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Skype reveals how to place high-quality Mac video calls

Skype's developer site shows you how to hack your settings to place 640x480-pixel video calls. If you feel comfortable editing XML files, then download a copy of Skype verison 2.5.0.85 or newer. Pop over to your Application Support folder (in your personal library) and navigate down to Skype and the folder inside with your personal skype name. Open the config.xml file you'll find inside and add the following two attributes: <CaptureWidth>640</CaptureWidth> and <CaptureHeight>480</CaptureHeight>. Save your changes, launch Skype and place your video call. The receiving party should receive video at 640x480 resolution rather than the standard 320x240. For somewhat obvious reasons, don't perform this hack unless (a) you know what you're doing; and (b) you're going to chat with a very good bandwidth connection.


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Skype's developer site shows you how to hack your settings to place 640x480-pixel video calls. If you feel comfortable editing XML files,...
 

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Rick Jones

Any way to use this trick for other applications?

February 03 2007 at 6:11 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
van Willigen

Skype now use core video the app.
Check this out:

In your main skype window (address list)
click on the clock icon top right.
This is your call history.

Now see the annimation of it.

Here is my movie of it:
http://vanwilligen.nl/skype.mp4

February 03 2007 at 12:12 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Schmeric

hi there, where exactly am i supposed to insert the two new nodes? the structure is rather complex and i don't want to try adding it to every single subnode. ;)


regards.

February 01 2007 at 5:07 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
JT

To #5,

I tested Skype video with a friend in New York. I'm in Oregon, so there's plenty of relay points to potentially bog down connection speeds and video/audio quality along the way.

Without a doubt, the Skype video was much, much better than iChat video. The picture was clearer, audio was better and the Skype video, when resized to half-screen, was awesome. (We were both using 15" MacBook Pros with Core 2 Duo and built-in iSight cameras.)

Too bad I only have one contact who also uses Skype, otherwise I could see using Skype more often. The video is great.

February 01 2007 at 2:22 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
KSB


This tip fixed the damn isight kvality problem! it's amazing how buggy this software is and they on purpose made the skype with isight at a lower broadcast quality.
Thank you Tuaw for fixing this, been writing to Skype lame Indian support, with only idiotic replies. Yet again a reason NOT move all your IT industry to india....

February 01 2007 at 2:19 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Carniphage

The nice thing about Skype is that it works through pretty much any firewall. iChat is really fussy and fails to work. I wish Apple could mirror the robustness of Skype.

C.

February 01 2007 at 2:06 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
prou

How do Skype video and voice compare to iChat?

February 01 2007 at 2:03 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ThePete

Anyone know if this new version will allow video conferences with more than one other Skype user at a time?

February 01 2007 at 1:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
earl

I used to use Skype but since they were purchased by Ebay and will now charge for what once was a free item I say no thanks. Skype made money before (lots of it) and now Ebay wants to make even more to prop up their failing auction site. No Thanks. Find another sucker.

February 01 2007 at 12:39 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Fredster

Nevermind, i'm such a noob!:) It just says it there in the link provided how it's done! Thanks!

February 01 2007 at 12:21 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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