Video Call on ichat

Hi,

iChat will Video chat using a Google ID if the other person is also using iChat.

It will not Video to anyone using the Browser Plug-in (PC or Mac) or to the Standalone app called Google Talk or to any Jabber app that can do Video.

Jabber (and those Jabber apps that can) use a process called Jingle to Connect rather than the SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) iChat uses

Google's Version of Jingle is also incompatible with most Jabber apps.

Whether you can Video chat from iChat whilst logged in the Google Mail Web Page depends on whether you logged iChat or the Mail page in first.

Most jabber app can set what is called the Priority.

iChat's is the same as the Web Page login and the Last Login gets preference.

iChat or in fact any App that does IMs will only chat from a Buddy list on one server to a Buddy on the same Server or Service
Google Talk is a Jabber server

This in effect means you have a Jabber Buddy List.

You can add Jabber and Google Buddies to this and chat with them.

@mac.com and MobileMe names are vaild AIM Screen Names

Any one of these names would regarded as an AIM Buddy List and you can add any buddy with one of those Valid names.

An Aside
There is an involved way of adding AIM Buddies to Jabber Buddy List but it does not do Video ( Instructions)

AIM Valid names

@mac.com names are free and can be registered here

It requires an email address that is not already linked to an Apple ID (i.e Any MobileMe or @Mac.com name nor ANY email already linked to an Apple ID)

Another Aside
@mac.com and MobileMe name are automatically Apple IDs
You can create an Apple ID using any email address for use with iTunes, the On-line Store, these Communities (Adding an Alias) and Face Time for Macs (And certain iOS devices)

AIM Screen Names can be registered here
They are also free.

They ask for a Email address but this is mainly for Password recovery and security purposes

(the same email can be used to create several AIM Screen Names).

9:47 PM Tuesday; July 5, 2011

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

 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

An AOL acount is an AIM account and not a Jabber acount.

In the setup did you choose AIM as the account.

How long is your password, it has to be less then 16 characters.

Hi,

To be clear.

iChat will Video Chat iChat to iChat with any Buddy that is also using iChat no matter if you are using Google or a Jabber ID at either end.

That is to say that both you and your Buddy have to have Jabber based IDs (Includes Google Talk).

You cannot add AIM Buddies to a Jabber based Buddy list and Video chat

(There are ways to Text chat)

iChat cannot Video to anyone logged in to the GoogleMail Chat option using either the Mac Intel only Plug-in for Browsers or the PC variant.

It also cannot Video chat to the PC Standalone app also called GoogleTalk.

With an AIM Buddy list you can Video to the AIM app on PC and a third Party app called Trillian (Pro Version) as well as other iChat users (versions 2 through 5)

But to do this both ends have to be using an AIM valid name.

As I said before you, can use either an AIM registered name or @mac.com from Apple or MobileMe.

As well as the Apple Email type IDs AIM alos allow other ISPs to use their Email accounts as Valid AIM names (Mostly in the States)

(As AIM allow an @ symbol in the name you can use any other email and register it as the AIM name.)

As Defcom says any Apple based (@Mac.ocm or MobileMe only) Name must keep the password to 16 characters or less.

As far as testing with a Mac Buddy, who also has a Google Name as well, there can be issues when you (plural) are logged in to the GoogleMail Web page as well.

It will depend on where either of you logged in to last as the GoogleTalk server will then favour the last login.

As a for Instance.

If your Buddy logs in to Google after he has logged into iChat any Video Invite you try and send will be directed towards his Google page login (and his Borwser plug-in if he is Intel and installed it) - which I pointed out earlier will not work.

7:09 PM Saturday; July 9, 2011

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

 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb( 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.7),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

Ralph Johns (UK) wrote:

...

iChat will Video Chat iChat to iChat with any Buddy that is also using iChat no matter if you are using Google or a Jabber ID at either end.

...

My friend and I use iChat with our Gmail accounts, but we cannot use video chat! He told me that my cam is not seen. However, we can talk on Gmail with video. He also told me that he can use video chat with other friends of him. Thus, I start to think that I have a problem, but I don't know what it is.

Does anybody know what I should do to solve this problem?

Hi,

If you both have the same type of Accounts check these settings:-

In iChat in the Video Menu (To the right of the Buddies one) is the Camera Enabled (iChat 4 and 5) or Video Chat Enabled (iChat 6) ticked.

Selecting the line toggles the tick and Function On or Off depending on current state.

In the View Menu the Show Video Status should also be ticked.

This allows the green icons for Buddies to be seen in your Buddy list and allows them to see you can do Video (If the camera is also ON)

If these are both set then go to the Video Menu again and Open the Connection Doctor.

Tell us what it says in the capabilities section please.

7:34 PM Sunday; January 15, 2012

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

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

• Audio Chat Enabled
• Video Chat Enabled
• Show Audio Status (Ticked)
• Show Video Status (Ticked)

After controlling the every setting, I asked my friend again whether he can see my webcam or not, he said that my webcam is still not seen.

Here is the screen shot.

Hi,

Is that Pic from his end or your end ?

If it is your end you are not seeing his camera either. If this is the case the issue may be his end.

Get him to check the same settings.

8:11 PM Sunday; January 15, 2012

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

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

It is my screen shot and he says he can use video chat with another person on iChat and his settings are okay. On the other hand, I cannot send files to anybody.

HI,

So this is iChat to iChat using Google Mail IDs

He can use his ID to Video to other Jabber or Google Buddies ? (He is not using an AIM Name to do that ?)

You have Enabled Talk on your Google Account Settings ?

(My understanding is that you would not be able to log in to the Google server if you had not)

Have you entered the Name/ID in to iChat EXACTLY as it appears when you login in to Google Mail's Web page ?

(It makes a difference if your ID is username @ googlemail.com (Spaced so the software does not make it a mail link) and you have entered username @ gmail.com The Mail app seems to cope with either and get your Mail but iChat or rather the GoogleTalk Server is fussier than that.)

8:30 PM Sunday; January 15, 2012

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

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

I can use video chat on Gmail's web page. I just cannot use it on iChat. I have tested with the same person. We can use video chat on Gmail's web page, but cannot use on iChat.

My username and password are the same while I am trying to get login on iChat and Gmail.

Hi,

This does seem a bit odd.

If you can Login and the Settings for the Camera and the Status are ON then you should be able to "see" the info in your Buddy list (You still may not be able to connect but I will get to that)

The Buddy list gets info from the server about what Buddies are On line and what Capabilities they have.

iChat and in fact Jabber apps in general use different ports to actually Connect a Video Chat.

A web Browser though uses the common Web Browsing ports or port 443 for secure login first.

The ports iChat uses for Video (And Audio Only) Chats are above port 1024

However even if these are not open it should not effect the display of the Video or Audio icons in your Buddy list.

Lets try a refreshed Login.

If in Lion go to the GO Menu in the Finder and Hold the ALT key down to See the Library and select it.

In Snow Leopard or earlier you can navigate to the Home Folder/Library

Once in the Library open Preferences.

Find com.apple.ichat.Jabber.plist and the similarly named .lockfile and drag both to the Trash.
Restart iChat.

This will cause iChat to renew the Login with Googletalk rather than relying on the info in the .plist

8:45 PM Sunday; January 15, 2012

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

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

I did it and my friend said that he can see my webcam, but it has a cross on it.

I have just delete them, but after opening the iChat, they appear again and there are lots of files with the same name.

This is my screen shot that you want me to delete "com.apple.ichat.Jabber.plist and the similarly named .lockfile".