[@NickyColman]

I think the uses of Videocalling have been a bit poor of late. Neither the networks or content providers have been really using videocalling even tho 3G coverage is improving all over.

So it got me thinking on what possible uses could videocalling have?

We already have videodating courtesy of Three, and there have been reports of Vodafone using it in the 3G customer services.

But what other uses are there for videocalling?

Id like shows like Ant n Decs Saturday Night Take Away start to use videocalling for live competitions...i think it would be a cool touch to actually be able to SEE Shirley from Bolton win a bike and a holiday for 5 to Butlins.. :D

Points of view and Watchdog type shows, and DIY/Holidays/Neighbours from Hell etc could benefit too.

And it seems SkyNews have started to realise the potential as theyve started allowing video messages and calls during live debates etc especially during breaking news.

I also think intergration with pcbased webcams would be a great idea! The ability to call someone on their pc and show them where you are would be fantastic!

Even the emergency services could begin to benefit from this technology (idealistic yes but it could happen).

What do you guys all think? Any suggestions/ideas/comments?

[Hands0n]

The BBC used VideoMessaging for a select group of punters during the run up to the last General Election. These folk recorded their points of view as the election progressed. It was all rather dull but an interesting use of the technology - but not VideoCall per se.

Other uses of VideoCall could include;

Site to site video inspection - potential to reduce the amount of travel for site engineers having to conduct visual inspection of work done by labour force.

Paramedic to Hospital Consultant communication for back-up advice and information. Perhaps even to also allow the hospital to develop a better idea of what the injuries are and help them prep for receiving the patient.

Private Eye surveillance.

Neighbourhood Watch - VideoCall or VideoMessage into the local constabulory CCTV centre to drop off evidence of the perps in action.

The potential is probably to all intents limited only by the imagination, or driven by need.

[3GScottishUser]

Emergency services only rely on proven technology - UMTS is far from that staus presently.

Videocalling in daylight is a big problem - you cant see the screen in daylight very well.

Lots of problems re folks not wanting to be 'on-camera' to take calls.

Social acceptance - a big issue - you still feel like a pratt if you make a call in public. That might change as more actuall do it but that is uncertain.

Taking videoclips is another issue altogether and contributing them to news/TV programmes might catch on. You have some privacy doing it and know what you are sending for broadcast so a pretty different use for the application.

Video and phones has quite a lot of issues to resolve but I suspect we are now seeing some better uses appearing and the prospect of the videocall replacing normal voice is as far off as ever.

[@NickyColman]

I agree the options are endless, yet no one seems to be really adapting it quick enough. The technology is beggining to mature now, and yet its still a mass-market virgin lol.

[Ben]

With the amount of tinkering Dell technical support expect you to do with your computer before they'll send out a technician they should definitely use video calling! It'd help a lot if you could show them what you were looking at :)

Local authorities could use video calling to check up on elderly and/or citizens rather than having to make physical visits. It has the advantage of giving the caller an idea of their living conditions and personal health so a personal visit can be scheduled if necessary.

I love the idea of rolling news being able to make use of video streams from callers all over the country/world. As quality improves that'll become increasingly possible, and it'll really decentralise news coverage and open up rolling news to events such as fires and major traffic disruptions from a whole new perspective.

From a feature point of view, users should be able to switch in and out of video while in a standard call... and video calls should cost the same as a standard call!

[Hands0n]

"you still feel like a pratt if you make a call in public"

I'm not sure about you but I am certainly old enough to remember the days when one felt a bit of a pratt if the mobile went off in a train or a crowded place. I'd either whisper into the handset to prevent those around hearing me much to the bafflement of the person at the other end who couldnt hear me either!!! Even to this day I feel a bit self conscious taking a call in public. But then my point is that today you will see folk willingly and without hesitation hold a full-on phone call in public. I fully anticipate the same happening with Videocalling.

In fact, it was Tursday or Friday of last week when I saw two lads walking down the street holding a Videocall with someone.

But social uses aside - I do feel that there are very many practical uses not yet discovered. Its here and like SMS in its early days, it is a solution looking for problems. Also like SMS (anyone recall 60p a pop?) it is way over-priced.

[whatleydude]

My wife v-calls me if she's out shopping and sees something she thinks I'd like..

Normally she'd take a pic and send it - but lately, if the signals there, video calling has taken over..

[3GScottishUser]

Its always going to be a problem using videocalling. It is intrusive and its just not practical most of the time. A normal call one can take and do other things at the same time, video requires your full concentration and those of us here that have the facility have added the footnote (by arrangement) making clear its not not something we want bothered with outwith agreed times.

OK for hubby and wife, boy/girlfriends etc for fun but hard to see this feature ever making much of an impact. Sky News have recently been featuring video clips of viewers making silly faces about items, some use of the technology but if that's as good as it gets I suspect the networks won't recover the additional costs putting extra VGA cameras on the handsets.

[@NickyColman]

I think the situation is much like when picture messaging first came out. People seemed to express the same sort attitude as people have with video calling.

Why would you want to take a tiny picture on a phone?

Who would you send it too?

What would you possibly want to take a picture of?


But as handsets have advanced and the networks have developed its now common place to see people taking pictures and sending them.

Even my mam and dad do it now. And thats saying something.

I think videocalling will take its time to make its way into peoples lives, but i suspect within 2 or 3 years, once the 3G networks are at their best, then we will see videocalling taking off.

[3GScottishUser]

I agree some may use it but to be honest its a bit like trying to watch TV when driving, its not really a viable proposition. In daylight its not good becasue you cant view LCD screens easily and it inhibits other activities that one takes for granted you can do whilst having a normal voice call. You have to concentrate on the viseocall at the expense of everything else and that is the problem!

I'd happily buy a 3G handset minus the videocalling facility, in fact I did, the Nokia 7600 and I never felt deprived of anything.

[Ben]

Give it time. There's not going to be high takeup of videocalling overnight, but the uses for the technology are out there and as the prospect of making videocalls becomes more socially acceptable, along with increased saturation of compatible devices and expansions to include PC-to-mobile capability etc, it is beyond reasonable doubt that videocall usage will rise.

I'm in two minds about providing 3G devices without a forward facing VGA camera. Yes, it'll have to happen to satisfy business demands and low price points, but camera or no camera all devices that use UMTS should at least be able to receive videocalls.

[@NickyColman]

Im afraid i dont agree 3GSU, most of my video calls have been made in broad daylight and i have found them easy to view. I have had no problems concerning the LCD displays.

I very much doubt that videocalling will ever takeover the practicality and ease of voicecalling, but i do think that videocalling does have its place next to voice calling as simply "another way".

[3GScottishUser]

I agree it will rise in usage and price will be the determining factor for most customers.

I did try to play with it on holiday and soon learned that in Southern Europe its a non-starter unless you hide in a doorway facing the light, hiding the display from the sun! Try it next time you go to Spain etc!!

[Hands0n]

But surely the same can be said for using a laptop/pda/portable dvd player in such strong light conditions. For sure, no display device can compete with strong daylight - if it could we'd run the risk of burning out our retinas. However, it is my experience that I have been able to have quite successful Videocalls in ambient daylight indoors and outside.

I don't think anyone is suggesting that Videocalling will replace Voicecalling. However, it is, I believe, inescapable that now the technology has finally been launched that the buying public will begin to develop interesting and practical uses for it. Perhaps not at the price points that currently exist in the tariffs, but as and when these reduce the utilisation will inevitably pick up.

Some of the critique against Videocalling was made back in the mists of time about SMS. Who, after all, would want to send a limited size message when it would be much quicker and clearer to actually speak with the other person? The rest is history!

Social use of Videocalling aside, there are [bound to be] very many as yet undiscovered practical uses of the facility. It will take time for these to be reported upon.

My money is on Videocalling inserting itself into our ways and means in the same manner that SMS and MMS has done. The novelty factor behind Videocalling will [imo]disappear as its practical uses are disovered and we become better at electronic face-to-face communication (think how silly folk still become when you point a humble camcorder at them!).

[3GScottishUser]

Mark my words..... it'll end up a smutty porn thing. A lad's toy that schoolies will end up getting into lots of bother with.

But that aside it will make some headway in 2006 and if promoted properly when there is some real mass avaialble might actually be fun. I think video messaging will be a far more significant product as it does not demand the attention that viseocalling does and is far more flexible.

[Hands0n]

Okay then - here's the bet. We give Videocalling 12 months from today and review it then. If you're right and its a flop you get a bottle of bubbly. If I'm right and its in reasonable use (i.e. like MMS) I get a bottle of bubbly. Nothing too fancy mind. Just something pleasant (not Lidl or Aldi). :)

[Ben]

https://talk3g.co.uk/calendar.php?do=getinfo&e=3&day=2006-9-16%2009:00:00

We'll see! ;)

[3GScottishUser]

I might even stretch to Tesco or Asda.....

Lets see, HandsOn