to think that SKYPE is totally shite and rubbish and I'd rather pay for a phone call

[ClaudiaSchiffer]

Honestly, it's crap - has anyone got it to work without a mega delay on the voice. I admit that it's great to see people using the camera but it makes me homesick

I've used it without a problem. Used it from Iceland back to the UK and occasionalyy use it within the UK. Just to talk to dh and ds though - haven't used it to call anyone else.

Really? Gawd, I wonder what I'm doing wrong . . . I hate it.

I've never used it with a camera though. Maybe that causes an extra delay?

I'd rather put up with variable quality than pay to ring my sister in Thailand and my brother in the US. Also I get to see my little nieces and nephew and speak to them in a more meaningful way over Skype. So YABU, yes.

yanbu

utter shite

YABU. I have just spent two hours on the webcam with my family with no problems or delays. I love it because my dc can talk to their cousins all of the time, which they do and I just go off and have a cup of tea!

You must be doing something wrong. Do you want me so ask my residentgeek dh what it might be? He is not back from work yet .

I use SKYPE all the time and my DD talks to her friend in Switzerland for hours for nothing. It's great.

We used to use Skype when my PIL lived abroad and found it mainly to be great, occassional delay problems but normally fine. Maybe it depends which country you are Skyping?

Blast you all how come it works for you lot??? I bet it's my sodding rubbish Australian broadband. Savoycabbage if you would ask your dh I would be very grateful. I am hoping to upgrade to ADSL2 soon so that may help. I swear this broadband is steam powered it's sooo slow.

the new version of skype is bad. really really bad. (freezesand cuts us off constantly)
when they get the bugs out here's what works for us:

sign in to BOTH skype and MSN. use MSN for a voice call. use webcam with SKype (but you have to rememeber to mute the microphone on both sides.)

sounds quality is better with msn, picture with skype.

Apparently satellite broadband is shite, as are mobile dongles (found this out myself). Have you updated your skype download recently, if not - do!

I have a Skype phone, which is a dual phone - I can use it on my BT line as well as for calls through Skype.

But since the last Skype update, my phone will not work with the BT line. The BT engineer has been out to test the line, and there isn't a problem with the line. I can still make Skype calls, but the quality of them is not consistent or reliable so I do try to avoid calling that way.

And I have 2 handsets, neither of which function now, so it's the Skype update that has done this.

So YADNBU!

Skype is the best thing ever! Having friends and family all over the world, I would end up spending simply vast amounts of money on phone calls. Sound and picture quality are usually very good....

I will ask him, he is out surfing now. I have shite Australian broadband too! I think it's Telstra.

It used to be better - this version is utter rubbish. We have countless dropped calls, video not working, freezing, crashing. It's crap. But it's free.

I prefered MSN but it won't work with my new windows update and my antivirus. It's a known problem that they are refusing to fix.

Are there any alternatives?

I use mine from the UK / AUS almost every day and it is perfect. I have also used it in Hong Kong with no problems.

Maybe it's your computer?

I have a brand new mac with a built in webcam and mine's seamless. I've wireless in my new house so I walk around the rooms giving my friends a 'virtual tour'.

Oi iloveairplanejelly, I have a new mac with built in webcam and wireless. Grrrrrrrr. Am going to try it out tonight on friend in UK if it echoes again I will officially bin it. Am looking forward to seeing her kids tho. Last time I saw them they were small and now teenagers .

I use Skype to talk to dgd and ds in Turkey and I love it.When they moved house dgd carried laptop round showing me the rooms.She also shows me her new clothes,her homework and lets me hear her violin practise[mmmmm].

If you're getting echoes, you may find that using a headset works better. Using the computer's microphone and speakers works ok until the delay gets too big (eg, from Aus to UK) then the echo-cancellation craps out. A headset will avoid all that.

My Skype connection is pants too! I have the new download version, and the old one was much better. It makes it so painful to have a conversation and my children get so fed up with the picture or voice freezing that they lose interest talking to their grandparents.

i use skype to allthe time even my mobile has skype on it saves fortune

We use skype uk to aus and elsewhere and don't usually have problems (except that my MIL always thinks we've been cut off when the screensaver kicks in )

We do tend to use the headset more when contacting Aus though because it seems to improve the delays (whereas no delay problem when we use within the uk).

Have you downloaded the latest version? That improved things for us no end. We've also noticed an improvement since upgrading our computer (which you might not want to do at the moment of course)!