Then go to Preferences, Audio/Video and select your preferred Microphone, Speakers and Camera from the drop-down source lists. If you haven’t already set up a Skype account, the first time you open the app you’ll be prompted to create one. It’s easy to set up, and since everyone is using the same network (Skype doesn’t support multiple protocols like iChat), a lot of hassles are eliminated. FaceTime uses your default audio input and output devices.Īs I mentioned earlier, Skype is my favorite of the video conferencing apps. FaceTime will then prompt you for the email address you want to be identified by.īelow is a cropped screenshot of the settings panel, but all it has is an On/Off switch and a display of what email addresses you’re using.
Adding an external camera to mac book pro for skype download#
You download the program from Apple’s site, and log in with your Apple ID. Setting it up is easy, though, if you’re content with your built-in iSight camera. This could be a major issue if you’re using a MacBook with the lid closed, or a Mac mini. Currently, FaceTime only supports recent iPod touches, iPhone 4s, and Macs running 10.6.4 or higher, making the number of people you can reach fairly limited. Another limitation is that I couldn’t get FaceTime to detect my external video camera. So long as you have a recent USB webcam (one that’s USB Video Class compliant and uses USB 2.0), it should be recognized under OS X 10.6.6 (the latest version).įaceTime for the Mac lets you video chat with a supported iOS device or another Mac user. I’m using an Xbox 360 Camera (s msft) as my test, so that’s why I have a “Camera #2” showing. Open up the iChat Preferences, choose Audio/Video, and choose your camera from the drop down list. MobileMe and AOL Instant Messenger (s aol) accounts work well, however.Īs with most Apple programs, setting up iChat is pretty easy. Google Video Chat (s goog) accounts, for instance, are rumored to not work well with iChat video. It’s very easy to set up and use, but for video, the protocols it supports are limited. Even so, it’s the perfect place to make sure OS X can detect and use your hardware.Īpple provides an A/V communications program on every Mac called iChat. Since it’s unlikely you’ll keep your headset plugged in all the time, when you unplug it, OS X will go back to the default setting of the built-in gear. Now, the dirty secret is, this isn’t really going to change much in many programs, except for iChat. Make sure your microphone is plugged in to your Mac, and that OS X sees your microphone and you’ve set it as the default input device, and set the headset as the default output device. If you have an external headset, open up your System Preferences and choose Sound, then go to the Input tab. Headsets with boom microphones are relatively inexpensive at around $30, so do your listeners a favor and buy one. You will end up producing a sound not unlike yelling into a flushing toilet bowl, albeit one with great acoustics. Please, for the love of Steve Jobs, don’t use the built-in microphone.
If you’re using the built-in microphone and iSight camera, you can skip over this part. While I’m going to go over multiple programs (Skype, iChat(s aapl), and FaceTime), my preferred app is Skype because it’s available for most platforms, allowing you to talk to people on almost any kind of hardware. VOIP and video chat solutions are becoming much more common and user-friendly. Nothing beats actually hearing the sarcastic abuse your friends heap on you. Rather than type, we’re much more comfortable using a VOIP solution like Skype. A few times every week, I’ll play World of Warcraft (s atvi) with some great friends.
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