I think this is the right place for this thread. We are moving across country and I want to start using a video chat to keep my kids connected with my mom and dad. What program would I use to do that, and what kind of mini-cameras can I use?

There are many! Even net meeting is still used by some people, others will use the IM client (like yahoo IM does it I think and MSN). I am looking to get a new monitor with a web cam built in and still looking for a decent program, I will keep you posted on what else I can find out.

Thanks Tanner. I recently bought a new monitor (moved into the LCD age ) so I will just be looking for a web cam. I'm going to do some surfing this weekend and see what I can find, maybe something cheap at buy.com.

We use MSN messenger for this purpose. We have separate microphones, cam and speakers though of course you can get them integrated with cam and mic together. There are many choices for cam, but it works well. My family are 5000 miles away, and my daughter just this afternoon spent three hours with her grandparents on video.

Yahoo does video too and has the advantage that you can multicast your video stream. Otherwise there is nothing really that makes any one stand out compared to others.

Hmm, I have MSN messenger, but I don't know how to set it up for video chat, I'll have to poke around in the program. I'm opposed to yahoo... evil.

The only thing I would say is to make sure you have MSN messenger and not windows messenger. The latter will not support video chat-you have to have the full messenger first.

Your options for web cams are many and varied and all the afore-mentioned IM clients do a good job. Another consideration is broadband and the access speed you get from your ISP. I find that less than 1 Mbps can lead to a lot of lag and poor quality video.

Maybe I'm lost a bit there... does that mean I need to have the optional boosting the broadband company offers? Or will regular cable or dsl work okay?

I did not know that I could use the MSN for video chat. (I must be from the dark ages right?) Would I need additional equipment like a webcam, what's the minimum speed you would need to have a good result?

I use MSN Messenger and while I have also used Yahoo, I find MSN offers better quality. I have a Logitech camera that has a built in microphone. It does great work at sending video and audio and isn't that expensive.

George