While on ichat, video will freeze for 5 seconds and come back, then continues to freeze for 5 seconds intermittently during the video chat. Happens whenever I am on iChat, regardless of who I am chatting with. Party on the other end does not see any indication that this is happening.
IMAC
HI,
Sounds like a Buffering issue.
Are you also losing Audio ?
In iChat Menu > Preference > Video section try the Bandwidth Limit at 500kbps
This is fast enough for 4 way Video chats but is below most people's Service speeds so it smooths out extreme variances in the Service.
iChat tries to Buffer the incoming Video and Audio.
It will drop individual Frames to try and smooth out the feed.
There does come a point when the Audio will go out of sync (too many Frames dropped) and the Audio will get cut)
If you are going straight to Video disturbances then it is more likely your ISP's internet service that is at fault.
Open the Connection Doctor (Video Menu) during a Chat as this may give more clues
10:28 PM Monday; September 17, 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
Ralph,
Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, every time I attempt to open ichat I receive the message that "You can't use this version of the application iCHAT with this version of OSX-You have iChat 4.0.7"
Strange since I have OSX 10.8 that should have the latest iChat version. I am totally unable to find a way to upgrade to latest iChat.
HI,
Can you check the Applications Folder.
You should have Messages.
Messages should have overwritten iChat.
Version 4.0.7 is from Leopard (and not even the last update of Leopard).
It is possible to have migrated Apps from a Leopard computer to Mountain Lion Install but you should have had messages/alerts about some things being PCC only
Some info about how you got from Leopard to Mountain Lion would be helpful.
7:07 PM Tuesday; September 18, 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
Ralph,
I have no idea about how ichat 4.0.7 was not overwritten. I have upgraded from Leopard to Snow Leopard to Lion to Mountain Lion each time the new OS came out. Messages is there in Applications.
Hi,
For Some Apps to be updated they have to be in the place that Apple originally put them.
iChat needs to be in the Applications Folder.
It cannot be moved in to a folder within Applications such as a collective IM App folder.
As it only got to iChat 4.0.7 it suggests that either it got moved or Leopard was not Updated to OS X 10.5.8
I presume you are trying to launch the the app you need from the Dock Icon ?
I would drag that iCon off the DOCK and let go and then drag the Messages one to the DOCK (Just Drag the item from the Application Folder and it will make the iCon and the links to the App)
You can then remove iChat 4.0.7 form wherever it is.
7:44 PM Wednesday; September 19, 2012
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.1)
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
Ralph
I tried your suggestions and no luck. Unfortunately I can now not locate iChat at all in the applications folder or anywhere else. Thus any thoughts about locating the ichat menu to adjust the Bandwidth Limit is beyond my comprehension. Any thoughts?
Hi,
You don't need iChat.
It should not be on there at all.
If the iCon in the DOCK looks like this 
then it is linked to iChat 4.
You should be able to Right/Control click that and get it to "Show in Finder"
Messages looks like this 
.
Launch Messages and set Bandwidth (Same place with the Preferences)
7:45 PM Thursday; September 20, 2012
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
Mac OS X (10.6.8),
Couple of iPhones and and iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images." No, Seriously
Ralph,
Thanks for your patience. The icon in the dock is the face time icon from Mountain Lion and the messages icon is as you describe. However, when I launch Messages and go to Preferences there is no place indicating anywhere to set Bandwidth.file://localhost/Users/mtnest/Desktop/screen-capture.png. Sorry to bother you with all this
Hi,
I cannot see you pic.
You should be seeing this
7:12 PM Friday; September 21, 2012
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
Mac OS X (10.6.8),
Couple of iPhones and and iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images." No, Seriously
Ralph,
Got it-my bandwidth limit was set to none. I changed it to 500kbps. My next video chat will be Sunday night with my family. Will let you know on Monday how it turns out. Again, Many thanks
Hi,
OK.
8:19 PM Saturday; September 22, 2012
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
Mac OS X (10.6.8),
Couple of iPhones and and iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images." No, Seriously
Ralph-
Sorry about my tardiness-I tried all the settings as you suggested from 100 kbps through 2MBPS of bandwidth with no change whatsoever-the video and audio still freezes for 5 seconds intermittingly as I am video chatting-thanks for your suggestions-this is a real enigma-this does not happen when I am on face time-
Hi,
100kbps is too low for even 1-1 Video chats
Apple States 128kbps and the earlier apps would give you an absolute failure messages when it found speeds less that Dial Up Modem speed (50kbps)
Could you go to the Video Menu and open the Connection Doctor as you start a Chat.
This will tell your the Bit Rate and Frame Rate being used at both end and a visual representation of the incoming feed.
If you adjust the speed in the Bandwidth setting you will see a change in the Bit rate in the Connection Doctor (It changes relatively slowly as it is buffered to maintain and smooth changeover).
I am wondering if you will see the green bars drop to zero when the picture freezes.
7:27 PM Monday; October 1, 2012
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
Mac OS X (10.6.8),
Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images." No, Seriously
Ralph, Good to hear from you once again. I am attaching three screen shots taken just before the freeze (1) and two screen shots at times of freeze. Both audio and video freeze, Not sure what it means!! Tghanks again
Hi,
I only see 2 pics here at the moment.
Between the two "Christine's" Bitrate is varying a lot
It shows 110kbits/s difference which is about a 6th of the first pic figure or varying by about 16%
I would get "Christine" to peg her Bandwidth to 500kbps as a first step and see if the baitrate smoothes out.
If it does it may help the Buffering when it does vary - at present I would guess the variance is too dramatic for the Buffering to maintain a smooth pic.
8:27 PM Monday; October 15, 2012
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.2)
G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
Mac OS X (10.6.8),
Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images." No, Seriously
ichat freezes for 5 seconds
