Skype for Mac with Video is here
You’ve been asking for it, and the whole Mac team has been working on it for a very long time. Finally it’s here.
Skype for Mac 2.0 Beta. Now with free video calling.
Now you can make free one-to-one video calls to all your Mac buddies as well as all your Windows loving friends. Download it now and call those far flung relatives and long forgotten friends for a real face to face catch-up.
You can see the video in the Skype window or even full screen. Even if only one party on the call has a webcam, the video is still shown to the other party. And if you both have a camera, you get a great picture-in-picture effect. You can even see how you look to the other party in a small side window, always handy to make sure your mascara hasn’t run and your toupee is still in place.
Download the Skype Video profile picture to let everyone know that Skype Video for Mac has arrived so they can call you and see your smiling face.
Get the new Skype for Mac 2.0 beta here and tell us what you think.
What’s new in this version? You’ve released skype for mac with video 2 months ago.
I must agree with korovka. What’s new in the 2.0 version that wasn’t in the 1.5 version.
hmm.. agree with korovka +1
There is a difference between preview version of a software and a beta version.
Skype Video Preview version was not even publicly announced – it was linked from blogs/forums, because we knew that it had performance/stability issues and therefore we did not advocate it to wider user base. It was in our interest to have it tested out by the users who have more experience with computers and who can report on problems that might arise with it, just like… well.. you folks, the readers of this blog and more avid fans of Skype for Mac.
Beta version is now publicly promoted as we have spent a lot of time and effort to improve the stability of it and are confident that it is suitable also for less experienced and tech-savvy users. And this all was possible because we had the Preview out and got very useful feedback about it.
Hope this explains the difference.
Priidu,
Skype
Thanks for the video version, great
Now, if only Skype would provide SMS support in the Mac client, or at least, provide a web interface for it. At least it should be a lot easier to implement than the video stuff…
Any chance we will see this soon?
Skype 2 looks nice! But before you go on adding other features:
Im using skypeIN and the calls is beeing directed to my mailbox after three signals.. thats to fast for me to answer… the thing is, in the mac-version of skype, you cant set how long it will take before a call goes to voicemail, and this makes my skypeIN worthless to use…
Uh, this is a crashy little mother on my iBook G3. (Yes, I know the system req’s. But iChat AV works just fine with the same machine.)
Here’s how things go wrong: It runs fine, more or less, as a chat client. Audio chats are also good.
But to kill it instantly, all I have to do is go to Preferences and click on Video. I get a quick, single-frame still shot from my iSight. Then Skype goes away.
I’d love for this to work. But it doesn’t.
Hello there. I really appreciate your work and I thank you for it. However, I would like to point out that the new 2.0 version still has some reliability problems. I had been using the preview version for a while and the problem is similar. It works great 90% of the time but then it crashes unexpectedly while doing random things. Not only during video-calls but also while trying to send chat messages.All of this on a brand new MacBook. I will try with 1.5 Gold and see if things are better. In any case, thanks for all your work.
Thanks for making it to a Beta stage! Keep up the hard work! But I must 2nd some of the other comments… the Beta seems to crash randomly on all of my macs (macbook, powerbook g4, powermac g5). But, it seems to work longer than the “video preview” version did…. so you’re on the right track! I hope the 2.0 stable release will be almost perfect. If there’s any sort of diagnostic data or info that would help you guys resolve this issue, please don’t hesitate to contact me or post info on how we can all do it!
Now the REALLY useful/valuable/powerful thing would be if you could enable Skype to sign me in to MSN Messenger AS WELL so that I don’t have to run two clients on my Mac. I have to use Adium for MSN Messenger and Skyp for Skype! Wastes system resources and I’d rather use skype! What do you reckon??
Since downloading the Skype video version (Mac), my contacts appear as offline even when they are online, and I appear as offline to them when in fact I am online. When I try to call a contact I get a message that that contact can’t be found.
All the phone numbers of my contacts have disappeared from my Skypeout Contact list also.
I use an Apple Airport Express router,with its Firewall.
What’s the workaround to solve these problems?
I’m having problems I am using ICHATUSB to enable my USB logitech 4000 camera to work however the microphone works but they can’t see me ! I have checked the camera settings and eevrything seems OK. Should I use this software or the software you recommend on your site to work with my camera ?
Thank you for the beta version for mac
I am using Intel i Mac OSX 10.4.7 Cant get broadband here as too remote use ISDN 128bps … talked to UK last nite video worked but froze from time to time and Skype quit a couple of times as well ….5.5 million on skype at the time still its early days and Skype can only get better
Hi “Skype for mac” team!
Thanks for the beta version.
I’m glad we have video now! What I noticed is that the program crashes when I’m in a video conference and chatting at the same time. Other that that it’s great!
Thanks again and I hope you make it work more stable.
Thanks for Skype for Mac beta. I have a difficulty, however: if I add a contact where the username ends by “-”, such as “foobar-”, Skype records the username without the “-”. In the example above, the user with the name “foobar-” would be recorded in my skype as “foobar”. Which means that if I try to call “foobar-”, Skype will calle “foobar” instead.
Ohh, and yes, I have friends who have skypenames ending with “-”. Please don’t tell me that the solution is to get new friends
It worked in the earlier non-video-versions of Skype, though….any thoughts?
I am using Skype for Mac 2.0 Beta. It works and a big thankyou for making it available. But, I would really like to know some very simple basics: What icons mean in windows. What is Bonjour? A clear explanation of all menu items. Basically all the simple interface stuff that I see and need to deal with: icons in History window.
Really, I would like one of those screen captures with little arrows and explanations pointing to all the different icons in lists and corners. Some are obvious. Some are not. I hope someone can help.
Got my new MacBook this week and downloaded Beta 2.0, I’ve been using Skype for a year on my PC. Just talked to my sister across the Atlantic for my first call, and Skype crashed a total of 4 times in about 35 minutes. I had to restart the program, sign in, redial, etc. each time. Also- had random bouts of loud static and the only way to fix it was to pause and then restart the video call. This also happened from the PC last time we talked- could this be in one of our internet connections? I am really glad you have created Skype w/ video for Mac… hope you can work out the bugs- how can we help as users? I did send an error report one of the times it crashed- does that make its way to you or just to my computer?
It seems that a lot of people are having trouble with this beta version. My freinds and family use PC machines and just take the michael out of me when I try to call them using video. All I can see is their icon above a picture of me being captured from my iSight. They can’t see me at all and the sound is always garbled! My Powerbook is only a year old so I can’t see that it’s the machines’ problem. I would really like this to work as my family live abroad and it would be nice to see them. It’s a great idea but it needs to work properly or people will become frustrated.
I bought an iSight especially so that I could do video but most people ask me not to do it because it slows up the whole commuication process and the speech is sometimes delayed [best] or garbled like dial-up [worst]. Hope you can get this right soon as everyone expects it
I have an 800mhz G4 ibook and have just downloaded Skype Beta 2.0. I need a webcam, any suggestions? Also, is my machine going to handle the requirements?
This (BETA) is great – for feed in. But it seems there are now no webcams for older Macs (the iSight camera has been withdrawn and was ludicously expensive anyway). I did download some free software from ‘macam’ that claimed to support Logitech QuickCam for Notebooks Deluxe but can’t get it working (“Status: No camera”). Why doesn’t Skype shop stock a Mac-compatible webcam?? So, I can only award it 5/10 – sorry.
The Beta looks great, i can use the video without any problems on my iMac intel. Is there anyway to change the resolution mode? My friend web cam is very poor, his face is like in Gaussian blur mode, LOL .
I agree with Henrygough-cooper. New release seems to work fine, but it’s very annoying to release a video version for Mac without listing a single webcam in your store.
It seems to work OK, but the webcam must be plugged in before Skype is started. I tend to use my laptop wherever I want to be, and go grab the cam when I get a video call. Then I have to restarted Skype and wait for them to call back. Not so good.
henrygough, I’m using MacAlly icecam and it works like a charm. It’s just a cheapo cam, no great quality, but it works.
I’m using it to talk to a friend overseas. It works fine windowed on my G4 700 save some random crashes, but when I try to fullscreen it crashes. I know requirements are 800MHz, but iChat does it very well with much less than 700.
Yes, thanks for getting this out there guys. I have a G5 imac and all seems fine, apart from the occasional pause in the video streaming, sound stays okay. Any one else ran into this problem? I’m assuming it’s Skype specific as the webcam is fine on other apps. If you’re looking for a mac web cam, I recommend going to ebay and looking for one, I found loads and paid about £5 for mine….
Hello! Well, after testing skype for mac beta 2.0 i returned to the version 1.5.0.80 because of several problems with the beta version:
1) if I add or try to call a contact where the username ends by “-”, such as “skypename-”, Skype records the username without the “-”. In the example above, the user with the name “skypename-” would be recorded in my skype as “skypename”. Which means that if I try to call “skypename-”, Skype will call “skypename” instead.
2) my skype-online-status changes to “offline” after some minutes i launched skype. for my friends i am “offilne” but my skype here on my mac claims to be online (green status).
3) incoming calls sometimes do NOT “ring” or incoming calls “ring” only one time.
4) after returning to the version 1.5.0.80 all described bugs (1-3) still exist. THAT is strange! wha?
PLEASE MTV… äh SKYPE: PIMP MY SKYPE TO RELEASE 2.0 without any bugs we need the next update quick!
Hello. Thank you for creating Skype with video support for Macintosh. Is there any possibility to get SMS into the Skype version for the Macintosh?
I have to use a PC when I want to send SMS via SkypeOUT to my family and friends. Is it possible to add it please?
Thank you in advance!
Ivan
Have been using the Beta Video for about a month. To date have not experienced the raft of issues that are listed here. However, I do have tremendous issues with the random static. I think at most I can only speak for about 5 minutes without having to hangup and redial. AND five minutes is good. there are times when it is every minute or so. Using a MacBook Pro 2.1G.
I’m new to the SKYPE world. My family live in Ireland and it was great to have my mother join my 2 yr old sons birthday via Skype video this weekend, Thanks guys it made my mother’s day to watch the party from thousands of miles away. For everyone looking for a camera for their older Mac’s I just bought the “image” web-cam, works great.
The only issue I seem to have is that i get a whistling sound while on video conference. Not sure how to fix it. Overall I love it, love it ,love it
Glad to see Mac users are now getting noticed
Hello all.
One of the above posters mentioned that they were using their digital camera as a video host.
I have a Canon PowerShot A640… brand new 2006/07 camera, and Skype doesn’t recognize it when I connect via firewire. Any suggestions??
Stand up and shout if you know!
Thanks in advance.
PB G4 1.33ghz, 2gb ram.
I have not used Skype yet – but hope to use it for a rather unusual purpose. I want to use Skype video to connect to a remote, unattended, computer so that I can view the video remotely for security reasons. Can anyone tell me if this can be done?
I have a MacBookPro – when I make video calls with Skype, I can only see myself, not the other party. The other party has a PC with an external camera set up and can see my image when I call, but I can’t see them. How can I solve this problem?
HELP!
thanks, Karolyn
PLEASE, who can help me?? I have an old Mac OS X 10.3.9 with only 550 MHz.
So the only Skypeversion who is ok for also Video is the older Version 2.0.0.6
it is not possible to find a download of this version somewhere, not under google and not on skypeside.. Has somebody the Installer for this version and could send it to me at andreina@gmx.net??
Thank you all
i have a macbookpro, and my cousin has a pc, but on her pc she can take pictures of the other party, can i also do that with my mac. or is that feature unavailable for me?