Network management Toolkit

Story: Skype and Logitech tackle video-call quality

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Why the unnecessary restriction?

I have just read the post by J.A.Watson and could not agree more strongly with his comments.

It would seem that Skype and Logitech are now not only in the Web camera and VoiP business but also in the business of telling us what we can and cannot use on our PC's. What right have they got to do this, as far as I know none, because I was under the impression we hopefully live in a free society and that, in my book also means freedom of choice.

Yes Skype have, as they say "got into bed with Logitech" and as far as a business sense goes there is nothing wrong with that if both companies can make money out of it and they seem to think they can, otherwise one would assume this would not of happened.

This jumping into bed is all very well but why should we be told by both Skype and Logitech that HQ video will only work with their products, by doing this they have potentially alienated millions of paying customers and in my mind that is not good business practise.

There are other product out there that will do the same thing with any camera that is capable of 640x480 and 24Fps.

I ran a test the other day with the new Skype 3.6 on a bog standard system with the following spec
Windows XP Pro SP2
AMD Athlon 64 3000+
2.00 GHz 1.00GB Ram
Philips ToUcam PCVC 740K
and received HQ video without the use of a Logitech camera. Admitted the test was done during daylight hours and outside in sun light but, I am sure that if there were sufficient high quality lighting in the room at night HQ video could and would be achieved.

Another thing we have to consider which goes without saying is the type and quality of your Internet connection, yes you need broadband and yes you need good bandwidth whether you are just using VoiP for audio only or audio and video and there is no argument from me over that fact, but you do not need a Logitech camera to get HQ Video but I will agree you do need Skype 3.6 because it was designed for this type of video.

So come on Skype it is time you took a very very hard look at the VoiP world and allowed your paying customers freedom of choice otherwise I think you will loose many many more that you might of already done going by the many comments on the Skype forum.

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