With Camera, PC Can Act as Videophone via Web

I remember hearing about videophones for the first time from my parents, who saw the concept demonstrated at the AT&T; pavilion at the 1939 World’s Fair. It was only a technology demonstration back then, but today it’s real.

By adding a small video camera, ranging from $79 to about $150, anyone with a PC and an Internet connection can place and receive videophone calls. It’s also possible to join a group conversation or locate a camera pal by using the feature that lists others who are online and ready to see and be seen.

Throughout the years, I’ve played with a number of cameras, but most recently I tried out a Kodak Digital Science DVC323, a Logitech QuickCam Pro and an Intel Create and Share camera. These small cameras are designed to sit on top of your monitor. The ones I tested plug into the USB port on a PC, but there also are versions that connect to a parallel port or a Mac serial port. Intel makes a version of Create and Share that comes with a PCI card that plugs into a desktop PC. In addition to working on machines without USB ports, it has a connector for a standard camcorder or VCR.

Each of these cameras can be used for still pictures as well as videos. The quality of the still pictures varies. The Logitech QuickCam and Kodak DVC323, for example, take still pictures at 640 pixels by 480 pixels, which is the equivalent of what low-end hand-held digital cameras can do. The Intel camera takes snapshots at 320 by 240 pixels, which is fine for online use but not that great if you plan to print them. If you want prints, you’re probably better off getting a portable digital camera.

The real strength of these units is their ability to capture live video so you can make your own little movies or participate in an interactive videophone call. Some people use the cameras as “Webcams” to broadcast live video via the Internet. USC, for example, has a “TommyCam” mounted on the student union aimed at the Tommy Trojan statue in the center of the campus. If you’re feeling voyeuristic, look up “Webcam” on Yahoo and you’ll find plenty of other locations you can stare at.

I’ve made a number of videophone calls with these devices, which have ranged in quality from pretty awful to reasonably acceptable. Although the resolution of the camera can play a part, the quality of a video call has far more to do with the speed and quality of the Internet connection and the speed of the PC at both ends. If you’re signed on a 28.8-kilobits-per-second machine or even a 56.6 kbps one, the video will be choppy and the audio will break up, similar to a bad cell-phone call.

If you’re lucky enough to have a cable modem, digital subscriber line or other high-speed connection, the quality may be better. I have a cable modem as does a friend in Boston, and we were able to have a pretty good conversation. I tried all three video cameras and did well in each case.

Most of the cameras come with videoconferencing software, but if you have a Windows machine, you already have (or can download free from the Web) a videoconferencing program. Microsoft NetMeeting not only lets you see and hear people but also allows you to “chat” with your keyboard and share a “white board,” where two people can draw and type on the same document at the same time. You can also use the program to transfer files between connected computers and to share an application, such as a word-processing or spreadsheet program with two or more people in the meeting.

Unlike NetMeeting, CUSeeMe from White Pine Software (https://www.cuseeme.com) lets more than two people participate in a group videoconference at the same time. However, the audio quality of CUSeeMe conferences isn’t as good as NetMeeting’s.

Both NetMeeting and CUSeeMe have a directory or meeting area where you can find others interested in carrying on a conversation.

It strikes me that the real use of this technology is for virtually visiting grandchildren or, for those in long-distance relationships, staring into their partner’s eyes. I don’t have grandchildren and, fortunately, I live with my wife and kids so, for me, the videophone remains a novelty. When I have something to say to someone, I just pick up my regular phone or use a cell phone. It’s easier, the sound quality is better, it’s cheap enough and, best of all, I don’t have to worry about my wardrobe.

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Lawrence J. Magid can be heard at 1:48 p.m. weekdays on KNX 1070. He can reached at [email protected]. His Web page is at https://www.larrysworld.com or keyword “LarryMagid” on AOL.