iChat MAC to PC Video Freeze after 6.5 min

Hi All,

Based on James A. Weston, "Has Tiger & iChat AV3 Fixed the MAC to PC Video Freezing?" msg # 1.2.2, May 5, 2005 and a couple of others I have seen, we now
b know
that Tiger did
b NOT
fix the freeze problem.

The only two work-arounds still seem to be:
(1) disconnecting TV/Video boxes, if you have one connected, or
(2) close the video window and open another to get a few more video minutes.

If you cannot accept the situation and do not want to switch to a PC for video chat, you may want to try a different ISP. Only one was available where I and my Freeze Friend live, so we could not try that. That is the only user-controlled idea that I have not seen tried.

If anyone who changes ISPs finds the problem goes away when using the different service, please post that info.

Hi EZ Jim,

Good Thought.

Ralph

Has iChat AV 3.0.1 (v392) solved this problem yet?

Another question... Has anyone with this problem also tried Virtual PC to video chat with a Windows PC user? If so, does the video freeze as in Mac-to-PC? If so, then it's a software problem. If not, then it's an ISP problem, no?

Hi asmack,

To answer you second question most of the Virtual PC variants do not support Firewire devices.

The Video Freeze is less reported in iChat 3 but does still exist. The most common senario is for a Mac to Fast PC to have this connection problem. Slower PCs do not see to have the problem.

Ralph

I have the exact same problem, except it's at 10mins in the chat. I would love to hear what the fix is....

Hi Bryan,

There is not a fix as such.

Upgrading to Tiger seems to have sorted it for some but not others.

Lots of things have been tried. iChat Bandwidth settings, Quicktime Connection speed settings in System Preferences. Upgrading to Quicktime 7 and other without success.

Ralph

The Freeze continues. See Chris Faulkes' thread: Video image freezes but audio continues OK, 2 Sep, 2005.

Apparently the msg # 22 work-arounds are still as good as we can offer for the PC Video Freeze.

I am still hoping to see input from someone who experienced the PC Video Freeze and who has changed ISPs. Did your Freeze Time change, or did the Freeze go away when you changed ISPs?

Here's some more data for the mystery. I just started video chatting with a buddy of mine, who has a fast PC, running XP Pro SP2. We have chatted for over 60 mins. using iVisit software (free) and no video freezes occured.

Today we checked out AIM to see how that works. I saw freezes of his incoming video; my audio and video were still good on his end, his audio still good on my end (sound familiar?). It's probably coincidental, but it seemed that his incoming video would freeze after me moving the video window around, on the my desktop. I saw a freeze 3 separate times after moving the window around. I'll have to test this some more, but this seems far fetched I know.

**One thing is for sure: we have no problems using iVisit, we have problems using AIM *

By the way, the problem occured when he was running QT 6.3 (very old) and even after he updated to QT 7.

Hi VitoArc,

This thread is now over a year old.

There is no known fix for this.

It does seem to effect iChat to Fatser PC machines.

James Weston recently posted that he installed new Logitech Cam with new software on his fast(er) PC and this enabled him to Video chat with this computer to Macs for the first time.

This would seem to point to a Camera Driver being the probelm and probably is related here as well.

It might pay to have started a new thread for this and linked back to this one for reference.

Ralph

Hi Ralph.

I will be pleased to test with you any time I am on line.
 (Hope springs eternal ....)

Jim

Hi EZ Jim,

A Wednesday would be best for this - when I can monopolise the two computers.

Ralph

Thanks Ralph, I appreciate your advice. My friend has downloaded the latest webcam driver, and we will give that a try. My message paid off, even if it is an old thread, because nowhere before now have I read about PC webcam drivers as a possible cause. Thanks again for the help!

NO Problem.

Ralph

has anyone tried the "Triton" version of AIM and seeing if this fixes the problem?