Breaking Windows : Odd iSight Behavior

Odd iSight Behavior

Maybe odd is not the correct term. Once is odd, but three times? That is just strange. Dad brought home an iSight so we could talk, and see, each other in iChat. But at first I could not hear my dad's audio, just his video. After about 5 minutes I opened up System Preferences, because dad asked if there was a software update he should run, and so I opened System Preferences. It was not until I opened Software Update until I could hear dad. No Joke. We talked for about an hour or so, and then the audio dropped again. I opened Software Update, and the audio came back. Now I did not actually run software update, I just opened the prefPane. That was yesterday. Tonight we started a video chat and the same thing happened. I got no audio, though my dad could hear me fine. So the first thing I do is go to the Software Update window. Sure enough his audio kicks in. I do not understand this, but it happened 3 times. Weird man, weird!

Posted by Ken Edwards on November 19, 2003 8:41 PM

Comments (6)

Dave Rogers:

Two things to try:

First, throttle your bandwidth in iChat Prefs by selecting the Video panel and changing your bandwidth limit to 100k. Most cable modems offer asymmetric bandwidth, and your outgoing bandwidth is a mere fraction of your incoming bandwidth. On Comcast, I sometimes get as little as 128kbps, and Comcast says this is within their terms of service. Have the party you're chatting with try the same thing.

It effectively lowers your frame-rate and resolution, but the picture is still excellent, and there is very little artifacting even when a subject is in motion.

Second, if your connection starts out good, but then you lose audio or it starts breaking up, click on the mute button (icon with a microphone with a slash through it), then click on it again to un-mute. Un-muting seems to force a re-sync of the audio stream and solves many audio related problems.

Posted by Dave Rogers | November 20, 2003 11:13 AM

Posted on November 20, 2003 11:13

Ken Edwards:

Dave, both very good points. But my bit rate, as well as my fathers, are throttled.

Thanks for the info about the mute, un mute, I have never heard of this, but will try it next time.

Posted by Ken Edwards | November 20, 2003 11:26 AM

Posted on November 20, 2003 11:26

Glenn Twiggs:

I've read of other (non- iSight) problems being solved by opening the Software Update window. I wish I could remember where. The explanation provided was that Software Update *does something* to reduce background processor utilization so that foreground tasks get more of the processor. I know this doesn't help fix the problem, but may give you another thread to follow.

Posted by Glenn Twiggs | December 11, 2004 3:53 PM

Posted on December 11, 2004 15:53

Ken Edwards:

Glenn, opening the Software Update window fixed our problems, every time.

Posted by Ken Edwards | December 12, 2004 4:15 AM

Posted on December 12, 2004 04:15

alberto:

can you help me?
How can I use Isight in Windows XP?
Thanks
Bye

Posted by alberto | April 7, 2005 6:24 PM

Posted on April 7, 2005 18:24

Ken Edwards:

alberto - If i was going to be a smart ass, and I am, I would say try that really cool thing called Google.