Snow Leopards iChat, horrible sound

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Level 1

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Snow Leopards iChat, horrible sound

Hey.
I've used iChat to webcam with a friend in the US for a while now (im in sweden), without a problem.
We both now updated to Snow Leopard, and there's a very noticeable drop in audio quality, to the point where its hard to hear what the other person says.
There's a lot of static noises, it sounds like a distant airplane or something like that.
Both of us are using ichat through AIM accounts.
For that reason we're having to use Skype at the moment which we'd rather not.
Does anyone know how we could fix this?

Macbook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6)

Posted on Sep 13, 2009 6:32 PM

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Answer 1

Defcom-UK

Level 6

15,494 points

Sep 14, 2009 6:58 AM in response to BestAsian

Hi

In ichats prefs click on video and change bandwidth limit to 500.

Restart iChat.

If still the same try 200.

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Answer 2

BestAsian Author

Level 1

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Sep 15, 2009 4:44 PM in response to Defcom-UK

This didn't help unfortunately.
Can we really gain anything from limiting the bandwidth its allowed to use?
I have a 24 mb down and 2 mb up connection.
My friends connection might be the bottle neck here though, but her changing this didnt do anything either.
And before updating to snow leopard, that setting was at "unlimited" for both of us and the sound was great. The video quality is higher now though. Can it be apple sacrificed sound quality for video quality?

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Answer 3

Sep 16, 2009 2:37 PM in response to BestAsian

Hi,

The "MotorBoating" a drone/whooshing sort of noise somewhere between a low ceiling fan and an Off Shore Power boat is Audio Feedback.

Reducing the Bandwidth can help with this sometimes as it can be caused by the iChat Buffering not keeping up between faster and slower Buddies.

Other steps can involve pointing external Speakers away from the Mic.
Using a headset.
Using Ambient Noise Reduction for Internal Mics in the System Preferences > Sound > Input tab for Laptops
Using an External Mic

Balancing the sound Output and Input in the two tabs in System Preferencs > Sound

A headset is the "best" solution.

An External Mic isolated for any transfered Sound and not in line with External Speakers is next.

I have my external Speakers pointing away for the Mic.
My ears can not tell the difference but the Mic can.

10:37 PM Wednesday; September 16, 2009

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

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Answer 4

BestAsian Author

Level 1

0 points

Sep 16, 2009 6:33 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hey.
Both of us are using headphones. But with the internal mic still, so not headsets, but it separates the mic and "speakers".
What is weird to me is that this isnt happening in skype. Hmm
Oh well, thanks for your answer, ill try the noise reduction thing and see if that helps.

Thanks

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Answer 5

Sep 17, 2009 11:24 AM in response to BestAsian

OK.

7:24 PM Thursday; September 17, 2009

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

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