Since upgrading to 3.5 I have had intermittent problems with my video. The first sign (after a few calls) is that my own video picture turns into a psychedelic tapestry. Then after a few more calls, my incoming video picture does the same thing. The only resolution I've found is to reinstall Skype, which I've now done 3 times. I'm on WIndows XP using a Logitech camera and Plantronics headset.
Can anyone offer any advice?
Thanks.
Cindy Hollingsworth
cholling@iupui.edu
Full Version: skype video problems
There seem to be a number of video problems going around with the latest version of Skype, yours is typical of them, and there is no consensus yet on whether the "real problem" lies with Skype, Logitech, Windows or elsewhere. There are a couple of minor things you could do that *might* help a bit, but might not...
- If you are using the headset microphone, disable the camera microphone. Don't just select the headset in Skype, or make it the "default", actually go into Windows Device Manager, right-click on the Logitech Camera Mirophone, and select "Disable".
- If you aren't using Logitech's silly "video effects" to make your image look like an alien or whatever, you can uninstall the Logitech QuickCam software, and leave only the Logitech Camera Drivers. This is done through Windows Add / Remove Software.
- If neither of these helps significantly, and getting video calls working is a high priority to you, several people have reported better results by going back to some previous version of Skype. My partner still runs 2.5.0.154, and absolutely will not let me upgrade that because it works perfectly for her. Others have said that various newer versions (3.0.x, 3.1.x, 3.2.x) do or do not work for them; your mileage may vary.
Good luck.
- If you are using the headset microphone, disable the camera microphone. Don't just select the headset in Skype, or make it the "default", actually go into Windows Device Manager, right-click on the Logitech Camera Mirophone, and select "Disable".
- If you aren't using Logitech's silly "video effects" to make your image look like an alien or whatever, you can uninstall the Logitech QuickCam software, and leave only the Logitech Camera Drivers. This is done through Windows Add / Remove Software.
- If neither of these helps significantly, and getting video calls working is a high priority to you, several people have reported better results by going back to some previous version of Skype. My partner still runs 2.5.0.154, and absolutely will not let me upgrade that because it works perfectly for her. Others have said that various newer versions (3.0.x, 3.1.x, 3.2.x) do or do not work for them; your mileage may vary.
Good luck.
QUOTE(Jamie Watson @ Mon Sep 17 2007, 14:58) [snapback]442272[/snapback]
There seem to be a number of video problems going around with the latest version of Skype, yours is typical of them, and there is no consensus yet on whether the "real problem" lies with Skype, Logitech, Windows or elsewhere. There are a couple of minor things you could do that *might* help a bit, but might not...
- If you are using the headset microphone, disable the camera microphone. Don't just select the headset in Skype, or make it the "default", actually go into Windows Device Manager, right-click on the Logitech Camera Mirophone, and select "Disable".
- If you aren't using Logitech's silly "video effects" to make your image look like an alien or whatever, you can uninstall the Logitech QuickCam software, and leave only the Logitech Camera Drivers. This is done through Windows Add / Remove Software.
- If neither of these helps significantly, and getting video calls working is a high priority to you, several people have reported better results by going back to some previous version of Skype. My partner still runs 2.5.0.154, and absolutely will not let me upgrade that because it works perfectly for her. Others have said that various newer versions (3.0.x, 3.1.x, 3.2.x) do or do not work for them; your mileage may vary.
Good luck.
Hi, I've been having a problem for about a week. My web cam is not starting up when i start a video call with my boyfriend in the UK. We have never had a problem before, and it only started on Monday or Tuesday, the camera just cut out and there was no option to start it up. We were both using the 3.2 version and I thought upgrading to the latest version would solve the problem. But it only worked for a few minutes today after he upgraded and then it crapped out again.
I contacted tech support and this is what i was told to do...
QUOTE
Thank you for contacting Skype Support.
To help resolve some common video issue please go through the following steps:
- Make sure both you and the person you are video-calling with are using Skype version 3.0 (!!) or
later, which is available here:
http://www.skype.com/download/skype/windows/
- Download and install the most recent drivers for your video device (you can get those at the
webcam device's manufacturer's site).
- Select your video device in Skype under Tools > Options > General > Video Settings and make sure
it is functioning by clicking on the "Webcam Settings" button (note: firewire devices are not
supported at this time, for more info go here: http://forum.skype.com/viewtopic.php?t=45549).
- Make sure the option "Enable Skype video" is ticked. Also you can set video privacy settings to
your desired options in the same window.
- The recommended system requirements for Skype video calls are a 1Ghz CPU, 512MB RAM, a video
card with at least 16MB of memory and a 512/256kbit (down/up) connection. Video and call quality may
vary greatly in enviroments with conditions below those recommendations. The video device must
also support the DirectShow 9.1 standard (WDM is currently not supported).
- Please make also sure that you have the latest version of DirectX. You can download DirectX from
here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.mspx
(After installing it, please go to Start->Run and type 'dxdiag' without the ''. In the opening
window, there is DirectX Version. Please make sure it is 'DirectX9.0c' or higher. Sometimes
installation fails to update the version and in that case please contact Microsoft for support.)
A short tutorial can be found here (inofficial and for version 2.0):
http://forum.skype.com/viewtopic.php?t=41492
Also, make sure to check out our short guide to Skype video:
http://www.skype.com/help/guides/howtoskype_video/
And please check out the video section of our forum as well:
http://forum.skype.com/viewforum.php?f=36
To help resolve some common video issue please go through the following steps:
- Make sure both you and the person you are video-calling with are using Skype version 3.0 (!!) or
later, which is available here:
http://www.skype.com/download/skype/windows/
- Download and install the most recent drivers for your video device (you can get those at the
webcam device's manufacturer's site).
- Select your video device in Skype under Tools > Options > General > Video Settings and make sure
it is functioning by clicking on the "Webcam Settings" button (note: firewire devices are not
supported at this time, for more info go here: http://forum.skype.com/viewtopic.php?t=45549).
- Make sure the option "Enable Skype video" is ticked. Also you can set video privacy settings to
your desired options in the same window.
- The recommended system requirements for Skype video calls are a 1Ghz CPU, 512MB RAM, a video
card with at least 16MB of memory and a 512/256kbit (down/up) connection. Video and call quality may
vary greatly in enviroments with conditions below those recommendations. The video device must
also support the DirectShow 9.1 standard (WDM is currently not supported).
- Please make also sure that you have the latest version of DirectX. You can download DirectX from
here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/directx/default.mspx
(After installing it, please go to Start->Run and type 'dxdiag' without the ''. In the opening
window, there is DirectX Version. Please make sure it is 'DirectX9.0c' or higher. Sometimes
installation fails to update the version and in that case please contact Microsoft for support.)
A short tutorial can be found here (inofficial and for version 2.0):
http://forum.skype.com/viewtopic.php?t=41492
Also, make sure to check out our short guide to Skype video:
http://www.skype.com/help/guides/howtoskype_video/
And please check out the video section of our forum as well:
http://forum.skype.com/viewforum.php?f=36
Now, I've never had to use "DirectX" because I don't have Windows Vista, the webcam is enabled, and I don't know what "DirectShow9.1" is, I don't think I've ever needed it before. The camera has the mic all in one (logitech quickcam 8.0) and the sound is great and we can hear eachother fine. So if one is working well, why isn't the other?
The only other thing is that Skype 3.2 and 3.5 have been slow to log on, and have been very hard to get to respond. I will click on tools, and nothing happens. So all around, I have been having many many problems with skype, when just Sunday everything was working fine.
HELP PLEASE!!!!! We need to be able to see each other, Califonia to England is hard enough as it is.
The information Skype "support" sends out isn't terribly useful, is it? 
First, you probably should upgrade DirectX on your computer, especially if you are not running Vista, it is on XP that the DirectX updates are most important. Just go to downloads.microsoft.com, look for "DirectX End-User Runtime", download and install it. It's not terribly hard, and even if it isn't the direct cause of the current problems, it is a good thing to do and could avoid future problems. If your boyfriend hasn't updated DirectX in a long time (or ever), encourage him to do so as well.
However, if the video just stopped, and you didn't change anything, the chances that updating DirectX will fix this current problem are not terribly high. Did you install a new version of Skype, or did you perhaps get a notification from Logitech of new camera drivers, and let it install them? Those could be reasons.
We need a little more specific information to try to help you... I'll put the complete list at the end of this message, but the most important to start with is, what version of Windows are you running, what make and model of camera do you have (please be as specific as possible), and what camera software do you have installed (drivers and application software). What version of Skype are you running? If you don't know how to find any of this information, just ask and someone here will help you.
Please, go ahead and update DirectX, it's a good start, and it's easy.
The full "information list", please give as much as possible, and say if you don't know how to find something:
A) Skype version currently installed (Skype->Help->About)
B) What type of PC, Desktop or laptop.
C) Operating System, Version, Patch level (e.g. Windows, XP, Service Pack 1 or 2, etc)
D) CPU Type and Speed
E) Amount of Memory.
F) Type of Internet connection and speed (e.g. dial-up or broadband, 768 down/128 up, etc)
G) Router in use? If so, which model?
H) Firewalls in use? If so, which?
I) Headset in use?
J) Have you BOTH tried a test call to 'echo123' if so, what are the results?
K) Is it a PC2PC, Skypeout or Skypein problem?
L) Webcam in use? If so, what make, model and software/drivers?
First, you probably should upgrade DirectX on your computer, especially if you are not running Vista, it is on XP that the DirectX updates are most important. Just go to downloads.microsoft.com, look for "DirectX End-User Runtime", download and install it. It's not terribly hard, and even if it isn't the direct cause of the current problems, it is a good thing to do and could avoid future problems. If your boyfriend hasn't updated DirectX in a long time (or ever), encourage him to do so as well.
However, if the video just stopped, and you didn't change anything, the chances that updating DirectX will fix this current problem are not terribly high. Did you install a new version of Skype, or did you perhaps get a notification from Logitech of new camera drivers, and let it install them? Those could be reasons.
We need a little more specific information to try to help you... I'll put the complete list at the end of this message, but the most important to start with is, what version of Windows are you running, what make and model of camera do you have (please be as specific as possible), and what camera software do you have installed (drivers and application software). What version of Skype are you running? If you don't know how to find any of this information, just ask and someone here will help you.
Please, go ahead and update DirectX, it's a good start, and it's easy.
The full "information list", please give as much as possible, and say if you don't know how to find something:
A) Skype version currently installed (Skype->Help->About)
B) What type of PC, Desktop or laptop.
C) Operating System, Version, Patch level (e.g. Windows, XP, Service Pack 1 or 2, etc)
D) CPU Type and Speed
E) Amount of Memory.
F) Type of Internet connection and speed (e.g. dial-up or broadband, 768 down/128 up, etc)
G) Router in use? If so, which model?
H) Firewalls in use? If so, which?
I) Headset in use?
J) Have you BOTH tried a test call to 'echo123' if so, what are the results?
K) Is it a PC2PC, Skypeout or Skypein problem?
L) Webcam in use? If so, what make, model and software/drivers?
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