<p>You may be like me, and have heard about web cams & skype–but the penny has not yet dropped. I googled video cameras, and found a couple of sites that sell them-inc: ATT (our DSL server) they charge alot for the camera $199 and then $10/month. I also checked out newegg.com They posted several types including Linksys $100, Ezonics $20, microsoft lifecam $70 and Amazon had a logitech quick cam $85. My questions:
1.Buy a web camera first-is there a preference in picture quality vs price?
2.Do I have to pay a month fee to be able to use a web cam?
and how does that all relate to Skype? I have heard I need to download skype-along with DD–then how do you call her? Do we need some type of microphone/headphone or do I type my conversation like an instant message?
Can someone educate me? I miss my DD so much–and won’t see her till Thanksgiving. She asked me to get a web cam so we can talk. She has a macbook—I have a desktop pc. Thank you so much-APOL mom</p>
<p>You need to buy a web camera if your computer does not come equipped with one already (your daughter’s Macbook, assuming it is a recent model, comes with one built-in). As for purchasing, perhaps others who have shopped for one before can chime in, as I have no experience in this matter. I DO know that you should not have to pay a monthly fee to use a webcam for a free piece of software like Skype, MSN Messenger or AIM.</p>
<p>Obtaining and using Skype is a pretty painless process. Simply put, Skype is a messaging client that incorporates text, voice, and video chatting. While others use Skype to make VoIP calls, for the purpose of talking with your daughter, you will not have to worry about that.</p>
<p>Both you and your daughter need to download Skype (<a href=“http://www.skype.com%5B/url%5D”>www.skype.com</a>) and register a user name. Once that is done, one of you two must add the other to their Skype buddy list. Doing so will send the other a buddy list request, which if the other accepts, will put the sender onto the other’s buddy list.</p>
<p>Ex) If your daughter adds you to her buddy list, you will receive a request from your daughter to add your daughter to YOUR buddy list. Accepting this request will mean that the two of you can now chat/call/video with each other.</p>
<p>If the video camera does not come equipped with a microphone, you will need to purchase some sort microphone. These are inexpensive, and sometimes come attached to headphones in a headset. Once the two of you are both logged into Skype, calling is very easy, just double clicking on their name. If you have a webcam, Skype will recognize this and automatically begin streaming video to the other person.</p>
<p>Hope that helps.</p>
<p>I am not tech-savvy either, but my husband and daughter put webcams and Skype on the computers so we can talk to her. I don’t know how much the webcams they bought cost. Her friend also has it, and I recently heard her say she bought the webcam on sale at Target for $15. There is no monthly fee for Skype or the webcam. I just searched Target and found this one for $19.99, for example <a href=“http://www.target.com/GE-EasyCam-PC-Camera-H098063/dp/B00006HMGD/sr=1-1/qid=1192096890/ref=sr_1_1/601-2040477-1072914?ie=UTF8&index=target&field-browse=1038598&rh=k%3Aweb%20cam&page=1[/url]”>http://www.target.com/GE-EasyCam-PC-Camera-H098063/dp/B00006HMGD/sr=1-1/qid=1192096890/ref=sr_1_1/601-2040477-1072914?ie=UTF8&index=target&field-browse=1038598&rh=k%3Aweb%20cam&page=1</a> She said she could talk to my daughter in China fine with this cheap webcam, they had shown each other their rooms at college, and it was great.</p>
<p>Luddite mom here! We’ve been using Skype for over a year. S was in China last year and Canada this year so we saved a bundle in telephone $$. Sooo good to see his face. Info from Sheldon and Mof2 is correct. We bought our cameras for about $35 Logitech - very reliable. If you don’t have a camera, you can just do messaging which we did when S was traveling around and would stop at an internet cafe without his laptop or camera. When you sign on each time, you will be given choices of text or live chat. Skype is still free but we’ve heard rumors of fees to come.</p>
<p>Here’s a pretty good link with webcam reviews – might be a little more techy than you need, but I found it helpful.
<a href=“http://cowboyfrank.net/webcams/index.htm[/url]”>http://cowboyfrank.net/webcams/index.htm</a></p>
<p>I bought the Logitech QuickCam Pro 5000 for just over $56 on amazon.com. It works wonderfully with Skype.</p>
<p>We are hosting a teaching assistant from Colombia. She and my husband just bought a Microsoft Webcam on Sunday at Staples. It was about $30 and there was a $15 rebate.</p>
<p>She downloaded Skype, installed the Webcam, and was up and running very quickly - to see and talk with her family. She says that the sound is better than via the telephone.</p>
<p>When I glance at her screen, I can see the images; it is certainly not as smooth and crisp and hi-quality as watching a tv show - but she and they are thrilled to see each other and talk. My DH, who is more tech-smart than me, says the lack of quality is due to the combination of computer speed, connection speed, webcam, etc. </p>
<p>If you do not have broadband, he would not recommend it.</p>
<p>There is no charge for skype - no initial fee, no weekly or monthly fee.</p>
<p>There is no charge for the webcam beyond the initial purchase. </p>
<p>Hope this helps -
Marion</p>
<p>Argh - sorry for duplicate post - which I’ve deleted and repalced with this nonsense text</p>
<p>omG thank you all so much…I will make it a point to look for a webcam with a microphone…it doesn’t sound like I need to buy the most expensive model, that’s encouraging news…hopefully the installation directions are easily understood-I want to thank you all for coming to my rescue-APOL</p>
<p>MTPaper or anyone who might know…Another question…I have DSL service…is that broadband? or something different? Do I need to order broadband from ATT? thank you for clarifying.</p>
<p>We have DSL and it worked fine; the sound was better using a headset. The picture was surprisingly good, though small (from the built-in webcam on a new Mac laptop). For those with older computers, Amazon sells various webcams – the logitech 5000 has gotten lots of positive reviews.</p>
<p>DSL is broadband. So is cable internet. Dial-up service is not broadband.</p>
<p>APOL:</p>
<p>I recommend buying an inexpensive webcam (with built-in microphone) - it should be less than $100. Stick with a major brand name like Logitech, Microsoft, etc. You need broadband internet access for it to work okay but you have that with DSL.</p>
<p>If you have Windows you can use Microsoft Live Messenger for free to do the Video/Sound/Chat. You don’t need Skype for this.</p>
<p>Here’s a link to another thread that I started with the very same concerns just a couple of months ago: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=368123&highlight=webcams[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=368123&highlight=webcams</a></p>
<p>We’ve ended up with my daughter (in China) calling us through skype on her mac but we talk on our regular landline phone. We think her connection is a little slow for the webcam to work. When she had a better connection the webcam worked well. The headset with microphone helped the sound alot on our end.</p>
<p>An alternative to Skype is for you to use AOL Instant Messanger and your daughter iChat on her Mac. This setup is a little harder to get working than Skype, but when/if it works you will get better video quality on both ends.</p>
<p>Skype is almost fool proof. My mom and I have been using it since my freshman year (I’m a senior now). Everything about the program works just like you think it ought to. Especially computer-to-computer calling. We don’t use the webcam feature, though we toyed with it. When I went abroad for the semester, I took my webcam with me (and it was a cheap webcam that came in the package with my wireless keyboard and mouse), and we tried it out, but we more or less decided that it wasn’t worth the hassle. It’s just another cord, and honestly, talking is the important thing. Seeing each other doesn’t really add a whole lot. I definitely, definitely, definitely echo the comments telling you to get a headset with a microphone, though (these are like $14 dollars at Walmart or wherever). When I was abroad, I was the only one who brought one (our computers all have internal microphones, so people were just using those), and it wasn’t long before my housemates asked to borrow mine to talk to family back home.</p>
<p>I’ve started using Skype to call long-distance landlines as well. It’s cheaper than my calling card and it’s a lot less hassle than going through the dial around numbers. The sound quality is better too.</p>
<p>I have been hawking Skype to everyone that I know for YEARS.</p>
<p>I’m assuming that you want the webcam so you can see her while talking to her.</p>
<p>But just wanted you to know that you can use Skype like a telephone only, without the webcam, which is what we do. The headset I use was $19.99 or $29.99 and works great. So, the cam part is an option if you don’t want to spend the money. Or want to get started while you figure out what you want to buy.</p>
<p>I’ve used it between California and England – it worked ok on my end without the headset, but the sound best for both of us when both used headsets – I got a real kick out of the video.</p>
<p>OK…first thanks to everyone for educating me-and I am sure others who are not tech savvy, like myself…so…next question…head set…can I use bluetooth for the microphone? or get a headset ? thx for input…the puzzle pieces are falling together!</p>
<p>Bluetooth would sort of defeat the purpose of the webcam where the person would normally sit fairly stationary in front of the cam. A headset really isn’t needed with a decent built-in mic. The user’s hands are still free.</p>