Dear Skype Community,

I've recently been experiencing terrible HQ Video Quality. I bought a Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 and it worked fine for say 2 weeks. Then, the video quality just got worse and worse, to the point where I can't even call it video anymore. On my own screen though, the image is really clear. On the other end of the call, it's just terrible.

Screenshot of the problem: Click here

Technical specifications of my computer:
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.070227-2254)
System Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
System Model: Presario V6500 Notebook PC
Processor: AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor TK-53, MMX, 3DNow (2 CPUs), ~1.7GHz
Memory: 3198MB RAM (4GB but capped because of 32-bit Windows XP version)
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)

Graphics Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 7150M / nForce 630M
Display Memory: 512.0 MB
Current Mode: 1280 x 800 (32 bit) (60Hz)

Webcam: Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000

Internet Connection: 3072kbps down and 512kbps up

I've tried on Windows Vista & XP, using different versions of Skype and different drivers. I've set my laptop to High Performance mode, nothing makes a difference.

It worked absolutely fine before, yet it's crappy now. Suggestions on how to fix this problem, anyone?

Thanks in advance!

This post has been edited by Aeropedia: Tue Feb 26 2008, 11:06

Hay Aeropedia!

Can you do a System Restore to two or three weeks ago?

Bill

Hay Aeropedia!

Can you do a System Restore to two or three weeks ago?

Bill

Hi Bill,

A system restore is impossible since I dont have a restore point for my Vista that old, and the Windows XP version I'm now running is still pretty fresh. I actually installed it to try the webcam quality using a different OS and different sets of drivers.

Wesley

Dear Skype Community,

I've recently been experiencing terrible HQ Video Quality. I bought a Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 and it worked fine for say 2 weeks. Then, the video quality just got worse and worse, to the point where I can't even call it video anymore. On my own screen though, the image is really clear. On the other end of the call, it's just terrible.

Screenshot of the problem: Click here

Technical specifications of my computer:
Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 2 (2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.070227-2254)
System Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
System Model: Presario V6500 Notebook PC
Processor: AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor TK-53, MMX, 3DNow (2 CPUs), ~1.7GHz
Memory: 3198MB RAM (4GB but capped because of 32-bit Windows XP version)
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)

Graphics Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 7150M / nForce 630M
Display Memory: 512.0 MB
Current Mode: 1280 x 800 (32 bit) (60Hz)

Webcam: Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000

Internet Connection: 3072kbps down and 512kbps up

I've tried on Windows Vista & XP, using different versions of Skype and different drivers. I've set my laptop to High Performance mode, nothing makes a difference.

It worked absolutely fine before, yet it's crappy now. Suggestions on how to fix this problem, anyone?

Thanks in advance!

Well I am glad at last that somebody have proved what people have been saying all along the 95% of the time HQ video does not work even if you have a the requirement that Skype say you should have, therefore I would suggest you follow below and make you problem know to the people that keep saying it work.

Please report a bug/security risk here giving as much detail as possible to help the development team try to solve your problem. You will need to create an account using your Skype username and password then login with your Skype username and password and report your bug/security risk also please include a logfile with you report.

Skype log file location

A guide on how to create and send log files can be found here.

When you have made this report please post the link to it back here so that I can watch it’s progress. Thank you.

1) to push video in 640x480x30 fps you will need DC/C2D or more... and it's normal ... this resolution needs high cpu usage... + you have to consider that during videocall you are not alone...
about other side : if computer is <= Pentium 3 ... video will switch in 320x240 ... because of cpu usage to decode stream (do not overload this side) ; if computer is ok... np pb but if something (cpu > 90%, fps < 8...) is wrong ... switch will be there

2) to push video in 640x480 you need last Logitech cams (HQ certified)... I think in the future Skype will add others cams in HQ cams list

3) for the moment you can hack the xml file to enable 640x480 for all cams (see below).... You need to be on 3.6 LATEST

what I think now : these 3 Logitech cams are great because of Zeiss lens that's why quality is great... of course others cams do 640x480... but with lower quality... my opinion will be to let users choose and not limit 640x480 just for Logitech... users see difference + logo (HQ logo) appears only with HQ cams... so I think it's suffisant.

Other thing : about 640x480... I prefer 320x240 at 30 fps and not 640x480x10-15 fps
and I repeat HQ = 640x480x24fps




Config hack (ONLY works on 3.5 and I ‘think’ latest 3.6 released last week
- <Video>
<AdvertPolicy>contacts</AdvertPolicy>
<AutoSend>0</AutoSend>
<CaptureHeight>480</CaptureHeight>
<CaptureWidth>640</CaptureWidth> [/b
<Device>Logitech QuickCam Communicate STX</Device>
<Disable>0</Disable>
[b]<Fps>30</Fps>
<RecvPolicy>contacts</RecvPolicy>
</Video>

Rocketman and Gladiator, thank you for your replies too.

As for the log files, I don't really think I can send 600 MB files over e-mail or basically any other way. Skype Support asked me to make these log files and to send them over, but they kind of take up a lot of space. I'll make a bug report later. Thank you for your suggestions.

As for the config.xml hack. I've tried this before and it only makes it worse, somehow. Thanks for your reply, but yeah I already read it in your earlier thread(s).

Wesley

Rocketman and Gladiator, thank you for your replies too.

As for the log files, I don't really think I can send 600 MB files over e-mail or basically any other way. Skype Support asked me to make these log files and to send them over, but they kind of take up a lot of space. I'll make a bug report later. Thank you for your suggestions.

As for the config.xml hack. I've tried this before and it only makes it worse, somehow. Thanks for your reply, but yeah I already read it in your earlier thread(s).

Wesley

I have made some enquiries on how you can send you log file and you should hear either directly or via this post how you can do it.

I have made some enquiries on how you can send you log file and you should hear either directly or via this post how you can do it.

Can I ask what exactly Skype will log? See, the video is fine on my own screen, just not on the screens of most people I have a video call with. (as seen in the screenshot in post #1) Is it even effective to make a log file locally if there isn't really any problem at my side? It's hard for me to tell since I don't know what the logfiles contain. If I try to open any old ones, my notepad just crashes because it can't really handle 500MB+ files.

And how long do you want me to let Skype add data to the log file? Should I stop as soon as the problem has been there for a couple of minutes? The video calls I make usually last for 8 hours or so (basically until the call drops, which seems to happen randomly and sometimes even regularly), which can lead to huge log files (has happened before).

Thanks again for your assistance.

Hey Wesley!

How about posting some of the Call Technical Detail reports form both ends of the calls.

See post #6 in this thread: http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=103244

I have some long video calls 2-3 hours, never eight. I am in one now and we both cycle in and out of HQ I am at 30 fps then I am at 8. Bandwidth is the same like a yoyo.

Personally I believe it is a imature video management aligorithm.

Regards,

Bill

Can I ask what exactly Skype will log? See, the video is fine on my own screen, just not on the screens of most people I have a video call with. (as seen in the screenshot in post #1) Is it even effective to make a log file locally if there isn't really any problem at my side? It's hard for me to tell since I don't know what the logfiles contain. If I try to open any old ones, my notepad just crashes because it can't really handle 500MB+ files.

And how long do you want me to let Skype add data to the log file? Should I stop as soon as the problem has been there for a couple of minutes? The video calls I make usually last for 8 hours or so (basically until the call drops, which seems to happen randomly and sometimes even regularly), which can lead to huge log files (has happened before).

Thanks again for your assistance.

I would suggest you make your bug report but without log files at this stage besaue they are very large but include the screen shot and as much information as possible. At this stage I would say you can stop logging and if log files are required they will ask you for them.

I have no idea what the log files contain as they are all encrypted and only Skype can read them but to the best of my knowledge they do not contain any personnel information.

Looking at you screen shot I would guess it could well be either a bandwidth or overheating CPU problem but that is a bit os a shot in the dark by me. It might be worth monitoring you CPU usage via task manager and the CPU temp with Speedfan 4.33

I would suggest you make your bug report but without log files at this stage besaue they are very large but include the screen shot and as much information as possible. At this stage I would say you can stop logging and if log files are required they will ask you for them.

I have no idea what the log files contain as they are all encrypted and only Skype can read them but to the best of my knowledge they do not contain any personnel information.

Looking at you screen shot I would guess it could well be either a bandwidth or overheating CPU problem but that is a bit os a shot in the dark by me. It might be worth monitoring you CPU usage via task manager and the CPU temp with Speedfan 4.33

CPU usage and temperatures are normal for the HD Video conditions. Skype eats half of both cores when video is on, which sounds a bit like overkill to me but has always been this way. Temperatures reach 50 'C, which is quite normal for a laptop. It's also not like the video is frozen as shown in the screenshot. Look at it as blocks of like 15x15 pixels spreading over the screen. I'll ask about her CPU temperatures this weekend, as she complained to me before how the bottom of the machine is untouchably hot. She claims it has always been like that tho. (Sony Vaio C1S, I believe) I'll make my bugreport as detailed as possible.

Bandwidth is another interesting thing to look at. In the screenshot, you can see her running DU Meter. When my video is on, Im always sending out data at around 60 KB/s. Howcome she is only receiving with around 15 KB/s? 75% loss of packets? I'll ask her to make a screenshot of the Call Technical Details and I'll make one as well.

This post has been edited by Aeropedia: Fri Feb 29 2008, 06:34

To make it easier for you the other party and us to see the Tech Call details try FastStone Capture 6.0 With this program you can take a screen shot and once taken post it in you posts here as an attachment, also to be honest it save us a lot of time hopping from screen to screen.

The program is very easy to you as you at able to capture as much or as little as you want of you screen, you can even capture a scrolling screen as well. Thank for using it if you do.

Below it what we would like shown in the Tech Call Data.

For version 1.4.xxxxxx, 2.xxxx, 3.xxxx

In your Skype window you will see at the top various tabs.
Click on the one marked 'Tools' which will open a dropdown menu.
At the bottom of this you will see 'Options'.
Click on this and you will be taken to a display which has various headings along the left hand side.
Click on 'Advanced' and then tick the box which says 'Display Technical Information'.
Save.
Now if you rest (or hover) the mouse over the image in the centre of your Skype window you will get a readout of technical information while in a call.
This way we can determine what is happening during your call.

For version 3.2.xxxx
Tools>……….options>………………….advanced>………………connection>………………. tick the box which says 'Display Technical Information'.>………………save

Now please make a call to the following
Echo123
Skype2Skype
Skypeout if you have credit.
When you make these calls you will see this data by hovering your mouse over the "black" or other nice picture/photo of your contact.

For versions 3.1.xxxxx, 3.2.xxxxxx and 3.5.xxxxx 3.6.xxxxx you need to hoover your mouse anywhere within the call panel but NOT on the avatar if you do you will not see the readings we require.

For version 1.4.XXX. to 2.0.0.103
1. In out volume
2. UDP Status
3. Packet Loss
4. Jitter
5. Session out
6. Session in
7. Relays
8, Round trip
9. CPU status
10, Q and S status (Both numbers)

For Version 2.5.xxxxx and above
1. In out volume
2. UDP Status
3. Packet Loss
4. Jitter
5. Session out
6. Session in
7. Relays
8, Round trip
9. CPU status
10, Q and S status (Both numbers)


packet loss should be lower than 5%, if higher you will get echo
roundtrip = delay - should be 200 to 300ms or lower
relays no more than 3 (3 is already poor)
CPU usage < 80%; (higher value can cause echo, slow audio, delay, Mickey Mouse voice, robotic voice etc up to anything else like full freeze of your machine) lower values are always better.

You should also check your CPU temperature with Speedfan 4.33 from here and CPU usage with Task Manager in windows.

You can also test your internet connection here and get quite a lot of information.

Please report back with the results, please do not use screen shots as they are rather hard to see, thank you.

You can also test your internet connection [url=http://myvoipspeed.visualware.com/]here[/url and get quite a lot of information and report back with the results.

Another thing that you need to check via your ISP provider or there web site if they have one is your Contention ratio, by this I mean how many other people are sharing the same bandwidth as you from the ISP. The lower the ration means a better bandwidth for you which means less packet loss etc. The average ratio was 50 to 1 but now it has come down to 33 to 1.

Contention ratio – describes the maximum number of users sharing the bandwidth of a given backhaul connection.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contention_ratio

Competition by users of a system for use of the same facility at the same time. This may also be known as oversubscription. The term contention ratio applies specifically to the number of people connected to an ISP who share a set amount of bandwidth. Example values would be 50:1, for home users (that is to say that 50 people or lines will vie for the same bandwidth) and 20:1 for business users.

You can send those big log files over to me via Skype.

You can send those big log files over to me via Skype.

The thing is it will take a couple of hours. I'd send it to who-ever needs it, but yeah it takes time. That's really the only matter.

Rocketman, thank you for your instructions. You'll hear from me after the weekend. The roundtrip delay was over 4 seconds last time I checked, which was like a week (or maybe 2, I suck at remembering things like this). Pretty sucky. I'm calling to Australia from The Netherlands.

This post has been edited by Aeropedia: Fri Feb 29 2008, 15:59

The thing is it will take a couple of hours. I'd send it to who-ever needs it, but yeah it takes time. That's really the only matter.

Rocketman, thank you for your instructions. You'll hear from me after the weekend. The roundtrip delay was over 4 seconds last time I checked, which was like a week (or maybe 2, I suck at remembering things like this). Pretty sucky. I'm calling to Australia from The Netherlands.

I have sent you a PM if you could read it please, thank you.

Couple of hours is not a problem as Skype is capable of resuming transfer if you ned to log-off while transfer is ongoing.

Sending it to anyone else than Skype staff does not have a point as they anyway can't read them.

Hi people,

I'm sorry for the late response. I didn't really have much time the past week. For some reason the webcam quality seems to be alright again, not perfect; but better regardless. I have this page bookmarked, if I run into problems again I'll make the log files etc.

For now, the problem seems solved. Thank you all a lot for your support and have a great time.

Wesley