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February 25, 2010 9:45 AM PST

Skype prepares for HD video calls on Windows

by Jessica Dolcourt

Skype video icon

Video calling on Skype has been hit or miss over the years, but with some back-end changes in Skype for Windows 4.2, the company readies its VoIP client for high definition.

Without providing much detail, Skype noted in a blog post that when high-def Webcams pop onto the market, Skype's update "includes almost everything you'll need" to place HD video calls.

Longtime Skype fans will also be pleased to see the return of two features that have been absent since a significant update to Skype 4.0 just over a year ago. These are Skype Access, a pay-per-minute Wi-Fi hot-spot connector, and call transferring that kicks active calls to another Skype number, mobile phone, or land line. Although we saw Skype reincorporate call transfers and Skype Access in last December's beta release, Thursday's update to version 4.2 makes it official.

Jessica Dolcourt pits phone against phone as CNET's newest cell phone reviewer and also turns a critical eye to smartphone apps. Email Jessica or follow her on Twitter.
Topics:

Chat and e-mail,

Windows Software

Tags:

Skype,

VoIP,

Skype for Windows

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Add a Comment (Log in or register) (18 Comments)
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by smilin:) February 25, 2010 10:09 AM PST
"when high-def webcams pop onto the market"

Huh?

They are already out there...and being put to good use by Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2 that came shipped a long time ago.
Reply to this comment
by myles taylor February 25, 2010 10:20 AM PST
They need to focus more on getting video to be consistent quality in standard def. Who needs HD video chatting? I just don't want spotty or pixelated video when chatting. I don't need to use more bandwidth.
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by lazycat202 February 26, 2010 6:53 AM PST
you don't like it and it also doesn't mean everybody would follow your lead.For example, you'r hating Flash and Windows, but billions people are using them
by ohohmai February 25, 2010 10:52 AM PST
HD Video Chat is nice for small business that use it instead of high dollar VC systems. Its very nice to use when one end of the call is a wide view of say a conference room. Other than that SD is more than suffecient for simple person to person calls.
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by HookerJay February 25, 2010 11:19 AM PST
I'd like to see SkypeCasts come back myself, however I'm currently using Skype 4.0.0.226 because all the recent versions give me problems. First, it wouldn't save my primary sound settings. Every time I'd reboot my machine or re-start Skype, it would go back to using my Creative X-Fi sound card (which has no headset and mic) instead of the motherboard's onboard sound where my headset and mic is hooked up. Secondly, I use my digital camera as a webcam on the VIVO port of my GeForce 6600 and it kept brute forcing it into PAL_B mode, which of course broke it entirely. Installed a TV Tuner Card and ran the camera that way and Skype still broke it. Other applications were fine with or without the Tuner card.
Reply to this comment
by Stealthdragoon March 2, 2010 1:01 PM PST
Same here. I tried the new update on Skype, but when I rebooted, started my computer and started Skype, It would not respond and it would give me start up issues such as not loading or saying a file error. I reverted back to the Skype 4.10.79 because it is stable on my Laptop and it has never gave me any problems.
by February 26, 2010 11:54 AM PST
Skype 4.2 has the same problem that windows live messenger. You can't close the window and send it to the notification area. The window remains minimized in task bar. help!
Reply to this comment
by February 26, 2010 12:15 PM PST
running in windows 7
by 4score20 February 27, 2010 5:27 PM PST
Quit Skype from the task bar then go to...

C: Program Files (x86) >Skype>Phone

Right click on Skype> Properties>Compatibility>

Tick box: Run this program in compatibility mode for...

Vista Service Pack 2

Click Apply then OK.

Restart Skype. Close window. Back to normal.
by Sweet_Peaches March 2, 2010 11:52 AM PST
You can get it off the taskbar, sign off and change the compatibility of those two messengers and that'll kick it off the taskbar and put it back to the system tray (Notification area), I did that with mine and although Skype 4.2 gives me some errors when I did that, it still worked for me, and I have already provided feedback to them saying that they need to put in a setting giving you the choice to keep your Skype contact list off the taskbar, I don't want my buddylist (contact list) on my taskbar I don't need to be looking at it every five seconds if I'm already chatting with someone on it.
by February 27, 2010 2:25 AM PST
Skype on mobile devices like Symbian and BlackBerry phones is where we need improvements.

www.skype.com/mobile/
Reply to this comment
by stooger February 27, 2010 3:32 AM PST
Skype no longer support symbian mobile devices. Cnet will inform us soon about it.
by TheRealFaziri February 27, 2010 10:30 AM PST
4.2 makes Windows 7 freeze if you're using FireFox simultaneously and i didn't see any improvements anywhere...

I'm just waiting for Skype to release a bug-fixed 4.2 because it's killing my computer
Reply to this comment
by Sweet_Peaches March 2, 2010 11:58 AM PST
Strange, I'm using Windows 7 64bit and I'm also using Skype while browsing with FireFox and it doesn't freeze my computer.
by raver7 February 27, 2010 1:19 PM PST
The more far away you are, the more the calls drop every 2 minutes...
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by Sweet_Peaches March 2, 2010 11:54 AM PST
To 4score20: Why does he have to go through all those folders when he could just right-click the desktop icon and change the compatibility from there? That's how I do it.
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by Stealthdragoon March 2, 2010 12:59 PM PST
I tried the new update with Skype but when I tried to start it and clicked the Icon, it would give me problems such as startup errors and that it could not find the file. I think they need to fix that as well.
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by yumyum7780 March 2, 2010 3:36 PM PST
very nice idea for the family that can contact more by hd skype.
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