My wife is deaf and so uses a video phone a lot. One thing to note is that the video quality is really amazing -- the webcam / iChat versions are getting better and better, but the Sorenson/D-link video (D-link produces the hardware) that connects directly into your DSL line and your TV is phenomenal -- perfectly smooth to the extent that you can sign, finger spell, and all sorts of stuff right there with no noticeable delay.
-Greg Greg Edwards CEO & Founder, Eyetools Inc. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 916.792.4538 -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of David Drucker Sent: Friday, May 30, 2008 11:15 AM To: IxDA Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] Why haven't video calls taken off The fact is, for us, Video Calls, "took off' quite some time ago, but they have a particular time, place and function: We have a weekly video conference with my parents, who are on the opposite coast from my wife and I. We have a large screen, good speakers and fast, relatively reliable Internet speed. We use iChat AV and the quality is superb - most of the time the session is full-screen with little or no delay, so, we sit down with coffee and chat with them as if they were across the living room coffee table. Like many communication mediums, there is a time and place. We've found over the years that video calls are perfect for a weekly chat that is more social in nature. Now that we can share photos and even screens at times, we've also used it to update them on what we did during the week, and I sometimes can help in a technical issue for my father. I think that this scheduled, emotion-centric weekly 'reunion' makes more sense than using videoconferencing for an ad hoc, quick business call with a stranger. As Wittgenstein said, "Don't ask for the meaning, ask for the use." -David D. ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
