Apple VideoPhone supports simultaneous video and audio conferencing via a 28.8 kbps modem connection to an Internet Service Provider (ISP). A modem is not always able to connect at 28.8 kbps and will establish a connection at the highest speed it is able to attain. A continuous connection of at least 22 kbps is required to send audio and video data simultaneously. If you do not have a continuous 22 kbps or higher connection, you will be able to send audio data or video data but not both simultaneously.
Please note that performance will vary depending on several factors including the actual connection speed achieved, amount of traffic on the internet, and the speed of your computer. For best performance, follow the steps below when setting up low-bandwidth conferences over 28.8 kbps modems.
These instructions assume that you already have a properly installed and configured 28.8 kbps modem and an ISP account you can access.
1. Launch Apple VideoPhone.
2. Select "Preferences..." from the "Edit" menu.
3. Select the "Audio/Video" tab from the Preferences dialog box.
4. Click and hold the "Automatic Setup" popup menu and select "Manual Setup".
5. Select the "Send audio when using MovieTalk protocol" check box.
7. Select the "Send Video when using MovieTalk protocol" check box.
8. Select "H.263" video compression and set the "Compression Quality :" slider to a value between 25 and 50 (or below 25 if internet traffic is heavy).
9. Select the "Limit to ___f/s" check box and set the frames per second to a value of 1.
10. Deselect the "Use frame differencing" check box.
11. Close the Preferences window by clicking "OK".
12. Resize the video window to the Half Size.
13. Connect to your ISP. If you use the Apple Internet Dialer close the Internet Status window to improve performance. Closing this window may produce a dialog box which states "Do you want to stay connected to the Internet?" Choose "Yes".
14. Place a call to another computer which is similarly configured.
15. Closing the Chat, Shared Files and Shared Whiteboard windows will also improve performance.
IMPORTANT: If the default video settings for Apple VideoPhone are used, the video data will preempt the audio data and only video will be sent.
Setting the compression quality or frames per second too high may result in abrupt termination of both the conference and the ISP connection. If your connection information in the self-view or remote-view drops to 0 f/s and 0 Kb/s, termination is imminent.
Connecting during peak use hours may result in slow video or garbled audio due to heavy traffic on the internet. Connecting when internet traffic is lighter will provide better performance and a more reliable connection.
