Multiperson Video Chat

I've satisfied all the requirements to initiate a multiperson video chat but get the message "Your computer is not capable of initiating a multiperson video chat."
G5, 2.0 dual, 10.4.3, iChat 3.1, DSL (more than 384 Kbps)
Help?

It isn't the perfect solution but it does work and saves the frustration of troubleshooting iChat which can be a nightmare.
Download the Powerboost free demo from Ecamm and see if that makes any difference.
It is designed to allow computers that fall below the ridiculous apple minimum requirements to multichat and it works very well.
You shouldn't need it and neither shoudl my sister who uses a G5 iMac however after a week of trying to find the issue we just gave up and she installe the Powerboost app and we have had no problems since.
I truly beleive that if Apple would only remove the restrictions on iChat AV they would save a huge number of people from enormous frustration given that my 1G G4 Powerbook is more than capable of hosting a decent 3 way muiltichat once Power boost is installed. (With only a 256k upload speed)

Similar Messages

Can't begin multiperson video chat

Hello everyone,
A few minutes ago, I tried starting a multiperson video chat for the first time on my new MacBook Pro, but I received an error stating that my computer was not capable of hosting one!
My MacBook Pro is 2.4 GHz and has 2GB of RAM, and the other computers I am attempting to chat with are a rev. B MacBook Pro and a MacBook of unknown specs.
I checked my internet connection speed at http://www.auditmypc.com/internet-speed-test.asp
and I was at 14.75 Mbps for download and 2047 Kbps for upload, which I believe is well above iChat's requirements.
Oddly, when my friend also running on a MacBook Pro tried starting the chat, it worked, even though my MBP has better specs, and we have the same ISP!
Am I just having some weird error, or is there something going wrong with my computer?

Hi
have you set the Quicktime streaming setting, goto sys prefs/quicktime/streaming/streaming speed, set to 1.5mbps(dont use automatic)
In ichats prefs click on video and change bandwidth limit to NONE.
Restart iChat.
Tony

On multiperson video chats, I cannot see the video chat invitation. When it's one other person, I can. What should I do?

What should I do? My camera lights up green, but I can never see the video chat invitation for multiperson video chats.

I am having the same problem. I have reinstalled iTunes and I have also deleted it and reinstalled it. Same problem. You are right, it will play, although I can't see to pick something, it just plays what ever it is on.
Please help!! This is running me insane...............
I ran the applescript to resize it to no avail.
I am running OS X - 10.5
I have the latest version of iTunes (just downloaded off of the apple website)
4GB RAM
500GB hard drive
Macbook Pro 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
This is also a new OS X install.
Thanks in advance

Can't initiate multiperson video chat (plus sign is greyed out)

I am able to be apart of muliperson video chat but I am unable to intiate a multiperson chat. I have an isight and I am using my powerbook g4. I have everything updated. My friend and I both checked our upload and download speeds and they were both above 300kbps. For some reason my plus sign is greyed out when I want to add someone but his is not. What am I missing here?

HI dansmithcreative,
There is an Add-On, PowerBoost
1:41 PM Thursday; March 23, 2006

IChat multiperson video chat

So here's the issue. My brother and my dad both have brand new macbooks both are running the newest release of Leopard and have the newest version of ichat. I can establish individual video chats with either of them. However, when they try to establish a video chat with each other it proceeds as follows, One of them invites the other to a video chat the other hears the invite tone and tries to accept the invite, once they click on accept they both receive a message something like: “that they failed to respond". They can, however, text chat through iChat no problem. Again I have no problem video chatting with either of them individually. And they can initiate chats with me.

Tell us more about the devices (modems and routers) they use to connect to the Internet and how they are set up for iChat ?
1:13 PM Sunday; December 16, 2007

Bonjour Multiperson Video Chat

I'm on a gigabit office network trying to do a three way iChat video chat and it keeps telling me that it's not capable of hosting it (when it pops up the "compatibility chart" it says the network is too slow. What?! Does it want me to have fiber?!
I have the Bandwidth Limit set to "None" and the Quicktime Streaming speed set to "Intranet/LAN." What's the deal?
I'm using three 2008 iMacs, Leopard, iChat 4, gigabit ethernet.

Hi
Set the Quicktime streaming setting, goto sys prefs/quicktime/streaming/streaming speed, set to 1.5mbps
Restart iChat.
iChat does not like the top setting

How to multiperson Video Chat!!! HELP!

Ok, my 2 friends and I all have IMac g5, 20 Inch computers. My friend and I onlyt have 512 Mg, and my other friend has 1 g. we can all video chat one way, but when we want to add the + is gray... Can we not host multi video chats with our specifications? What do we need?
Thank you

Hello, Steven,
Sorry you are having problems, but the people who have been testing with me say 10.4.2 update has helped them. I see you are still showing 10.4.1.
Try the suggestion in Defcom's thread: How did you update to 10.4.2.
I suggest maintenance before and permissions repairs
b before AND after
installing the update. See Gulliver's Mac OS X 10.3/10.4: System maintenance FAQ for why.
If you want more details, see How I Update My Mac OS X.

Multiperson video chat suddenly not working

Hi,
So I've been using multiperson chat for the past couple of weeks and have had no problem. Tonight, it doesn't seem to be working. The green video icon that is normally stacked is now just one video. When I checked Connection Doctor is says that I have a "slow network." I'm using the same wireless network that I used all those other times. Is it just being especially slow tonight? Will this problem correct itself? Is there anyway I can fix this now?
Thanks!

First have you set the Quicktime streaming setting, goto sys prefs/quicktime/streaming/streaming speed, set to 1.5mbps
In ichats prefs click on video and change bandwidth limit to 500.
Restart iChat.
If no change try bandwidth at 200.

IChat SAYS it can multiperson video conference... and that is a LIE!

I have all the required specifications for a multiperson video chat and I still can't do it.
MacBook Pro 15" Core-Duo, MacOS 10.4.9, 812kbps DSL, Quicktime streaming settings in 768kbps, iChat bandwith limit set to NONE, trashed iChat preferences that were in the Libary, ran Cocktail more than once, repaired Disk permissions using Disk Utility... I have tried all this... is there anything else I can do?
Please help me....

Hi Nelly,
I have an 8Mb download with 400 up hare and I can Video whilst my son plays on-line with his X-Box 360
You may need to look further into how your network at home is set up (AIM for one DHCP server) or what the ISP is giving you and possibly what is so intensive on the other devices/computers
10:00 AM Sunday; May 6, 2007

"Cannot Start Video Chat" error when trying to do video conferences

Ahoy!
I've recently upgraded to a new still camera that unfortunately doesn't work with iChatUSBCam, so I invested in a nearly-new iSight to use with my PowerMac G4 instead. Although one-way video chat conferences work fine, I keep getting the error "Cannot Start Video Chat" whenever I try to do a video conference.
The full error message reads:
"*Cannot Start Video Chat*
Your computer is not capable of initiating a multiperson video chat.
Click Text Chat to invite the selected people to chat."
There are no error codes or any other text in this message. The available buttons are the purple ?, 'Text Chat' or 'Cancel'.
I have tried this on both my 1.25ghz PowerMac G4 and my 1.33ghz PowerBook G4, and my friends I am trying to chat with have tried to initiate the conference on their 2.16ghz Intel Core Duo MacBook and MacBook Pro, only to receive the same messages too.
When doing a one-way videochat, the + button to add more people to the conference is greyed out for all of us as well. We all display the video conference button (camera with the extra pages behind it) next to our names on our buddy lists though, so our computers all believe we're capable of it!
When clicking the ? button on the "Cannot Start Video Chat" dialogue, it brings me to the help page that tells me:
+"To join a multiperson video conference, you need any G5 computer, or a 1 GHz single processor G4, or a dual processor 800 MHz G4, and a broadband connection to the Internet.+
+To host a multiperson video conference, you need any G5 computer, or a 1 GHz dual processor G4. In addition, you need an Internet connection that supports a minimum download bandwidth of 384 Kbps, and a minimum upload bandwidth of 384 Kbps."+
Both of my machines are above 1ghz G4s, so according to this help file, it shouldn't prohibit me from at least joining a conference when I'm not the host, but both of my Intel-based friends get the same message when trying to host as well. We are all on respectable Broadband or Cable internet connections, so that shouldn't limit it!
Anyone got any ideas what the problem is and how to fix it? I see no reason why this shouldn't work!
Thanks!

Hi
First have you all set the Quicktime streaming setting, goto sys prefs/quicktime/streaming/streaming speed, set to 1.5mbps(dont use automatic)
In ichats prefs click on video and change bandwidth limit to NONE.
Restart iChat.
Do a speed test on all sides and tell us the UP AND DOWNload speeds http://www.speedtest.net/
Tony

Can't initiate a mutiperson video chat

I have the new imac isight and Cox high-speed and when i try to do video chat with more than one person i get the message that my computer isn't capable of initiating a multiperson video chat.... What is the deal with this my imac is with in the requirements.... What am i doing wrong

Hello Chris,
As EZ Jim said, if they are not capable, regardless of what your capablities, then you still can't do it.
If they are not capable, the message may just be the default way of saying it isn't possible.
If they are not capable, then that is another issue.
I would suggest you try a multi-chat with testers. add EZ Jim, myself, Ralph or any of the other testers into your buddy list. you can find our iChat ID in our profiles. Here is a link to mine Gil Taylor when you see one of us online, you could try to video with us and we can try a multi-video if more than one of us is available. If it works, then we can put to bed the question of your actual capabilites. Note, some testers perfer you send an IM prior to a video request.

Ichat multiperson video

last week I was able to initiate a multiperson video chat with the apple test servers. now, I can't, i can do 1:1 video chats, and can do one way video chats, but am unable to initiate multiperson ones.
i have run cron jobs with mac janitor and via the terminal.
have repaired permissions, and restarted
set quicktime prefs to max
set ichat prefs to max
bandwidth test shows 3 mbps
firewall is off.
router settings unchanged from last week. (have not tried connecting directly to internet)
I did recently update from 10.4.3 to 10.4.4. dont remember the exact date.
also, not sure if its related, but I cannot do voice only chats with the apple servers (have never tried before, but still, it seems like it ought to work). I see a connection, but no audio comes through either on my speakers or on the connection doctor.
thanks for your ideas
climber

Thanks Ralph,
I reset the quicktime and ichat speeds to the ones you mentioned
restarted
re ran permissions
No Joy,
reran combo update
restarted, reran permissions
No Joy - though it did solve an issue with retrospect i was having
reran chron jobs
No Joy
looked at port forwarding. Have never needed to forward any ports previously but forwarded ichat related ports.
No Joy - still getting the "your computer is not capable of initiating multiperson video chats" error.
Next I am going to boot off my cloned backup firewire drive and see if that will work (its a week old). i also have an even earlier version that I can try as well.
any other ideas would be welcome.
thanks,
climber

Multiperson audio chat with Mac/iChat and XP/AIM buddies

Looking at using a G5 for video-conferencing. I should be able to set up multiperson video chats with other Mac/iChat buddies.
What happens if an XP/AIM buddy wishes to join the conference? I expect they wont see a multiperson video display like iChat but can they audio conference with everyone? Can they video conference with the host Mac (my G5)?
One day I will talk them into buying Macs!

Hi Michael,
Video chats to PCs remains a 1-1 options at this moment.
Web based option
12:19 PM Tuesday; February 21, 2006
iChat Resouce Web pages

How do i host one way multiperson video conference?

My friend was able to host a video conference with me and him on video, and another person through audio; this was on his g4. I am on a 2.33 ghz Macbook Pro, and I want to host a video conference with two people on audio. Is that possible? I've tried a slew of combinations, but to no avail. Any suggestions? Is it feasable? Thanks.

I think that it was an extremely lucky strike to realise 2way video in combination with a friend who had a mic (audio only) next to his pict. What might have happened that it actually was a 3way video chat and due to bandwidth drop turned out to effectively be a 2AV one only Audio.
So, if you have a multi layered camera in your list, you can video chat with more than one other camera user, and you audio chat with other multi layered mics up to 10 users. But you can't do mixed invitations between them.
How does iChat determine if you are capable of joining or hosting a multiperson chat?
When iChat is opened, it performs a series of tests to determine if multi-person chats are supported with available bandwidth.
iChat also checks the file "com.apple.ichat.plist" in ~/Library/Preferences/ to detemine if defaut values have been set for bwdup and bwddown. It checks to see if the IP address stored in bwdid is the same as the current IP address of the computer, or if the settings are older than three days.
If any of these conditions are not met, iChat performs a .Mac bandwidth detection test to see if .Mac network bandwidth is fast enough to support a multi-way connection.
If the test succeeds, then multi-way chat is enabled.
JP

Once and for all: MSN VIDEO chat on the mac... can it work?

the situation: my friend in France uses an msn account on a PC with the latest version of windows live or some such. I'm in the states on my blackbook. I set up a shiny new msn account, hoping to connect up to him. I've tried adium, msn mac, mercury, and ichat, and nothing will let me connect to his cam, or him to mine.
so here's the golden question: can a mac user, as of right now, video chat with a PC user through the MSN network? if so, and if this is a waste of a new post, please direct me to the instructions. please do not tell us to sign up for AIM accounts, like I saw in another post.
if it's not possible, please explain why not. is it microsoft's msn client for the mac that's about 3 versions behind the pc one? is it a protocol issue? why is this so impossible? is it a social thing, i.e. europeans use msn and PCs and americans use AIM/yahoo and macs? I'm baffled.

It IS possible for a Mac user to do video with people using MSN/Windows Live messenger on Windows, but not possible to do audio.
To do video you will need either Mercury or aMSN. I haven't used either of these, and wouldn't touch the MSN service with a barge-pole, so can't give instructions on how to set it up, but both of them do have video capabilities. As i said though, neither do audio, so unless both participants know sign-language it may be of limited use.
The reason why it is not possible is both a protocol issue and a Microsoft one.
MSN uses secret, proprietary protocols for their service which means that anyone wanting to interoperate with the service has to reverse engineer the protocols and then implement them (and Microsoft can of course move the goal posts at any time by changing the protocols in a new version).
It's a Microsoft problem because they simply aren't interested in developing no cost applications for the Mac, as evidenced by the dropping of both IE and Windows Media Player for OS X (it wouldn't surprise me if Messenger gets dropped by the end of the year), so MSN Messenger lags well behind the Windows version and lacks many of its features.
The situation with MSN/Windows Live Messenger is unlikely to change until Microsoft switches to the IETF standard for IM, XMPP. It may be years before Microsoft switches but it will have to eventually as XMPP is the daddy in enterprise IM and becoming increasingly popular in the consumer space with services such as Google Talk, Gizmo (IM portion) and Live Journal (among thousands of others) utilising it.
Fortunately iChat already supports XMPP (Jabber) for IM, although doesn't yet use the XMPP standards for video or audio (though i'm still hopeful this will change with Leopard), so once MS switches you should be able to set it up in iChat. But like i said, it may take years before all the major IM companies converge on XMPP as the protocol of choice.
Anyway, if you're just interested in video AND audio chats between Windows and Mac OS X you don't have a lot of choices. There's the AIM/Trillian Pro <-> iChat route that you don't want to take, there's the Skype route (much as i loath Skype) which seems to be the preferred option among other forum posters here, and there are a few other alternatives too which i haven't paid much attention too, but there is currently NO way to do both video AND audio between Mac OS X and Windows using MSN/Windows Live.
Or i suppose you could wait for Leopard and hope that Apple provides MSN functionality but i suspect you'd be disappointed.
Not the answer you were looking for i'm afraid but i hope my post helps you find an alternative solution. Don't forget to send feedback to Microsoft and demand they switch to XMPP in MSN/Windows Live Messenger. The more requests the better. ^_^

Multiperson Video Chat

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