find one that suits your needs.

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