IChat to AOL/AIM image quality question.

Question

This is a question about the image quality during a video chat from AOL/AIM and Trillian Pro on PCs to iChat on Macs. The details of the computers, connections and cameras are:
I'm running 10.4.8 on a MacBook Pro (2.33GHz CPU, 2GB RAM) with iChat AV 3 with a DSL connection that averages 1.24 Mbps DL and 271 Kbps UL and an external iSight camera.
My mother is running 10.3.9 on an iBook (1.33 GHz CPU, 256 MB RAM) with iChat AV 2.1 with a DSL connection that averages 155 Kbps DL and 146 Kpbs UL and an external iSight camera.
My sister is running Windows (not sure which version) on a Dell Dimension DIM4600 (2.60GHz CPU, 512MB RAM) with Trillian Pro with a DSL connection that averages 1.29 Mbps DL and 446 Kbps UL and a Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 with QuickCam 8.3.0.
When I video chat with my mother my picture to her is good and her picture to me is good.
When I video chat with my sister my picture to her is good, but her picture to me is bad. The slightest movement causes the image to go break up into large squares that settles back down a decent image when the movement ends.
When my mother video chats with my sister, my mother's picture to my sister is good, but my sister's picture to my mother is bad. Again, the slightest movement causes the image to go break up into large squares that settles back down a decent image when the movement ends.
Also I have a friend (some kind of PC, some kind of Logitech webcam) using AOL/AIM 5.9 (I think) with cable modem connection (I don't know the speed). When I video chat with him my picture to him is good, but his picture to me is bad. Again, the slightest movement causes the image to go break up into large squares that settles back down a decent image when the movement ends.
Does anyone know if:
(1) this kind of behavior "par for the course" with PCs over the AOL/AIM network?
or if
(2) there is some "switch" in Trillian Pro and AOL/AIM 5.9 that needs to be thrown to improve the image (like the Bandwidth switch in iChat preferences)?
or
(3) is the camera or camera connection (USB vs. Firewire) that causes the problem?
Thanks.
P.S. I know the speed of my mother's DSL connection seems slow, but because our video chat images both ways are good I don't think that's the problem here.

Answer 1

Hi James,
I can relate to this somewhat based on AIM 5.9 to Macs.
You may be able to use the information to sort Trillian out further.
Ok first start a chat and then open the Connection Doctor from the Video menu at your end.
The Bit rate should be well over 100 for both of you.
Her Frame rate should be at least 10fps.
Now when on AIM 5.9 the framerate drops to about 1fps to the ichat end it is usually because the Pic Quality is set too high on the PC end. It then spends so long producing one frame it slows down sending the video.
To change this on the AIM app a user has to do the following.
They click on the preview tab (there are two; one for your incoming and one for their preview).
With the preview as the front tab a small icon appears to the right of the pic.
Clicking on this brings up a slider.
Sliding the slider to the left reduces the quality.
Visually you may not detect this but the effect is sort of converse in that the frames are produced faster as less detail is in them and the video frame rate goes up and therefore looks smoother.
I have not heard of Trillian needing this and consequently would not know where specifically to direct you.
I would start with the Preferences/Properties of Trillian and see if there are any setting there for output.
Look at size of the pic at their end as well as frame rates that they are aiming at.
As you say the slower 150ish connection is considered slow in many places now-a-days but is enough for 1-1 chats (min 100kbps).
The problem is likely to be a setting on the PC end.
I would also check the Trillian site for info about adjusting the frame rate or video quality. They have an extensive FAQ database.
10:51 PM Thursday; December 14, 2006