Cross platform video-chat software.

February 24, 2006 2:45 PM

I have a Mac (10.4.5), my Dad has a PC (XP Home). We both have cable modems. We want to video chat. What apps can we use together? Bonus points if I can continue to use iChatAV.

I've been playing around with my firewire-equipped camcorder this week, and got a one-way video conference going with my Mom some 75 miles away. (She's got a PowerBook). Now my Dad wants to join in the fun and see the grandchildren.

What apps exist for us which are cross platform and decent quality? I've read conflicting reports about AIM for PCs having poor video quality with iChat, when it works at all.

Yes, yes, I know I should just convince Mom to get an iSight, but is there hope for Dad?

posted by Wild_Eep to computers & internet (11 comments total)

I think Ichat is Mac based only, so your pretty stuck. The only other way around is to aquire a copy of OSx for x86 machines.
posted by spinko at 2:52 PM on February 24, 2006

Anyone have experience with iVisit?
posted by Wild_Eep at 2:53 PM on February 24, 2006

iChat is AIM. Try that first, if that's your preferred software. Reports about low quality are likely to be largely reports about misconfigured PCs.
posted by majick at 2:55 PM on February 24, 2006

Some people have reproted that Trillian Pro works.
posted by Armitage Shanks at 3:28 PM on February 24, 2006

If you don't mind the 'adult rooms'... ICUII works well - or so I've heard.
posted by matty at 3:38 PM on February 24, 2006

iChat + AIM gets 10fps (decent) + audio. The picture is small on the PC.

Yahoo/yahoo gets no audio and so-so video

Thread from earlier this week indicates that possibly aMSN will work too.
posted by filmgeek at 3:51 PM on February 24, 2006

Skype 2.0 for Windows does video chat. Skype for Mac is still at 1.x, but when it gets to 2.0 it will (presumably) do cross-platform video chat.

Obviously this doesn't help you right now, but it's something to keep in mind for the future.
posted by danb at 3:53 PM on February 24, 2006

We do the AIM - iChat thing here. If you are not a member of AOL the view window is rather small on the PC side.

Waiting for Skype to update!
posted by qwip at 4:30 PM on February 24, 2006

Gotta second the Trillian. Most of the grandparents use XP, we're mac people, the quality is about the same for AIM and Trillian, but the size of the AIM video window is impossible to deal with. Trillian has made it possible for the little one to see his GP's and (more importantly) for the GP's to see the little one a little bigger.
posted by provocateur at 5:40 PM on February 24, 2006

aMSN is a godsend and it WORKS!
posted by _zed_ at 6:28 AM on February 25, 2006

Try the open source Jabber. I haven't seen it but supposedly it's compatable with iChat. I tried AIM before but it has adverts and AIM itself actually installed spyware on my PC. Try finding Jabber thru Wikipedia.
posted by neuron at 11:31 PM on February 25, 2006