640x480 Video Chat?
shiggins
video. I've installed it and tried a Microsoft Lifecam VX-3000 and a
Logitech Quickcam for Notebooks Pro (both of which support 640x480) but I
haven't figured out how to get 640x480 video in Messenger. I've changed the
size from "Small" to "Medium" to "Large", but even the "Large" is only around
320x240 (I'm guessing). I've also tried the fullscreen mode, but that
appears to be just the "Large" blown up to fullscreen, because it's very
fuzzy.
Can some kind person help me out? Thank you!
Jonathan Kay [MVP]
The Full Screen is as big as it goes and it is 640x480. It's fuzzy because it has to be
adjust to the size of your screen.
If you're really into video quality, you might consider trying Skype (www.skype.com) with
your contact instead, as it's larger sizes are superior to Messenger's at the moment.
--
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - Windows Live Messenger/MSN Messenger/Windows Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
All posts unless otherwise specified are (c) 2007 Jonathan Kay.
You *must* contact me for redistribution rights.
--
"shiggins" <shig...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:D7B89332-E6B1-40C7...@microsoft.com...
shiggins
Thank you for the response. I am interested in video quality, as I work in
the video industry. I haven't tried Skype yet, since the reviews I read
seemed to indicated Windows Live Messenger's video chat capabilities were
somewhat more advanced. I will definitely give it a try.
I must disagree with one thing though. I have done a comparison of the
video running at 320x240 in the Messenger window and in fullscreen mode, and
I am almost certain the fullscreen mode is just 320x240 video expanded to
fill the screen. If I take a screenshot of the 320x240 video and enlarge it
to 1024x768 (the resolution I was currently running in) in Photoshop, it
looks almost identical to a screenshot of the video running in fullscreen
mode. Also, if I count the number of "jaggies" in a diagonal line in the
320x240 video, there are the same number of jaggies in fullscreen mode
(they're just fuzzier). Finally, if I take a 640x480 screenshot of video
from Logitech's QuickCam software and blow it up to 1024x768, it looks much
better than the fullscreen mode video.
So I truly believe the fullscreen video is just 320x240 blown up, not
640x480 blown up. If Messenger is supposed to be capable of doing 640x480,
it's not working on my machines (Dell Dimension 4550: 3.0 GHz P4 (HT), 1 GB
RAM, 128 MB GeForce4 5200 FX; and a Dell Inspiron 8500: 2.6 GHz P4, 1.6 GB
RAM, 64 MB GeForce4 4200 Go; Windows XP Pro SP2, IE 7, all updates, etc. on
both).
I'll definitely try Skype.
Thanks!
Gary
I too have observed that, without any doubt, even in full-screen mode WLM is
running 320x240 resolution. It would be helpful to know how to switch to
640x480 given that WLM purports to be able to support that. Thanks.
Len_MSFT
This is Len from the WL Messenger team. You are correct that full-screen is
just QVGA stretched. Where have you seen it reported that VGA is supported?
That is incorrect and I want to make sure we get that info updated.
Thanks
"Gary" <Ga...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:BF11D71E-97C7-4E90...@microsoft.com...
Gary
It's described that way all over the web, in fact you can start with some of
Microsoft's own press info, "With a web cam, you can have live, full screen
(640 x 480) video chats.":
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/gallery/screenshots/windowslive.mspx#EREAC
And clearly your beta version supported it so presumably so can the
production version:
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1980519,00.asp
http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20060619/windows-live-messenger-available-for-download/
Rather than trying to change these sites, it would be much more helpful if
you could please just explain how to re-enable 640x480 in the production
release.
Thanks,
Gary
shiggins
"With a Webcam installed, you can make video chats with a full 640x480-pixel
screen."
I wasn't aware of the beta version. Maybe that's what these reviewers were
reviewing?
Len_MSFT
ever supported VGA (640 x 480) resolution video in either a beta release or
a final release. We do support full-screen video in VGA resolution but it
is actually QVGA (320 x 240) stretched to fit on the VGA screen. The
wording in these articles is certainly confusing (over-zealous copy writers
perhaps :-), but there is no hidden secret to enabling VGA video.
I do believe that Office Communicator may have supported VGA video in one of
their beta releases, but it's never been part of Windows Live Messenger.
"shiggins" <shig...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:EDB673A8-778D-4452...@microsoft.com...
Len_MSFT
"ever supported VGA (640 x 480) ".
"Len_MSFT" <le...@microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:uUEQwk4r...@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
shiggins
Thank you very much for clearing that up. It's not a big deal if it won't
really do 640x480. I just thought I was losing it because I couldn't figure
out how to get it to work! Thanks for restoring (a little of) my sanity.