The phone is looking at you now.

So why not let your callers see you and you see them? This recent article was in my local paper. I recently used the video feature of Skype while out of town and talking with my significant other. And way back when I saw all of this at the New York World's Fair in 1964-65.

Video phones: The future comes calling

Skype service and a webcam let you see body language

12:00 AM CDT on Friday, March 16, 2007

By ANDREW D. SMITH / The Dallas Morning News
asmith@dallasnews.com

AT&T Corp. first built and demonstrated videophones in the early 1960s, and the technology can still seem impossibly advanced.

But video calls are readily available today, not just to secret agents or corporate titans but to any average Joe with a webcam, a headset and a decent Internet connection.

Neither the underlying programs nor the actual calls cost a dime or demand great technical expertise. A speedy download and a few tweaks produce professional-grade picture and sound.

The system in question comes from the 4-year-old company Skype, which was founded by a pair of Scandinavian programmers but is now owned by online auction giant eBay.

Computer prep

Skype's Web site, after automatically determining whether your computer runs on Windows, Linux or the Mac operating system, offers the appropriate software for download.

The Windows version currently does more than its counterparts – the best feature makes every phone number on every Web page its own speed-dial button – but video calls are available for all three systems.

After clicking the download button on the Skype home page, check that your computer meets Skype requirements. For video calls, the Windows version requires Windows 2000 or Windows XP, speakers, a microphone, a 1-gigahertz processor, 256 megabytes of RAM and, naturally, a webcam.

Mac and Linux requirements are similar; your stuff need not be cutting-edge, but it can't be ancient.

Assuming your computer passes muster, click Download Now and follow the installation directions.

All this should take less than five minutes, as should the process of setting up a Skype account, which the program will oversee upon launch.

You'll need to select your password and a "Skype Name," which serves as both an ID and a phone number for Skype-to-Skype calls, which are free. You can then provide your real name and address, which help people find you, much like a listing in the white pages.

The system will also ask if you'd like a standard telephone number that lets others call you from regular phones, voice mail and a year of unlimited calling out to standard phones in the U.S. and Canada. You don't have to buy these add-ons, but given that they provide a year's worth of phone service for $66, you should consider it.

When I first installed Skype, I had no problem downloading the software or creating an account. It was only after I was technically prepared to make video calls that I encountered my first major problem. I didn't know anyone I could call.

I knew that Skype has long appealed to serious techies, but I doubted that any of my friends were video-ready. My fears were misplaced, though. A mass e-mail revealed several potential victims.

Conversations with several other Skype users revealed that they, too, had found more friends than expected in the system. Lesson: You don't really know who uses Skype until you sign up and start looking around.

What if you really want to try video calls, but you cannot find friends or relatives on the system? Make the lazy bums join. A decent webcam can be had for less than $30, and you'll be able to walk them through the setup in less than a half-hour.

Once you find some friends on Skype, add them to your list of contacts, wait to see when they are online and then push a single button to initiate a call. One more button turns audio calls into video calls and real life into science fiction.

Assuming your computer and your connection both exceed minimum requirements, Skype-to-Skype calls generally sound excellent, often better than standard phones.

Skype-to-Skype video calls generally look pretty good, too, but you can double the resolution and make them look as good as broadcast television with a simple tweak to the program.

If changing code seems difficult, there's no need to try it. If you're intrigued, type the following words into a Google search: skype near DVD quality. Click on the first link and follow the instructions.

If all goes well, it will take two minutes and provide people with very clear video of you. (If you want very clear video of them, you must persuade them to make the tweak, which improves the image that your webcam captures rather than the image that your computer displays.)

Worth the trouble

All these directions may seem complicated to casual computer users, but I've found the value of video calls to far exceed the effort of setting them up.

Being able to see a friend smile or laugh adds so much to conversations, particularly for a recent transplant like me who rarely gets to see friends and family left behind in New Jersey.

Besides, when you look at someone during a video call, you feel like you're seeing the future.

Pros: Generally excellent picture and sound. Free. Enriches the quality of conversations.

Cons: Installation may tax technophobes. Slow Internet connections can hurt call quality. You have to primp before calls.

Bottom line: Well worth the hassles. Skype offers life-changing technology, particularly for those who live far from friends and family.

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