Internet Tip - Best Free Video Conference Software Review

Skype vs Sightspeed vs ooVoo vs Live Messenger vs AIM vs Yahoo Messenger

By Jeff Baker

November 17, 2008

This is a review of the best free video and voice conferencing software available for download on the Internet. If you know of some other free video conference software that you feel I should review then please email me at jeffsbaker@sbcglobal.net or leave a comment.

Click here for Audio Tips for Video Conference Software.

Point System

I will rank the value or quality of each item with a point from 0(worst) to 10(best).

1 http://www.skype.com/download/skype/windows/ (TIP: Uncheck "Install the free Google Toolbar")
Skype is so far the number 1 pick because it has a good balance between video and audio quality. However its fullscreen video quality could be better.
Video: The video is realtime at about 30 frames per second. It is not jumpy but it is somewhat blurry at times.
Audio: The audio is very loud. The audio quality is also very good with very little to no feedback.

Video Quality
7

Audio Quality
7

2 http://www.sightspeed.com/
(TIP: Uncheck "Sign up for SightSpeed's newsletter" and "Get the free Ask Search Toolbar")
Sightspeed has very good video quality at times. But the audio is not very good.
Video: Sightspeed has the best video out of the programs reviewed. The video is realtime at about 25 frames per second. Sometimes the video has a ghosting effect for a few seconds. The video also pauses sometimes.
Audio: The audio is just ok. Sometimes it is choppy. At other times the audio gets very loud and then it goes very soft a few seconds later. There is also some audio feedback.

Video Quality
8

Audio Quality
5

3 ooVoo
http://www.oovoo.com/
(TIP: Uncheck "Install ooVoo Toolbar" during installation.)
ooVoo is a pretty nice video chat application where you can chat with more than one person at a time. However it does have some bugs.
Video: The video is realtime at about 30 frames per second. The video is very clear but it is not full screen capable. After clicking some maximize buttons it finally fills almost half the screen. It would be nice if it were bigger. Also, the video looks good, but about every 30 seconds there is alot of garbage pixels on the screen covering peoples faces, but the garbage disappeared after about 5 to 10 seconds.
Audio: The audio is very clear. It doesn't sound robotic. However, the audio is very quiet. I would give the audio a better rating, but it needs to be louder.

Video Quality
7

Audio Quality
7

4 Skype http://www.aim.com/
(TIP: While installing click on "Custom" and uncheck "Make AOL.com my home page", "Use AIM Search as my search engine", and "Install AIM Toolbar")
AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) is very popular instant messaging software. It is also pretty good for video and voice conferencing.
Video: The video is realtime at about 25 frames per second. But the picture seems to be made up of big, blocky pixels.
Audio: The audio is very good. There is no audio feedback.

Video Quality
6

Audio Quality
7

5 Windows Live Messenger http://get.live.com/messenger
(TIP: Uncheck all the boxes about installing "Live Toolbar" and changing home page to MSN, etc.)
Windows Live Messenger (previously MSN Messenger) has some video conference capabilities but it is not the best.
Video: The video is realtime at about 30 frames per second. But the colors are very dark and it is somewhat blurry.
Audio: The audio stutters sometimes and has clipped speech. It also echos at times.

Video Quality
6

Audio Quality
5

6 http://messenger.yahoo.com/
(TIP: When installing click on "Custom Install" and uncheck "Yahoo Toolbar", "Yahoo Browser Services", "Make www.yahoo.com my browser home page" and "Make Yahoo my default search engine".)
Yahoo Messenger has not improved their video and voice chat in a while. It is behind the game in quality. It is also difficult to start. To view their video you have to click on Action -> View Webcam, and to start your video you have to click on Action -> Invite to View My Webcam.... For audio you have to click on Call Computer.
Video: The video is only at about 10 frames per second. The quality is not good. It is very jumpy. At full screen the edges are jagged and the video is blurry. It also pauses often.
Audio: The audio is squeaky with feedback.

Video Quality
4

Audio Quality
4

Audio Tips for Video Conference Software

If the person you are chatting with is hearing irritating or loud noises or a lot of feedback it may be that the microphone on your PC or the built-in micropone on your Laptop may be positioned incorrectly. To solve this problem, plug an external microphone into the microphone port on the computer.

If the audio volume is too low for the person you are chatting with then you may be able to turn up your microphone volume in a couple of ways. First try number 1, then try number 2.

XP: Double click the speaker icon in the taskbar (or click on Start -> Control Panel -> Sounds and Audio Devices. Under the volume tab click on Advanced) then click on Options -> Properties -> Recording -> OK. There you can raise the microhphone volume level.
Vista: Click on Start -> Control Panel -> Sound -> Recording. There you can adjust the volume level for the microhpone.
XP: Follow the steps in number 1 and then if there is an Advanced button under the microhpone volume then click on it and check Microphone boost, then click close. Note: This may make your mic volume too loud so you may have to then lower the volume control for the microphone.
Vista: Follow the steps in number 1 then click on Custom and select Microphone – 20dB Boost and click Ok. Note: This may make your mic volume too loud so you may have to then lower the volume control for the microphone.

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User Comments

There are 5 comments.

Displaying first 20 comments.

1. Posted By: Byte - - November 7, 2008, 2:58 pm
The info on comparing the various programs available free, was most helpful.Thanks.

How many ways can you spell microphone???

2. Posted By: marklee - - September 16, 2009, 12:22 am
Thanks for the mentioning, This clearly shows that you put a great deal of care to your work. Thanks for all this informative stuff. Sometime a timely debt help can fix many worries.

3. Posted By: Frank - - October 11, 2009, 6:59 am
I'm a big Skype fan and would only use that one if all my clients used it. I do ocassionally use MSN - which is fine. Skype definitely my favourite though.
Frank @ Debt Advice

4. Posted By: Robin - - January 18, 2010, 6:58 am
Yes I must agree Skype is the best. I am very happy with the echo cancellation in the latest version. In earlier versions I tended to get quite a lot of feedback. Rowan @ temporary tattoos

5. Posted By: Michael Jones - - March 11, 2010, 6:56 am
Yup, have to agree on Skype - some brilliant VoIP technology that has greatly reduced the phone bills of a lot of people. debt relief orders