IChat requirements

Hi everyone,
I just bought a 20" iMac. Has the built in iSight camera. I have a "stupid" question. Do you have to have a .Mac account or AOL account to used the iChat feature, or is there another way to use the camera feature? I am new to the Mac world so any help is appreciated.
20" iMac Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Nope! iChat is free to use. Just go to aim.com and create an AIM screen name to use with iChat. Have fun!
Glen

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Why does my iChat require a login keychain?

there's this thing that comes up whenever i try to login "messages can't log in to (my username) because your login ID or password is incorrect". It then prompts me to fill out a password. I have tried entering my apple ID, my actual computer password, as well as my old iChat password. There is also a box asking if i want to "remember this password in my keychain". None of the passwords that i try work though.

On your computer, OS X is set up to ask for the password when your iMac goes to sleep or the screensaver appears. To solve this, open System Preferences > Security & General > General, and untick "Require password after sleep or screen saver begins"

How Can I Set Up iChat in Tiger?

Hello. How can I set up iChat in OS X Tiger? I don't have a .Mac account, or a .Me account, but I do have an iCloud account and an Apple ID. How can I use these to set up iChat?

Hi, I'm not sure icloud account works with 10.4.11, but you can get a free AOL/AIM account that will work...
Creating a new AIM ID
If your system cannot be upgraded to OS X 10.7.2 or later, you can create a new AIM ID to use with your current version of OS X by following these steps:
Create a new AIM ID from the AOL website.
Add this new account to iChat by following the instructions in this article.
After setting up your AIM account in iChat, Open iChat preferences.
Click the Accounts button in the preferences window, then select your new AIM account from the list of accounts.
Click the Server Settings tab and make sure that the option to use SSL is selected for your new AIM account.
Close the iChat preferences window.
Creating a new Apple ID requires you to re-add your buddies to your new buddy list. Re-add your buddies to your by following the instructions in this article.
Remove your old mac.com account from iChat preferences.
OS X: Using me.com or mac.com IDs with AIM in iChat requires OS X v10.7.2 or later - Apple Support

Inconsistent iChat connectivity

I've recently set up iSight/iChat configurations on 3 family machines, and have had a very patchy experience getting the audio and video to work. Two configurations are Mac Mini/iSight/LCD TV; one is a MacBookPro. All three devices connect to the internet through one of two wireless routers (one Mini and the Pro in one house in Tucson, the other Mini at my parents in the UK).
iChat enables perfect video chat between the pro and each mini when on their respective LAN. However, connecting between the two minis, or between the pro and the remote mini is temperamental. Without changing any settings, we can get either fully functioning video and audio, or video without audio, or 'insufficient bandwidth' errors, or even 'failed to respond errors' between the same two machines at different times. Full function is less than 10% of the time (i.e., 3 times in about 40 attempts).
All machines are on 10.4.7, and have latest firmware as of Jul30. Internal firewalls are off. Wireless routers are residential gateways so should have no third party firewall. Speed tests are showing approx 7000 down/1000 up for the US connection, and 1200 down/250 up for the UK connection.
We have tried various of the fixes posted on this and other help boards, with varying success. The best success has been to delete preferences, reboot the entire machine, set Quicktime to lowest possible streaming (i.e., dial up speed) and hope for the best - though this still often gets an 'insufficient bandwidth' error or video without sound.
I have not yet tried isolating the router by going ethernet straight to the cable modems.
Anyone got any suggestions or similar stories? What is perplexing is that the function varies so much - it isn't a completely consistent failure, but nor does the problem seem to be truly resolved. My best guess is that there is a fluctuating bandwidth problem - either in iChat requiring more than it claims, or in one of our connections being weaker than the speed tests are showing.

Thanks for the advice yesterday.
Today I tried with my father again, and viewed connection doctor throughout. The results were as follows:
1) we could get audio to work first time, showing a bitrate ~25 - 35 KB/sec
2) we got video working first time on two occasions, but with audio quality of 0%. As with yours and my conversation yesterday, my b/r fluctuated from occasional lows of ~90 up to 700, with about 70% of the time between 200 and 500. My fathers bitrate also fluctuated, but from as low as 35 up to about 250, and nearly half the time he was under 100. This I guess is the key to the problem. Though when we first initiated we had 400 and 180 respectively, and there was still no audio. At no time did audio quality go any higher than 0%.
Is there any reason audio should bail so easily and so completely? We're going to talk to our respective ISPs to see if they can explain and/or improve on the connection rate, and also try bypassing the wireless router leg to see if that helps.
I'll let you know how we fare...
Thanks again,
DT

IChat & iCal can't authenticate to Lion Server 10.7.2

I've enabled iChat and iCal Server through our local 10.7.2 Server which has DNS set up correctly. I can add the server account via a client's System Preferences (under other - Mac OS X server) and it authenticates with my shortname correctly.
However, when I load iCal or iChat, I get this error message:
iChat can't login to servername.ourdomain.co.nz because your login ID or password is incorrect.
Where the account is [email protected]
The password and username is correct.
Console throws this error:
>22/11/11 3:03:31.135 PM imagent: [Warning] XMPPConnection: Error: Error Domain=XMPPErrorDomain Code=105 "The operation couldn�t be completed. (XMPPErrorDomain error 105.)" UserInfo=0x7f81bbe2a3e0 {XMPPErrorText=service requested for unknown domain}
DNS is set up correctly and we are using a FQDN to connect (it's working for Profile Management, Software Update Server and Web Services) but I can't get iChat or iCal to work correctly.
How can I get clients to authenticate?
I have also asked this question on Serverfault, here: http://serverfault.com/questions/333468/ichat-and-ical-cant-authenticate-to-lion -server-10-7-2

Where are you adding these users? You should be adding them on the Lion SERVER, in the server app, under Accounts -> Users. I presume you are running open directory?
I am adding them on the Lion Server, under Accounts -> Users.
The usernames have no domain in them. So, example name might be steve. When you are adding a new user on the lion server through serverapp, the user name shown in the box that says "Account Name" is what goes in the user name fields in iCal and address book. Those are added by adding a new account within iCal or Address Book app on the client.
I'm only using the short name to add the accounts on the Lion client. However, both iCal and iChat require a FQDN as part of the login - they amend @servername.domain.co.nz as part of the account. This is normal behavior for both iChat and iCal on Lion Server.
"I can add the server account via a client's System Preferences (under other - Mac OS X server)". Where!? I don't see any other - Mac OS X server on any client. I assume Mac clients? Are you doing Lion server network accounts? Local accounts?
Anyway, the name that is the user name is the short name. There is no domain part. So, not sure why you have a domain part to the name. The domain gores in the server address in address book or iCal.
You're correct - you only add the shortname in the client's system preferences, but iChat and iCal add the FQDN part to the login.
Here is what the dialogue box that I am talking about on the client:

IChat video conference corporate firewall help please!

Hi Folks,
I'm trying to get an iChat video conference going, and I keep getting the pesky Error -8 problem. Here's the info i have:
- My computer is an intel iMac. The other computer is an intel MacBook Pro, both have all software updates installed and built-in iSight cameras.
- I am behind a corporate firewall. The other computer is not, but is on a very speedy internet connection.
- Both mac firewalls are completely off.
- I had corporate IT disable the firewall on the IP address of this computer (not even just the proper ports, but entirely disable it), and it's still giving me connection errors.
Anybody got any idea what the heck I can do to get these computers to play nice?
Thanks!
Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Hi loudguitars,
Welcome to the Apple Discussions
I apologise for any delay in getting to you.
iChat requires that ports are open in a modem or any interveening router. This is in addition to any Firewall the device may have.
These same ports need opening in any router or modem.
In addition to this the System Preferences > Quicktime > Streaming tab speed setting neds to match your download speed or a max of 1.5Mb/T1/Intranet/LAN if you are faster.
This will sometimes return error 8 although error 22 is more likely.
Error 8 effectively tells you that the connection can not be made because the ports are not open.
This in itself can be because of NAT problems.
IF you have a Router and a separate moem that both use NAT (Port Forwarding, Port Triggering or DMZ) in combo at your end or yor Buddy does there will be problems. The Log tells you little as to which problem it actually is.
If your ISP offers a VoIP service it may block port 5060 until you pay for their service. (Many ISPs believe only Internet phone services use this protocol).
In further addition if you and your Buddy have not Used NAT more than once at your respective ens it can be that if you are both still using a method that involves NAT that the two devices still don't "Play Nicely" due to the fact there are about 6 different ways of doing NAT and you may have two device that just don't get on.
If you have UPnP then use that.
Note: If the ISP NATs the service to you (normally with NON static, DHCP issued IP addresses) then this will count as One NAT at your end.
Apple did change iChat to version 3.1.5 with the 10.4.7 update. It was supposed to help in this area but I would say they moved in the wrong direction.
If you have a modem that has QUality of Service (QoS) or Denial of Service Attack protection and the settings for this are something you can alter then consider increasing that size of the amount of data that can get through as this can impinge of iChat due to the amount of data in a Video conference.
12:28 PM Wednesday; August 2, 2006

IChat screen sharing under Leopard; do all Mac need to be running Leopard?

Or will it work even if they are running Tiger, as long as I'm running Leopard? Note that this feature is new, I believe, with Leopard. Also, how is this feature different from Apple's Remote Desktop utility?
Thanks!
Bruce

Screen sharing via iChat requires that both machines to be on Leopard. You can connect and run another Tiger machine on the same network by connecting to it. You need to set/turn on the Apple Remote Desktop option from the System Preferences/Sharing on the Macs running Tiger. You then should be able to control the Tiger mac from the leopard machine. I don't think it will work the other way.
Message was edited by: Anastassios T

Trouble with my Sony TRV-38 and iChat

I have a Sony TRV-38 Mini DV and it won't set up correctly with my "Video" in iChat... it wont even recognize it. I have a 17" powerbook (1.5ghz) and im connecting it directly with a USB cable. Both camerah & Memory mode will not work. Whats the problem? It talks to my mac when i put a memory stick in it while in memory mode... but thats it. NO VIDEO!!!!
Also... is it true that it will damage my camcorder? and if so WHY!!!!!!! it seems stupid to me.

Hi Richard,
Welcome to the Apple Discussion Pages.
I see the TRV-38 is not on this list http://www.apple.com/macosx/upgrade/camcorders.html
Does this mean it does not have Firewire ?
iChat require a DV input but some USB cameras can work with this utility http://www.ecamm.com/mac/ichatusbcam/
Also if the Camera is On and has a tape in it the tape can become stretched. Many cams have anti-stretch feature that kick in after a few seconds when in camera mode.
You should have a set up that will allow a pic to be sent a TV or VCR so that you can record there instead of recording on the Cam itself. (i.e Camera mode but not Record and Not Playback).
On many devices the tape can be taken out and the door shut.
Ralph

My iChat isn't working

All rigt I have been through this before. I am almost positive its my isps problem because I have asked everyone who has the sam e ISP to try it and it hasn't worked yet.
The videos aren't connecting

Hi,
It can depend on where you live.
Many rural areas a long way from town centers and the telephone exchange can make it difficult to either get decent phone lines good enough for DSL Internet connections or even a capable phone line at all (landline).
The same can be true of a Cable company.
There are inherent issues withe point to point WiFi similar to what you have.
For some internet protocols there is a back and forth process. The receiving server has to respond to certain packets and say it has received them before any more are sent. This can be fine for some as they do tend to speed up as they go.
However iChat requires that things are a lot faster then that for Video chat requiring an Instant On response.
This is even worse for Satellite connections. Here the latency can almost certainly make iChat Video impossible without specialist or specific arrangements. (it is possible to get services from the ISP that mask the delay (latency) by pretending it has received confirmation about packet delivery and continue as if more will be following.
For Land based options, particularly cable I would avoid Comcast and Road Runner.
Both these companies tend to manage their Bandwidth streaming in an effort to combat Peer to Peer File Sharing apps. Unfortunately iChat Video send s a lot of Data on a Peer to Peer basis (you can actually Log out of a Buddy List and continue the video) and can suffer because the stream gets slower and slower.
this is somewhat complicated by the Node based set up of cable connections.
You can consider it more like a LAN in that the service is then shared between several people and it can be effected by the business of your node. So it may not be just down to your Internet use, ut that of your neighbours as well.
I live in the UK and my answer is based on the posts over the last 6 years or so in the iChat 2 and 3 Forums where regular posts about these ISPs crop up.
iChat is limited by the Upload speed you have.
Try to make sure this is 500kbps or more as an ideal. Certainly better than 256k.
Apple state the minimum is 100k for an Video chat but this tends to be at the lower end of picture quality and frame rates.
Having said that the System Preferences > Quicktime > Streaming setting bears a direct effect on this. The Automatic setting is read by iChat as only 384k and could be limiting any speed you do have. It should be set at 1.5Mbps and iChat restarted if open.
For some ISPs that do practice bandwidth management, setting the Bandwidth limit in iChat > Preferences > Video section to 500kbps can help "Sneak under their radar" as it were (sometime as low as 200k), so it is not always a dead end option to use them.
What some ISPs do now is offer VoIP services (using a Landline or Internet Phone over the internet). This can be using a special phone, or adapter or router that has a phone socket as well as Ethernet ports for your equipment side of things. (in addition to any DSL phone line connection).
This tends to mean that they block port 5060-5063 which are reserved for SIP the protocol for such connection and what iChat 2 and 3 use to make Video and Audio only connections. On the whole these SIP ports used to be available and it is a money making thing that has caused the change. Often the company does not tell you. If you have received no notification they can often reopen them for free.
iChat 4 has changed the port that this happens on to port 16402 as first choice.
However some DSL ISPs use Thomson-Alcatel modems (usually combined Modem/Router with Wifi devices) that force SIP back to port 5060 and can mess things up again.
Summary.
Avoid Satellite
Avoid any sort of Wifi from your house to internet.
Try to pick an ISP that does not practice Data Stream Management.
Avoid those that offer VoIP services (it should not effect Leopard/iChat 4 but you may have other computers)
Avoid ISPs that offer Thomson-Alcatel devices - preferably get one that will allow you to either select your modem or even install your own choice.
Hope this helps.
12:54 PM Monday; July 27, 2009

Messages and ichat is not allowing me to video chat or download/upload files.

I have installed and reinstall the latest version of ichat and had downloaded messages beta, but neither will not alllow me to video chat or download/share files. Anytime I initiate the video chat, and the person on the other end accepts, I will either get a message saying that my invite has been declined, or I will receive a communication error message. When the other person on the other end initiates the video chat, the quality is very poor. It cannot be because of internet speed because this also occurs over my schools network. When a person tries to send me a file and I click to download it, it always give the message "Disconnected". My current operating system is Lion with all the software updates, my firewall is off, my internet speed is good, I have mentioned that I have installed the latest version of both (i downloaded messages beta because I thought it would solve my ichat problem, to no avail) and I am able to do these on other programs,(e.g skype and gchat). Help anyone?

Hi,
Exactly what is your Upload and Download Internet speeds ?
"Good" for where you live may not be adequate in the "Real World" scheme of things.
iChat requires at least 128kbps Upload to be able to Video Chat.
This is 128kbps of "free Speed" (Bandwidth) that is not being taken by sharing the connection with other computers or Wifi able devices such as iPads and iPhone (or other phones).
You can add to this that your computer also should not have another app eating into that bandwidth
As Downloads are generally faster than Uploads, I am only really worried about the Upload.
It would also help to know if you are using a Jabber ID (GoogleTalk, Facebook or other Jabber) or an AIM login (AIM, @mac.com or @me.com) and on what platform your Buddy is using.
I ask this as different people report different issues with File Transfers according to account type (and it is not consistent across the different types).
In whichever app you are using currently go to the app Menu > Preferences > Video Section and set the bandwidth Limit to 500kbps
This may help "Smooth out" any issues to do with your ISP varying the speed a lot.
9:52 PM Thursday; June 21, 2012
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

IChat imagent issues

Has anyone found a real fix to iChat on Lion - the imagent thing?
Everytime I want to use iChat I have to open Activity Monitor and force quick imagent, then re-open ichat and click the squggle to connect.
It's really annoying.
This is happening on my 2011 MacBook Pro and 2008 Mac Pro, both were upgraded from Leopard to Snow Leopard to Lion. A wipeout and reinstall is not an option, and really shouldn't be required. I have followed all steps I have found to check permissions and delete plist files and stuff.
Any permanent fixes or help would be appreciated. Thanks!

My sister has been having the same issue for about 10 days. Today I helped her solve her problem.
"In iChat Preferences>Accounts>YourAimAccount?Server settings, is the server...
login.oscar.aol.com
Port: 5190?"
I had her change her settings to the following and immediately she was able to reconnect:
api.oscar.aol.com
Port 443
Also, I heard that as of June 30, ichat was being upgraded. Perhaps this is the cause of the problem. My sister and I are both running 10.8.5. My settings (which were never disconnected) were what I told her to change to (from the settings "login.oscar.aol.com port 5190). There is a support website here:
OS X: Using me.com or mac.com IDs with AIM in iChat requires OS X v10.7.2 or later
Hope this helps.
Cayleen

Ichat and AIM error

I can open ichat, but whenever I try to log in, it says that there was an error connecting to AIM. The message is:
Auth:BadDbStatus
Desiree

Hi Desiree,
This might be a port problem.
iChat requires to log on to the AIM servers on port 5190 on the TCP protocol.
It also require the the UDP protocol is open for the same port for the Buddy list Database to be accessed.
This is most likely where the problem is.
7:18 PM Friday; March 10, 2006

IChat Does not recognise my Sony handycam. help

iChat does not recognise my Sony Handycam and says no Camera is attached. However if I have imovies open my camera works and iChat says Camera is in use. What do i need to do to get the video working on iChat.
Can anybody help me.
Thanks.
Julian.

Hi jhodge,
Welcome to the Apple Discussion Pages.
Is it in this list http://www.apple.com/macosx/upgrade/camcorders.html ?
iChat requires a DV input where as iMovie can see almost anything from TV signals, mpegs to DV.
Does the camera output in DV (even if it is Firewire) ?
Can it be changed on the camera if not ?
This Utility has helped with some DV cams that put out mpegs and others that are USB
http://www.ecamm.com/mac/ichatusbcam/
Ralph

Screen Sharing and Video Chat

Hi! I have 2 computers right next to eachother, and I felt like testing out the new Video Effects and Screen Sharing abilities of Leopard.
So, I logged on to each of the computers in iChat (with 2 different accounts), and attempted to do this. However, whenever I attempt to Video Conference or Share Screen, I get an error, saying the other person (the one that accepted the request), cancelled the conference.
So what's up with that?!
I am sorry if this isn't clear, and I will post back with any additional info you need.
Thanks!

iChat requirements
* Audio chats require a microphone and a 56-Kbps Internet connection.
* Video chats require an iSight camera (built-in or external), USB video class (UVC) camera, or FireWire DV camcorder; and 128-Kbps upstream and downstream Internet connection.
* Photo Booth and backdrop effects require an Intel Core Duo or faster processor.
* Backdrop effects when using a DV camcorder require fixed focus, exposure, and white balance.
* Some iChat features offer better performance and quality with higher system capabilities.
More details
More Details went here
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306687
The Tables can not be reproduced in the Discussions.
7:31 PM Monday; October 29, 2007
Message was edited by: Ralph Johns (UK)

Pdf email sent verification

How do you know when you set up a pdf file and email public contact if it was sent?

Hi John,
I understand that for some that Moving from a paid for @mac.account to a MobileMe (@me.com) account that was also paid for did give you the option of retaining the @mac.com ID for email purposes and linking it to the @me.com email so that either would work in the Mail App.
I an fairly sure this had to be a deliberate act.
When that possible combo reaches iCloud I understand that you could elect to keep the same name and it acted as if the @me.com ID was moved from the MobileMe server to the iCloud ones.
Later Apple issued @iCloud.com IDs and these did automatically link the current iCloud ID to the @icloud.com email.
In the mean time any @mac.com ID has worked as an Apple ID (much the way any defunct email might)
Certainly they work(ed) as AIM valid Screen Names in iChat (Up until 30th June 2014 see OS X: Using me.com or mac.com IDs with AIM in iChat requires OS X v10.7.2 or later) and in Messages.
They also works as separate Screen Names with AIM even if they are linked as emails. (the MobileMe @me.com ones fail as soon as they are no longer paid for unless "Converted" to iCloud).
I actually have several working (as AIM Screen Names) @mac.com IDs that are not iCloud Linked which will not work as iMessages IDs as they are not iCloud IDs (needed since Messages 8 and Mavericks came out)
I gained some of the @mac.com IDs I have during the MobileMe period when Apple kept the @mac.com registration page open for "iChat Names".
These are a little bit restricted as they only seem to work as AIM Screen Names (certainly not emails) but not as Apple IDs.
8:10 pm Tuesday; September 23, 2014
 iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad

IChat requirements

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