Best Video Conferencing Software For Mac
CROSS-PLATFORM MAC WEBCAM CHAT APPS Connect In Real-Time To Friends With Apple Messages, iChat, Messenger, Skype, ISPQ Video Chat, Camfrog & More. Below are some of the most popular PC and Mac compatible video conferencing programs are the most widely used by Macintosh and Windows PC users. SKYPE FOR MACINTOSH WINDOWS Mac Skype, currently at Version 7.x is one of the most ubiquitous and reliable cross-platform video conferencing apps: It isn't just for free & very low-cost long distance Mac VOIP video and voice calling. Check out and download the latest which supports PC Mac Linux video chat options. Many iChatAV users experienced problems and flakiness trying to video conference with Windows AOL Instant Messenger users, so Skype is worth trying as a more reliable alternative.
Skype's ability to access and integrate your Apple Address Book contacts and search their directory for pals helps build a buddy list quickly at Skype. There's also integrated FaceBook chat with your FB friend list.
With Skype HD, high-quality video conferencing is supported on select models - so get and stay current for an optimal video call experience. APPLE FACETIME FOR MAC AND IOS With the explosion of camera enabled Apple IOS devices, along with the Macintosh's increasing market penetration, Apple's FaceTime conference app has become a formidable contender with an installed base in the hundreds of millions of iPhone, iPad and Mac OSX users. It's lack of compatibility with Windows or Andriod OS is unfortunate - but FaceTime is a global success regardless.
APPLE iCHAT AV AOL INSTANT MESSENGER iChat was preinstalled on every Mac giving it a large installed userbase. It offered great video quality and features, but LACKED COMMUNITY. You're on your own to find and build your own Pal-Buddy List from friends @aol.com and @me.com and @mac.com accounts.
But with AOL's AIM cross-platform compatibility, there's still a HUGE user-base of AOL Instant Messenger folks to chat with. Get A Free AOL ScreenName to get started.
Full support of text, voice, video and and now - file and screen-sharing with the latest OSX Leopard iChat HD version. FYI: If you get errors trying to do video chat, especially with with PC users, it's often because of Router, Firewall or Internet Security Blocking software far more common on the PC end.
Try Skype instead. CAMFROG FOR OSX AND WINDOWS Only takes minutes to download the free version of, set up an account, and start stumbling through rooms full of people around the globe! It works, it's fun, has a HUGE community of millions of users - and can be overwhelming sometimes. CamFrog for OSX makes it a little too easy to drown in overlapping windows but it's very approachable for first-time video chatters to get connected quickly. Camfrog - now at version 2.9.x works behind all firewalls, routers, and wireless networks avoiding some of the 'gotcha's' that can cause videoconferencing connection problems in homes or business.
Video Apps For Mac
It also supports video calls on iOS and Andriod handheld devices for camming on the go. ISPQ VIDEOCHAT MAC & PC Unlike many chat apps, has an INTEGRATED COMMUNITY: You can browse profiles andandand member pics, text message with still images and audio clips - and optionally video chat: 1 on 1 or Multi-party. Community is a key feature sorely missing from some other standalone Mac chat apps. Offers both 'Nice' Social as well as Frisky Adult chat rooms you can browse.
A commercial app that offers a free 21-day trial to test drive. This is a fully-featured cross-platform videoconferencing program the Apple and PC platform has - in most aspects - what iChat could have been. FYI: ISPQ's parent, NanoCom used to license out it's video conferencing code. The still VERY popular iCUii software once used it and was both Mac and Windows compatible. A fallout with NanoComm led iCUii to rewrite its app from scratch for PC-only. NanoCom morphed its code into ISPQ - and continues to provide a truly cross-platform videoconference app - for all of us.
Using Boot Camp, VM-Ware or Parallels: Mac users on Intel might try Windows PC options to give iCUii a looksee. YAHOO MESSENGER FOR MAC Recent improvements to the latest v3.0.2 version of Yahoo!
For OSX helps. The Mac version of Yahoo Messenger has a reasonably large community of users since anyone @yahoo.com can potentially video-conference. Yahoo also recently added the ability to chat with MSN folk @msn.com and @hotmail.com. And lastly, Yahoo's Messenger FINALLY supports audio during video connections; it's something that's long, long overdue. Before, you could only see and type-at other video users. MSN MESSENGER FOR MAC - DISCONTINUED For years, Microsoft MSN Messenger for Macintosh didn't supported video AT ALL.
The least capable Mac chat program; for text only and exchanging files, but had a huge userbase. For a time they added cross-platform compatibility with @yahoo.com buddies, so you can add Yahooers to your Messenger pal list now. Microsoft had added video support in the updated Messenger v8 for Mac.
Best Video Conferencing Software For Macbook Pro
Until this release there were two alternate MSN clones for Mac that try to do video; Mercury Messenger and AMSN you might want to check out. Both seems somewhat-flakey and sorta fail to deliver a commercial quality Messenger video compatible application solution. Recently, Microsoft acquired Skype and is making it the de-facto chat solution for the windows platform, so MSN Messenger has been phased-out. OoVoo VIDEO MESSAGING FOR MAC With, you can connect with anyone, anytime with video calls, phone, text and more. Some of ooVoo's features: Video Calling - connect with up to 12 people.
Friends who don't have ooVoo can video call you from their Web browser or from inside of FaceBook. Video Chat Room lets you embed a video chat in any website, blog or social network.
High Resolution Video Call Recording. Video Messages to send a greeting to multiple people at once. Like Skype, ooVoo is free for basic functions but has pay-for calling-connect features. OoVoo isn't just for Mac OSX, they also offer iOS compatibility with Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch - as well as Andriod and Windows Phone OS support. FLASH ENABLED VIDEO CHAT IN YOUR BROWSER Adobe's Flash Player Plug-In has long supported webcam and microphone capture and is used on many websites for web-based videochat rooms.
Be sure to check Flash Player's SETTINGS options to choose your particular video and microphone source. For the best web-video experience, you want to be current on the latest version of the free Flash plug-in - and Safari or Firefox. DISCONTINUED: LOGITECH VID - SIGHTSPEED FOR MAC AND PC Although acquired by webcam powerhouse Logitech - SightSpeed offered both PC/Mac versions of it's software. The free version supported 1 on 1 connections, and you could optionally pay to upgrade to multi-party versions or buy credits for US or Global IP based calling. SightSpeed was rolled into Logitech's high-quality cross-platform chat with a short lived effort called Logitech VID After failing to gain traction in the marked it was phased-out.