It's a go! (Well, nearly...)
High Quality Video on Skype brings the resolution of video calling on Skype up to 640 x 480 pixels (from 320 x 240) and up to 30 frames per second (from a max of 15) when you meet the necessary hardware and software requirements.
The difference is pretty amazing--it's the sort of quality that was previously only available to big businesses (for lots of money), but now it's available to everyone on Skype (for free)!
High Quality Video been kicking around since the last Skype 3.6 beta, but today is the full announcement (with a very cool dual event in New York and London), and the necessary software will be out of beta later in November.
What does it take to get High Quality Video? It's not easy to transfer video at such a high resolution--more pixels and more frames per second mean at the very least more data needs to be transferred.
Skype and Logitech have teamed up with an optimized version of Skype (3.6, which will be out of beta in November) and an optimized version of Logitech's webcam drivers (version 11.5, also out of beta in November) for several of Logitech's webcams. This ensures you'll have a high quality experience with High Quality Video. You'll also need a broadband connection to the internet (384 kbps connection or higher) and a PC with a dual core processor.
Which webcams work? Well there are three to start:
- Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000
- Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks
- Logitech QuickCam Sphere AF (Logitech QuickCam Orbit AF in the US)
All three have Carl Zeiss lenses and a premium autofocus system that refocuses images in less than three seconds so you look good even during EXTREME CLOSEUPS. Pretty cool, eh? They're all available in the Skype Store: there's currently a promotion going on in Europe with free shipping and free SkypeOut credit with HQV webcams, and there's a $20 rebate available in the US.
Check out Peter's post about High Quality Video on the main blog here. If you've already got one of these webcams, you can try it out early by downloading the Skype beta here and a beta version of Logitech's driver's for High Quality Video here.
Are you already using High Quality Video and does it really make a difference? Tell me in the comments.
Comments
I can't get a dual-core computer yet but I'm wondering if the Logitec Pro webcam will give me the best video and audio I can get WITHOUT the HQ??? It doesn't cost too much if the quality is useful for basic skype. Comments? thanks, Ian
ian_rex | Friday, Nov 16
Hi there
My son has an Intel Celeron M 1.6 GHZ laptop
But not a Pentium® P4 - if I buy him the Quickcam Sphere AF will it work on his machine, please?
Thanks
transformer221
transformer221 | Wednesday, Nov 28
Funny how this used to be available for any camera in older versions of Skype simply by editing config.xml, but now it only works for Logitech cameras. What a shame that you would only let people who spend $80-100 on a webcam use this technology when my iSight is perfectly capable of higher-res video. Oh wait! Apple's iChat supports 640x480 video for ANY camera.
Nice job being behind the curve.
dondeesten | Monday, Aug 25
Well, that's interesting to hear. Why would free software restrict users to use only particular hardware, shouldn't it be the opposite? Well anyway, y'all might want to try icall which lets you dial us & canada 4 free & u can also receive incoming calls from a phone, hope they come out with a mac version soon. & with voice & video chat right in the browser from google, there's no need 4 one 2 use skype. just got rid of skype & yahoo as soon as google released this although not sure how google's chat works though.
vinodvi | Saturday, Nov 15