Roundup
TDavid: Skype makes it into Wal-Mart bargain bin. "We are considering dropping Skype as the primary tool for our weekly radio show. The quality has deteriorated and we’re having numerous dropped call problems."
- Other programs competing for CPU
- Incorrectly configured router
- Insufficient memory
- Other programs competing for bandwidth
TDavid, the biggest reason for this is not in Skype (since other people use Skype for podcast interviews just fine) but in Skype's environment:
This is true at both ends of the call, obviously.
The purest strategy we've seen: use a standalone computer for your Skype call. Other approaches: all parties record locally; dedicate a machine for your Skype calls but pipe the audio through a mixer to a second machine that records the calls.
Ted Wallingford: Skype no longer in my Startup Items. Quality, performance issues on his macbook, too few in his social network using Skype. Switching to Gizmo Project + GrandCentral.
TodSpace: Skype on the moon. Cute fantasies post-Wal-Mart.
Alaeddin: 3 ways to build network effect for your business, inspired by Skype. Building network effects using extrinsic motivation, not relying solely on network effect (SkypeOut), turn your service into a money-making machine for customers (Skype Prime).
Laptop Magazine: Turn Your Cell into a VoIP Phone. Reviews of Fring, Talkster, Nimbuzz, Barablu.
Comments
Phil - You've got some of your facts wrong, corrections:
1) these aren't pre-recorded podcast interviews, they are live streamed calls on a live web radio show.
2) skype is being used on a dedicated line on a dedicated PC with 2GB of RAM.
3) router *is* properly configured ;)
We previously used Vonage using the same setup without any problems, hence my dissatisfaction.
We've been using Skype since 2003 as part of the show on/off and it has gotten worse, not better, which is my point. Hopefully that helps to better clarify our situation :)
Posted by: TDavid | May 15, 2007 11:09 AM
Uhh... just because it's working for other people and not for some, doesn't mean it's not Skype. That's a QoS issue. You can still have a routing issue outside of what you can control within the local network. Trying to say it's the environment is ridiculous. And just FYI, Tdavid does run a dedicated machine for Skype and his routers are configured correctly. In fact, he's been using Skype before SkypeJournal ever existed.
Sounds like you didn't fact-check here imho.
Posted by: darkmoon | May 15, 2007 11:22 AM
"use a standalone computer for your Skype call"
That is extreme... kills any cost savings associated with Skype. I'd rather use POTS, a voice recorder ($80), and a Radio Shack adapter ($15) than invest in a Skype-only workstation.
Posted by: Dave Zatz | May 15, 2007 05:19 PM
Phil et al,
I think that when skypepm.exe was introduced on client machines as part of the system, it added a considerable amount of resource load on the system that was not there previously. I think this is a negative factor for those that do not use skypepm.exe features. I think it should be optional and the user should have control over whether it's loaded or not.
I think virtual machines (still in their infancy) will have a big impact on management of resources like this in the future. It's possible that additional physical machines will not be needed to manage this type of application.
Just some thoughts.
Cheers,
Steve
Posted by: Steve | May 16, 2007 05:29 AM