[@NickyColman]

Ok just a quick poll on how many people actually video call?


Please also explain your answers. . . :D

[@NickyColman]

I voted OCCASIONALLY! Whilst i actually like video calling it is currently too expensive to replace a call or a text!

[Ben]

Mostly just for the hell of trying it out. I've not really found a use for it yet, and I'm rarely in a state suitable for video calling :D At least on O I get 60 mins free!

[3g-g]

I voted yes, only because its free. I'm not trying to rub anyones noses in it, but I think if I paid for it, it'd only be for novelty value. I have used it a couple of times for work purposes... and my brother usually texts me and asks me to vid call him.

I think at first people were slightly embarrased to make calls in public as mobiles were quite rare, if vid calling becomes cheaper maybe it'll take the same road and in the future be ragarded as the norm.

[3GScottishUser]

I voted no.

Its a total waste of time. A novelty feature.

You surely would'nt do it public...... you'd look silly and folk would laugh at you!

Videocalling is fine in private and you do it for free with MSN Messenge/Skype/Yahoo etc to anywhere in the world and the quality is better than that offered by 3G where latency still aeems to be a problem (on the 3 network anyway).

Nah.... videocalling is'nt worth the bother as far as I'm concerned. A silly idea that complicates the simple concept of voice communication.

[Hands0n]

I voted occasionally.

I get 20 mins a month on my VV add-on tarrif. It is mostly novelty value at the moment, and only to family who have H3 phones (inclusive is not X-network afaik).

I, too, think that it will become fairly normal - right now it is rather groundbreaking. I can see in time that folk will be quite happy to videocall in public. After all, making voicealls in public was very no-no at one time. I'm sure we can all recall how much fun was made of people making phone calls on buses an trains in the comedy shows and media. We've all experienced the (usually woman) who has a more than audible conversation on her phone so we all get the benefit of her life story! That will come to videocalling, as sure as eggs is eggs - I predict.

Quality of videocall is on a par with the video compression technology of the day. It will not attain anything like Broadcast, or even VHS quality until the algorithm changes and there is the rather cumbersome international standards bodies to get by first. Noone will make a videophone which will not interoperate with others. So I can't see that changing too quickly, yet. Maybe never, if we have hit the limit of what we can compress down to a 64kbps data stream. However, despite the very obvious quality issues - the ability to make a face-to-face call has very definite appeal beyond novelty values. If the price were right (and I think they've all missed this one) young lovers would drive the ARPU through the roof :)

[Jon3G]

get 50 mins a month and never used them

[delinquentwoody]

I voted no - i've only used it once to try it out for the novelty, but never used it otherwise.

[simax]

I get 60 mins a month free and use about 5-10 minutes. Problem is where I live. There is 3G in Penzance, however, when I get to the top of town where I live, a local 2G mast kicks in. Gutted :(

When our shop opens in the town next month that may change. Hope so! ;)

Come to think of it, Orange 3G does work (albeit very weakly) upstairs. Could be handy when I take a trip away and the wifes at home ;) I use a Z1010 presently and wife currently has a Samsung P510. Upgrading me and the wife to a 6680 next week (only 50 quid fee for 5 months into my contract! WoOoOt!!!). As soon as wifey has one of these bad boys, I expect to use the full hour every month.

Simon

[Jon3G]

The coverage plays a massive part in my none use of the minutes. I do get 3G coverage in my house but very weak downstairs. Plus I have just downgraded my contract down in preperation for the 6680 launch on Orange, so I dont get my Vid mins anymore

[Ben]

Just had my Orange phonebill and I used a massive 2 minutes of my Video Call allowance. As Jon3G says, coverage plays a large part for me, but so does the fact that I don't really have any need to video call the other technophiles I know who actually have 3G handsets - they're all long haired strange-looking cavedwellers, I don't need a 1.5" screen to tell me that :D

[Sped]

Would love to know what the quality is like?? Its funny when you go onto the demo of phones and look at video calling the picture is super clear..I take it that it isnt that good. Having a few friends getting 3g phones id probs use it. Like someone said there was a time when it was embarrasing when you got a phone call in public but its just norm now.. Whats the price of the vid calls on orange per min??

[Jon3G]

I beleive they are 60p a min

[Ben]

That's incorrect. They're 50ppm on and off net, and all 3G customers get some kind of allowance, for either 3 months or 12.

I have 60 minutes videocalling free each month on and off net on Orange at no extra charge.

[ads]

Yes I voted occasionally, just for the novelty as I only know one other person with a 3 phone...

Sometimes you just dont want to see somebody else; I can only ever see videocalls working between couples!

Also I agree with HandsOn; I dont think at the moment it is really the 'done' thing to videocall someone in public, you just end up looking like a bit of a flash arry!

[miffed]

Nah ...

Made a couple of novelty calls when I got my e808y , and made the odd one when I have got a new handset , but only ever to try it out, never made a video call in anger

[Hands0n]

Would love to know what the quality is like??

The quality is as for any 56kbps video - sort of like a Realplayer stream, maybe not quite as good! But recognition and clarity are mostly there and acceptable for what it is. Videocalling expectations get set by TV ads showing broadcast quality images on the handets, which is entirely fake. Think back to the earlier days of webcam and you'll have a fair idea of whats going on.

And I think, for one, that it has an appeal not to be missed, but that like the early days of SMS text it is (a) way too over-priced and (b) has not yet caught the public's imagination. If they want videocalling to be the norm, or near the norm, they are going to have to get the pricing right first!

[von40]

No i never made video call as no one i know has a video phone yet

[Hands0n]

Well, here's an offer/idea to you sole-3G owners - if anyone would like to sample Videocalling, providing you are making (and therefore paying for) the Videocall I am willing to participate in your trial. PM me to arrange a mutually convenient date/time. Your call will be to either a Nokia 6680 (3) or SE W900i (Voda).

Alternatively !! Why don't you PM eachother and set up a Videomeet :)

Gotta go now, have to Videocall the youngest who is away for the weekend :cool:

[3g-g]

We could set up a videocall pool of numbers, so when people (that is your friends that don't have a video phone) question why you've even bought that phone that you can't use properly you can retort with, "ha, hang on a minute"... beep beep beep (botton presses) "hello!"

Obviously hoping that the person you've chosen to call is in 3G coverage so as to not to make that handset look as useless as they think it is :eek: !

[Hands0n]

Smashing idea. I can't always guarantee that I'll be on my "Videocall pool" number - I don't carry my test/play/experiment phones with me.

This is all rather like the first few folk who bought a fax machine :D

[getti]

I have tried video calling on both Three and on Orange.

Both have good and bad points. Orange are good because 3G is only on contracts so far so if you are lucky enough to get a O contract you get a good deal (if that makes sence). One main example is because you are on a contract they throw in wither 30mins or 60mins a month free video calling depending on what plan you are on.

However three are good because they have a PAYG system and more 3G bandwith. I tried a 3 to 3 video call the other day and its the best quality of a video call i have seen yet. Very smooth and clear sound. However you dont get free vid call mins on Threepay only on certain Contract plans which is bad.

Im sure Three will launch an Add On for Threepay where you get a set amount of video calling mins for a set fee.

Also Three are running a promo of:

3 to 3 video call = 20p a min (was 50p)
3 to other video call = 50p a min (was 80p)

When the offer ends in September the cross network price will NOT go back up.

This means 50p a min on any network making way for a Add-On.

Orange are due to launch a PAYG 3G plan in July/Aug i hear but no prices set yet.

I would love to make more use of video calling but its having people with 3G phones and wanting to vid call also. Video Messaging is a great idea tho and not many people use that feature too.

Anyone up for some video messaging and video calling send me a PM with your number :)

[3g-g]

Hmm, I'm afraid I only have one 3G number, and it's my number for everything! Some of us aren't like a Threepoint Hands0n ;)

If Orange were to launch a 3GPAYG effort I'm sure I'd "aquire" a SIM just for calling.

I'm sure Admin could set up a private area that we could place numbers in if we really did want to have a videocall pool.

What do you think Admin?

[getti]

he will have to phone his concierge service on the Vertu he just got for their advice :D

[Ben]

It's possible... I'll have to have me a think! For now it's probably best if we exchange numbers via PM.

[Hands0n]

Today I held a 47-minute Videocall with a very good friend and ex-work colleague of mine. He is on Orange with his Nokia 6680 (spit hisss spit) and I was on Three with my Motorola e1000. Both our batteries took a right old hammering, but we are like a pair of old wimmen when we get to talking. It was never going to be a 3-minute "Hi there!" call.

It all started out as a bit of a test thing. He had just got the 6680 and was itching to try the Videocall service and use some of his 1GB monthly allocation for such things (more on that in a moment). He does not know anyone else with 3G technology. So we thought we'd have a brief natter face-to-face and then catch up on voice subsequently as it has been some 18 months since we last spoke. In the end we just carried on the Videocall for the full 47 minutes! It was all rather effortless and was quite enjoyable - to date most of my Videocalls have lasted not more than 5 minutes or so.

We took the opportunity to show off some of our latest toys - he has a gun licence and showed me his latest up and over shotgun. I showed him my latest motorcycle and introduced him to the family that was around at the time who he'd not met previously. We've not been to eachother's home and so we gave a guided tour to eachother also. It was a call that simply could not have been achieved in any other way. We used both cameras on the handsets (640x480 and 1.2/1.3Mpixel) with no discernable difference, but that would be down to the video compression in use.

Apart from latency, and that is not going away any time soon now, the overall quality was more than acceptable. I would go as far as suggesting that it was really quite good. The occasional glitch caused some pixellation to occur, but that was quickly passed as the bit-rate re-established itself.

The fact that the call was Cross Network (Orange to Three) was not apparent in the overall quality, which was no different to Three on-net Videocalls. Very obviously, the gateway between the networks operates efficiently enough to cause no obvious signal latency or issues.

The 47 minutes virtually killed off the batteries in both handsets, my e1000 meter had started to glow a rather disturbing orange colour that suggests that end of life is nigh. It was by no means dead though, and I had more than enough life in the handset to send a few more text messages and place a short Voice call before placing the unit on charge.

Back to that 1GB bandwidth allocation on Orange. Apparently it is inclusive for the first three months, which is nice. I did some rather rough calculations and worked out that our 47 minute Videocall would have used up some 22.5MBytes of the allocation, assuming a constant 64Kbps transmission path and give or take a bit more for the transmission protocol overheads (someone correct me please if I am wrong). Which is tremendous value compared to Three's Video Value 20 minutes Videocall allocation. In fact, taking that 1GB transmission allocation I worked out that you could Videocall for 2,083 minutes each month (that's 34.7 hours to you and me in old money!). This is the way to stimulate the use of Videocall, make it affordable (are you listening Three????).

Earlier discussion on another thread with Bleubean saw he and I disagreeing [in the nicest possible way] with the camera quality and positioning of the Motorola e1000. He felt that the forward (screen side) camera was poorly positioned for Videocalling. I was acutely aware of the Forum conversation on this as I was engaged in this Videocall. I have to say that, paying particular attention to how I was holding the handset to properly frame myself I did not find the camera position at all awkward - in fact the opposite would seem to be for me at least. I guess this is all down to a matter of personal preference - it worked for me, but it may not [so well or at all] for others.

And so this is something I would suggest any handset buyer take a few moments over. Hold the handset as if making a Videocall and see if it gets to be awkward in the hand after a few minutes.

I'm quite looking forward to my next video marathon :)

[Ben]

Excellent post! Just a quick correction...

Orange customers get 1GB for data. They also get a video call minutes allowance. Video calls are circuit switched, not packet switched. I get 60 videocall minutes per month - but it might only be 30 now for 3 months... tariff dependent afaik. There's no mention of anything for it where it used to be on the O website now though, so it's a little confusing!

Edit: Here we go!

"Try 3G for free

Buy an Orange 3G phone and we'll give you 3 months to try all our 3G related services free, including:

30 minutes free video calling per month included for the first three months (or 60 minutes per month for 12 months on Your Plan 400 and above)
1000MB per month – that’s practically unlimited!"

[dgilbert2]

I use video calling whilst I've got 30 minutes free for 3 months. After that, not at 50p a minute, I dont miss seeing her that much :)

[dgilbert2]

Excellent post! Just a quick correction...

Orange customers get 1GB for data. They also get a video call minutes allowance. Video calls are circuit switched, not packet switched. I get 60 videocall minutes per month - but it might only be 30 now for 3 months... tariff dependent afaik. There's no mention of anything for it where it used to be on the O website now though, so it's a little confusing!


yes, my latest Orange bill confirms that Video calls come out of your 30/60 Try Video Calling bundle.

I fear tears at "bill time" as they definately do not come out of the Try 3G 1GB bundle.

Only 17 minutes over though, (£8.50), not too bad?!

[solo12002]

I have voted no, partly due to the fact that there is a lack of network, but mostly due to the high price, Im more than happy to talk at 10p a min, and dont feel the need to look at my mate while doing so for 40-60 ppm also I agree with the comment that its more or less a private thing.

as for using it to video call the wife, fine if you looking cam sex, otherwise i dont see point of it at all

[getti]

I just got my mum a Moto V980 cause she saw my review one a while back and liked it. Its a big step on from her Moto T720i in every way.

Taught her to use it today and she has already done a video call to me and sent my bro a video message as its his birthday today.

So now my dad has got a NEC E616v, my Mum has a Moto V980, my nan has a LG 8120 and i have.... well every other 3g phone released at one time or another :D

I looked at the new Moto V1050 today and it did look VERY nice. Slightly larger screen but i couldent see it on as Argos wont put the battery in becase they think it activates the phone :rolleyes:

Anyway i asked about the LG i want (the 8360) and the guy went away. 10mins later he came back and said he checked over the phone and 3 had not delivered any yet to Argos. It was due this week but was looking to be next week sometime when it would be available for me to buy.

[Denyo1977]

I voted occasionally. Although I've got free evening and weekend calls on Vodafone at the moment I can hardly use it coz I only know one person so far with 3G and he lives under the same roof as me.

[whatleydude]

I picked the third option..

Only every now and then. Its difficult for me however as I can only properly video call from my desk.. what with only having a 6630 + vid stand.

[davidlove]

I'm a videosceptic. It never caught on for landlines so why do the operators expect it to be popular on mobile, where there's much more to go wrong?

The only time I saw a videocall was two people calling each other in the same room, which reminded me of school kids texting each other in the playground.

But someone did once tell me they'd sold a car by giving a live video demo. So I suppose that's sort of a practical application.

You can guess the way I voted. No.

[whatleydude]

Video messaging is cool - but on Vodafone you can only send a Video via MMS if it's less than 100k.
Which is rubbish!

..also - I've tried to v-call my friend on 3 before and I've been able to leave a video-mail ( like a voicemail - but with video! ) - I asked Vodafone about this and they have 'no plans to introduce such a facility'.

Which again is quite frankly rubbish.
So there.
_______

Also - I used v-calling again yesterday. The wife was in Zara and wanted to get me a shirt - so she v-called me (from her 6680) to show me it and held it up and stuff.. fortunately I was at work, my 6630 was in its v-call cradle and had a good 3G signal too..
But yeah - it was cool.. :)

[Ben]

Orange also have that stupid 100k limit! It means that, at high quality, you can send a few seconds tops!

Orange do have a video-answerphone-ish system. It isn't as good as Three's, but callers can leave a 10 second video message that is then delivered to the recipient as MMS.

The example of when video calling can be useful is a great one though. Once a critical mass of people have video enabled phones I can imagine that sort of thing really taking off.

[getti]

The Orange video answerphone is not as good as 3's, but then you recieve the video mail free of charge as a video message.

On 3 you have to dial 123 as a video call to play the messages which costs a normal video call (3 to 3) rate.

But i guess you pay for the extras. I prefer 3's video mail style

[whatleydude]

I agree - I just find it really odd how Vodafone completely dismissed the idea...

[getti]

Video messaging is cool - but on Vodafone you can only send a Video via MMS if it's less than 100k.
Which is rubbish!



Last i heard Voda have a larger limit. The amounts i know for MMS are:

Three = 300k
Vodafone = 300k
Orange = 100k
O2 = 100k
T-Mob = 100k

3 and Voda are definatly more than the others mainly because of the megapixel cameras on Vodafone like the 902, V800 and 903, and 3 have had that amount for a while which is good.

Orange should be increasing soon to keep up with the others

[Ben]

Where did you get those numbers from? I'm sure O2 was 300k too...

[getti]

O2 is still 100k afaik

[whatleydude]

Last i heard Voda have a larger limit. The amounts i know for MMS are:

Three = 300k
Vodafone = 300k
Orange = 100k
O2 = 100k
T-Mob = 100k

3 and Voda are definatly more than the others mainly because of the megapixel cameras on Vodafone like the 902, V800 and 903, and 3 have had that amount for a while which is good.

Orange should be increasing soon to keep up with the others


I t must just be my phone then - it won't let me attach anything to an MMS over and above the 100k limit.

Grrr.. Maybe this'll change with a firmware update?

[getti]

What phone do you have? I know on the NEC phones they dont use the max. You can have a E228 but it only lets u send a max of 150k

[Hands0n]

Returning to the original title of this thread "Do you videocall?"

I'm seeing more and more folk using Videocall of late. Daughter and her mates are getting into it in quite a big way - limiting their calls to the bundled minutes, which is fair enough given the ridiculous charges in place right now.

Talking among family and friends they are all beginning to see burgeoning use of Videocall in public places, quite to their bemusement generally! Folk always seem to compare the quality to TV broadcast, so there is an expectation to win over there. But it has been interesting to watch kid and her pals making increasing use of Videocall for quite a few mins at a time per call. Maybe its a girl thing, showing off their latest shopping acquisitions.

Asked by me if this is something that she and her schoolmates are all getting into results in a positive response. They are apparently quite fired up about being able to do this any time, any place. The costs are seen as prohibitive unless included in the monthly bundle.

So, maybe finally, the public perception of Videocalling is beginning to change. Will the mobile operators encourage further use of this facility by bringing the tariffs down? Or will they be greedy and wait for the buying public's acceptance that Videocalling will always be quit so significantly more expensive than Voicecalling?

[steve9025]

Video calling's only real use is pornographic discuss. Yes I have.

[getti]

I ran a poll on this last month and most people chose no, they dont video call.

I do all the time because i get 25mins a month included in my price plan. However if i had to pay per minute i would think again about how much i video call and that might be what is putting people off using it, the cost

[Hands0n]

I agree that the cost is a definite block to making Videocalling something done as a matter of course. However, light at the end of the tunnell is O2's approach which is to charge no more for a Videocall than they do for Voicecalls. Will they keep this up indefinitely? Who knows, but it is very likely to stimulate [at least] O2 callers making use of the facility.

I think Bundled Videocalls have to go in favour for normal rates, or at worst a few pence above Voicecall if the mobops insist there is an intrinsic Value Add of Video over Voice (which I contend there isn't if noone is using it!!).

[stuartturrell]

I have no as a lot of people wonder what 3g actually is. And if i am in 3g signal, it usually my mates who do have 3g are not in 3g signal.

Never had a opportunity to test out video calling.... ever.. :mad: