Skype in/out

[rach 1]

Can people here tell me what setup you have for your skype? My friend has a notebook and she can talk into a mike on the machine and hear people speaking from the speakers - which is what I would like, but my notebook doesn't seem to have a mike. I tried a headphone thing, but then when I set it up on skype, all sounds came through there so it was really inconvenient for music etc.

 

 

I'm wondering what the best setup is. Do webcams work well if both parties have a broadband connection?

[bobby12 0]

If u buy a webcam and mic then it should work. keep trying i think! The only thing stoppnig it working would be broken driver/speaker etc.

[indosnm 0]

All your sounds came through the headset? That will happen when you have it plugged in!

 

Webcams work well, but both users need a decent amount of memory.

A hint with the mic & head sets.. It's better if both people use head sets, that way you don't hear yourself through their speakers. If you get heaps of echo and background noise even just a normal set of headphones works to get rid of the BG noise. If you want to speak with more than one person in the room, you might just have to put up with it!

[soubriquet 0]

I agree, it's an irritation when you want to listen to music through speakers. I get around this by using an old headset with jack plugs rather than a USB connection. I only have the microphone jack plugged in, so the incoming sounds still come through the speakers.

 

If you have a USB head set, why don't you just plug it in to make or take calls, then disconnect when finished?

[DumbStick 13]

I have a Logitec webcam that has a built in mic and just use that - hardly use the video at all, just the audio. Vid is pretty much just for the parents.

[rach 1]

I think webcam is the way to go - just make sure it's not turned on for everyone!

 

 Quote:

why don't you just plug it in to make or take calls, then disconnect when finished?

It just gets a bit annoying, and I seem to have to change the settings in Skype every time(perhaps my fault). Just don't like it that way.

 

Lets webcam.

[fjef 0]

if you use iTunes on a Mac, music will automagically cut out when you use Skype. It comes back on again when you hang up....nice..

[soubriquet 0]

Fair enough. I see from the Vista thread that there are sound problems. Wouldn't it be nice if you could choose to route certain applications through certain hardware.

[rach 1]

Thanks. Sounds like a good common sense idea that. I'm not on Vista, I think I'll leave that problem for another day!

[nagoid 4]

Sounds like the best solution to me rach. You can get a webcam for 5000 yen or thereabouts. Get one for mum & dad too and they'll be happy as well.

 

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Do webcams work well if both parties have a broadband connection?

You're from the UK right? I skype with webcam with someone in the UK and it is fine. A slight lag but you get used to it.

[me jane 0]

I'm using the Plantronics USB cordless headset. They are expensive but well worth it cos I don't have to be near the computer to talk. It's good to be able to chat while doing all the boring stuff like cleaning. The sound is really clear. Webcam is not much use though cos I'm never in front of it. I mostly use Skype to call UK landlines though so it's not really an issue.

[its-a-clock 0]

I have a cordless headset thingy as well, works good. Since I don't use my computer for music, I don't miss any sounds at all.

[fukdane 2]

Something really strange happening with my skype at the moment. The ringing sound is strange - seems to repeat itself 3 times - then when I stop the call it goes all funky as well. Not sure why it would do this, the calls themselves seem to be ok, but its a bit offputting. Perhaps I should uninstall and reinstall it. Any other ideas?

[SirJibAlot 0]

I have a USB phone. It looks just like a normal phone, even has a speakerphone mode and numeric keypad. I skype out daily to the US (800 numbers are free!) for work. Works like a champ and I can listen to music thru my speakers.