DadAgain

Ok - not the usual question - but I know there are a few skype fanbois out there so I thought I'd ask.

I know how to communicate with folks back home, our regular phone calls are free and untimed and we've experimented with occasional video hook-ups via skype.

BUT...

One of the problems as I see it with a skype video conversation is that trying to crowd a few people around a laptop simply because its where the camera, microphone and screen are is a bit inconvenient...

I already have a beautiful set up in the living room where people can sit on comfy couches and stare at a screen in the living room - so in theory adding a camera to the media centre and running skype on it would be a doddle - but although I'm confident that a half decent web-cam would handle people sitting 10ft away - I'm not so sure whether the microphones in such a device can handle picking up conversation across the room without being crippled by feedback from the standard 5.1 speaker configuration that would be used for the audio link...

Anyone got any experience of this kind of setup? Does a $100 webcam handle it or - is this impossible without getting a decent microphone?

Kooky.

I don't think you're talking about Skype on your TV (I'm not very technical) but our newish one has it and The Geek got a webcam made for this purpose. Both are Panasonic. It works fine from the sofa across the room.

Might be worth seeing if you can get something similar.

Oh look I found a pic. It's fugly so I won't let him leave it on the telly. I'd rather not even have the telly, TBH.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/20/p...ly-because-it/

DadAgain

Well yes and no - I wasnt talking having any software running on the TV per se (which as far as I can tell without reading too much of the detail is what the Panasonic there is doing) - but at the moment my Sony Bravia is used almost exclusively to show whatever is output from the media centre PC. Theres absolute no reason why I cant run a skpe client on the media centre PC - effectively giving me skype on our main TV... ( and yes I'd need a fugly camera sitting on top of the TV)

silver

We have a panasonic like seasider and it has an inbuilt skype client (the panasonic camera is evidently designed to be used on the tv in the living room). As for using a media centre it shouldn't be a problem as you could even use seperate microphones if you wish and you can get some pretty good audio conf. kit out there.

Gjn200

I run WMC on the tv with Skype, no problems at all with feedback etc. With a $40 web cam.