GTalk Video Calls

[Dolmangar]

I've been patiently waiting for a tablet and one of the big features I'm interested in is video chat using Google Talk.

All of the previous tablets have been stuck using a third party app (Skype, Qik, etc) and I wanted to know how the real world Honeycomb native system was working for the Xoom owners here.

The big plus is that so many people have Gmail now that it's to much complication for non-tech friends and family to have to install another tool and get another account. I do a weekly chat with my sister and her family so that our daughters get to know each other even though they are 3000 miles away.

3.0 is supposed to be able to handle this, is anyone actually doing it? What are your comments?

 

[3devious]

Some people say that talk works for video chat but I am too annoyed that Skype doesn't do it. None of my friends use Gmail.

 

[marctronixx]

yes gtalk works.

 

[Dolmangar]

yes gtalk works.

Thanks
-fumbles for credit card-

 

[jcash3]

Yes gtalk works and is pretty simple to use. The only problem I have found so far is that the video quality isn't very good. I live in alaska and I use it to talk to my parents in Georgia so they can talk to their new grandson.

 

[Dolmangar]

Yes gtalk works and is pretty simple to use. The only problem I have found so far is that the video quality isn't very good. I live in alaska and I use it to talk to my parents in Georgia so they can talk to their new grandson.

I've found that in my house wired works better than WiFi. Not sure why since 802.11G is faster than my cable broadband connection.

We talk from Northern Va to Las Vegas and it sometimes works great, other times is unusable. But we're usually connecting at 6pm east coast time so the INTERNET isn't at it's best.

 

[Droid Ninja]

Video chat only works with other Xoom's right?

 

[Dolmangar]

I assumed (perhaps incorrectly) that video chat would work from Xoom to PC. Is that wrong?

 

[BiggestManEver]

Video chat only works with other Xoom's right?

I assumed (perhaps incorrectly) that video chat would work from Xoom to PC. Is that wrong?

Wrong Droid Ninja.

Just last night I video chatted from my Xoom to my wife's Dell laptop.

It works with ANYONE who is in gmail with that gmail webchat plugin enabled. Even if they don't have a camera, they can see you and type back to you.

Now, I'm just waiting for them to enable it on all their smartphones! What's the hold up here, Goog?

 

[BiGMERF]

it made my xoom crash the first time i tried. i had to restart, but from there it works fine

 

[xxraffyxx]

Love using google talk. Is there any info to when or if google will update their google talk for android phones.

 

[cousinscott]

Xoom to Xoom and Xoom to PC...works awesome and reliably. U can also make calls from it if your phone goes out! I use it nightly to visit with several people. There is also three way conferencing...

 

[jpprice.ga]

As a side note, people with Ipad2 and a gmail account can talk with your xoom as well. They will just need need to install the Vtok app from the app store and sign in with their gmail account.

 

[ODog2323]

I've been really disappointed by the video performance in gtalk on the xoom so far. In fact its been borderline unusable. I seem to be in the minority though so'maybe I need to do some troubleshooting. Anyone have any ideas? What kinds of net speeds should I be seeing for this to work nicely?

 

[Deleted User]

Are their any other video chatting apps then gTalk like maybe yahoo messenger or skype? Bc, my ex is usually pretty unreasonable and probably wouldn't sign up for a gmail just to talk to me via webcam.

 

[ODog2323]

Are their any other video chatting apps then gTalk like maybe yahoo messenger or skype? Bc, my ex is usually pretty unreasonable and probably wouldn't sign up for a gmail just to talk to me via webcam.

Yea, there's others out there...qik, fring, tango... no Skype yet but hopefully sometime soon. iOS has Skype video already. I haven't tried it yet but I hear tango is the best these days.

Who needs to be chatting with their ex on webcam though?

 

[Deleted User]

Yea, there's others out there...qik, fring, tango... no Skype yet but hopefully sometime soon. iOS has Skype video already. I haven't tried it yet but I hear tango is the best these days.

Who needs to be chatting with their ex on webcam though?

Normally I agree but she moved to Organ so yea...and ty.

 

[Dolmangar]

I've been really disappointed by the video performance in gtalk on the xoom so far. In fact its been borderline unusable. I seem to be in the minority though so'maybe I need to do some troubleshooting. Anyone have any ideas? What kinds of net speeds should I be seeing for this to work nicely?

Do you think this has to do with the Xoom itself or the network connection you're using? On my laptop I've had varying results with GTalk Video. Sometimes it's great and other times it will freeze up and be otherwise unusable.

I would think that a simple way to test would be to set up a connection with your PC and then reconnect again with the Xoom over the same connection.

 

[ODog2323]

Do you think this has to do with the Xoom itself or the network connection you're using? On my laptop I've had varying results with GTalk Video. Sometimes it's great and other times it will freeze up and be otherwise unusable.

I would think that a simple way to test would be to set up a connection with your PC and then reconnect again with the Xoom over the same connection.

I have a feeling its the network connection, so I'm wondering what speeds people are getting while having success with gtalk. I average something like 15 mbps down and 4 up here at home. I would think that's enough, no?

I don't have a webcam on my PC so I can't compare it to anything really. I could at least still do a one way video chat right, just to see how it performs on one end? I don't see how to do that in gtalk on the xoom though...

 

[Binglut9]

My gtalk works awesome the only problem I had was when my brother had a hotel room connection but obviously hotels don't have great internet... I think it is just what type of connection it has might not b you but the other end

 

[jcash3]

I just saw an option under Labs in gmail that lets you select it for higher resolution video conferencing. Not sure if both people have to have it selected or if it will even work with the xoom, but I selected it and will try it when I get home tonight

 

[ODog2323]

I just saw an option under Labs in gmail that lets you select it for higher resolution video conferencing. Not sure if both people have to have it selected or if it will even work with the xoom, but I selected it and will try it when I get home tonight

Let us know what you find out.

 

[tjreishus]

This is my problem with the xoom. When I video chat with others on my xoom, they get horrible feedback. The video they say is fine, but the audio cuts in and out so bad that they cant understand me. If they wear headphones, it works just fine. At first I thought it was a problem on their end, so with both the people that I video chatted with. I did another video chat with them on skype from my computer to their same computer that was having issues. There wasn't a problem at all. They had no problems with the audio when I skyped them. To me that says there is either a problem with the xoom, or there is a problem with the software. I'm not sure which one it is though.

Does anyone else have issues with the xoom's audio? Its not on the end of the xoom though, its the audio cutting out on their end.

 

[lowboydrvr]

This is my problem with the xoom. When I video chat with others on my xoom, they get horrible feedback. The video they say is fine, but the audio cuts in and out so bad that they cant understand me. If they wear headphones, it works just fine. At first I thought it was a problem on their end, so with both the people that I video chatted with. I did another video chat with them on skype from my computer to their same computer that was having issues. There wasn't a problem at all. They had no problems with the audio when I skyped them. To me that says there is either a problem with the xoom, or there is a problem with the software. I'm not sure which one it is though.

Does anyone else have issues with the xoom's audio? Its not on the end of the xoom though, its the audio cutting out on their end.

I have seen other reports of this issue and it boiled down to the fact that the volume level set on the Xoom was too high. The resolution posted was to lower the resolution slightly and everything should be fine. Please let us know if that works (helps).

 

[frenzy757]

video chat and audio chat works fine. Its great that when people call my phone (Gvoice), video request, or regular Gtalk audio request, it rings all three (desktop, tab, phone) so I can choose which one to answer with.

Obviously video isn't enabled on the phone yet so that doesn't ring when someone does a video request.