Options for video calling

[Lockeskidney]

now that fring is dead (for now)

we are dead in the water with regards to video calling (who uses qik?)

are there any programs on the horizon?

 

[duckwars]

Fring isn't dead. You can still video chat fring to fring.

 

[Flip]

Dude fring isn't dead I was just using fring u just can't use skype but u can do ur video chats through fring it self

 

[Genisis]

yup for now just qik and fring....i prefer qik. Just like the push to talk option.

 

[WatermelonSlim]

How do you do fring to fring video? I thought you had to use the skype add on?

 

[Lockeskidney]

How do you do fring to fring video? I thought you had to use the skype add on?

it works ive done it

my uncle has an evo

i think my biggest issue now isnt so much mobile to mobile. its mobile to pc. no one i know who i would want to video chat with has a EVO

so losing skype on fring was a deal breaker for me. Now i have a front facing camera that doesnt do anything. I think im just frustrated with the big things EVO had over the comp coming in. Now a couple weeks iwth the device i find myself just more into android itself than the device. The hdmi is crippled (compared to other devices) the fps cap (choppy ui) and im not sure 4g will even benefit me if it will just drain my battery. whereas i can just stay on tmobile and get hdspa without battery drain

 

[WatermelonSlim]

My entire contact list in Fring disappeared after the Skype add on got removed. And when I try to add a contact using my address book, none of the people show up as having Fring, even though I know they do have Fring (same people I used to call on Fring before the Skype add on disappeared).

If there really is a way to do fring to fring video calls, I would love to know how. The video quality on Qik sucks.

Speaking of Qik, one of the "premium" options that supposedly costs $5 per month is better video quality. And with the 'premium" features supposedly being on a free trial right now, we should be able to get that high video quality, right? Anyone know how to do it?

 

[Lockeskidney]

yea i hate to say it but apple (even though its wifi limited) is killing the evo as far as video calling is concerned

all my test calls were piss poor

 

[Kedar]

Yeah the only reason to have a video cam is for skype calling imo.

I think it's so dumb what happened between Fring and Skype...
It happened right after Fring added skype support for the Iphone. I'm surprised no one is blaming the iphone, lol.

 

[JERAVICIOUS]

I would have to agree that I miss the evo to desktop video calling. However, I do not mind using qik. It's kinda like a walkie talkie with video cuz you have to push the talk button. I like the layout of it because the image is bigger. I just wish qik gets rid of the talk button.

As for the better quality video, I have not seen it, unless the quality we are getting is the best quality. dun dun dun....

 

[Lorak]

Yeah the only reason to have a video cam is for skype calling imo.

I disagree. When my daughter was away on vacation for 3 weeks in texas it was really nice to just pop open a video chat and see her catch up. Caught her at the alamo, the zoo, ect.. To me it was much nicer than "be at the PC at this time tonight." Hell if I am going through that trouble I'd just use skype to skype and have much better video.

I think it's so dumb what happened between Fring and Skype...
It happened right after Fring added skype support for the Iphone. I'm surprised no one is blaming the iphone, lol.

Yea, I wish I knew who pissed off who. My bet is on verizon wanting skype to be an exclusive to cell phones on thier network.

 

[WatermelonSlim]

Yea, I wish I knew who pissed off who. My bet is on verizon wanting skype to be an exclusive to cell phones on thier network.

That's certainly possible. It's also possible Apple told Skype they didn't want their product competing with Apple's new facetime or whatever it's called. Who knows...

 

[GenericMusings]

... It's also possible Apple told Skype they didn't want their product competing with Apple's new facetime or whatever it's called. Who knows...

I don't think that's the case. Apple shutting everyone down because it didn't want the competition on it's own platform? They would have just dropped support for Skype in their app store. It would also set them up for another antitrust lawsuit. Anticompetitive practices and all that. I figure it was more likely some kind of turf war between Fring and Skype.

 

[dwaynewilliams#WN]

They should enable video calling through Google Talk like they do on the computer.

 

[WolfRodriguez]

has anyone found anything new for video calling? i would like to do mobile to desktop video calls.

 

[cloak.n.dagger]

How do you do fring to fring video? I thought you had to use the skype add on?

You can Fring to Fring, it's just not that intuitive. Neither is Qik. You have to manually add the Fring contact. Hit menu > Add friends. Enter the Fring User-ID and click add. The Fring contact will add to the contact list, seperate from the address book contact info (I haven't found a way to integrate the two yet). Click on the newly added Fring contact and there is an option to start a video chat session.

Fring has better video quality than Qik, IMO. It's not full screen, like Qik but it's a better image. It also appears that a recent update has fixed their audio loop issue. I just fired up a Fring session with my brother and the audio worked great! I think Qik's solution to the audio loop issue was to add the push-to-talk button on one side of the conversation. Don't really care for that but it helps cut down background noise and such. Both seem to work, but until the Android contacts (People) starts supporting Fring and Qik account user ID's, then I don't see how having your phonebook contacts in the apps contact list is of any benefit (for video calling). This actually muddies the waters and as people try to use these apps with the phonebook contacts and can't figure out how to get a video chat session working, it just frustrates people and they end up uninstalling or never using the app again.

 

[cloak.n.dagger]

has anyone found anything new for video calling? i would like to do mobile to desktop video calls.

Until Skype releases and Android app or works things out with Fring, there are no current options that I know of. I really hope Fring and Skype can come to an agreement and get Skype integrated back into Fring.

 

[pwnst_r]

It's interesting how Evo users boast about the front facing camera, yet, the apps we have to actually use it aren't very good at all.

They should enable video calling through Google Talk like they do on the computer.

Other than skype, this would be the saving grace. Gmail's video integration is superb on a PC. Easily as good as Skype, and leaps and bounds better than Yahoo or MSN messenger.

 

[EvilMonkey]

It's interesting how Evo users boast about the front facing camera, yet, the apps we have to actually use it aren't very good at all.

Well, it was awesome back when we had Skype on Fring. You know, for like 3 weeks or whatever....

I quit bragging about it the day it got pulled, because frankly, it's useless now.

Here's hoping Google is looking at getting Google Talk updated to allow it. That would be awesome and stick it to Skype and FaceTime.

 

[bjordan]

I agree. Someone really needs to step up and release a solid video chatting app for Android.

I haven't been very impressed with Fring and/or Qik. Although they do work in a pinch.

Hopefully as more Android phones are released with front facing cameras this will become a real priority.

I also hope the Verizon exclusive Android Skype deal runs out soon and Skype releases a solid Skype app that blows everyone away.