Comments for Google Launches Video and Voice Chat for Gmail

Google Launches Video and Voice Chat for Gmail

2008-11-11T20:00:01Z

Google today announced a major update for Gmail: video and voice chat. To make this work, users only have to install a small browser plugin. Google will start enabling these new features for all Gmail and Google Apps users at 12pm PST today. As is typical for new releases in Gmail, Google will roll this feature out to all users over the "next day or so."

The new chat functionality will work on PCs with Windows XP or Vista, as well as on Macs with OS X 10.4 or later. The plugin will work with all the major browsers, including Google's own Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari.

]]> From what we have seen so far, the videos integrate directly with the standard chat function in Google. To get started, you have to first enable this new functionality from the 'Options' menu at the bottom of a Gmail chat window. After that, all you have to do is select the contact you want to speak with and click on 'Video & more' in the lower-left part of the chat window. From there, you can then start a voice or video chat.

We have not been able to test the video and voice quality of these chats yet, but we will update this post once we get a chance to try it out for ourselves.

Skype?

Interestingly, Google Talk, Google's desktop chat program does not have any video functionality yet, though Google enabled voice chat for Google Talk a long time ago. By adding voice and video chat, Google is clearly going up against Skype, which has made video chat one of its main features in the latest version of its software.

Comment from brandon on 2008-11-11

2008-11-11T20:16:50Z

You can install the plugin here: http://mail.google.com/videochat

Comment from etorsten on 2008-11-11

2008-11-11T20:25:47Z

The plugin is not available for PowerPC Macs (says Google)

Comment from Sam Sethi on 2008-11-11

2008-11-11T20:26:29Z

The link above works but it won't hold and auto forwards to the homepage for me.

Comment from Frederic Lardinois on 2008-11-11

2008-11-11T20:31:25Z

Looks like the link (http://mail.google.com/videochat) works, but installing the plugin doesn't mean that the chat function will actually be enabled in Gmail yet.

Comment from Pedram on 2008-11-11

2008-11-11T20:39:15Z

Unfortunately:

Gmail voice and video chat is not yet available for Linux.

Comment from Ryan on 2008-11-11

2008-11-11T21:37:21Z

This looks like a great tool from Google, can't wait to try it out.

Comment from Matthew on 2008-11-11

2008-11-11T21:58:52Z

But does it support video chat between the ichat client and the web based client? I sense a fleet of ichat plugins...

Comment from David on 2008-11-11

2008-11-11T23:05:41Z

even though the plugin works it seems that it's not up and running yet. Can't wait to use it tho... I hate typing ;)

Comment from Steve on 2008-11-11

2008-11-11T23:25:09Z

It works for me, but not for anyone on my chat list yet so I can't try it. Also, it only works for my account, not my wife's, very odd how it's rolled out.

Comment from Jmartens on 2008-11-11

2008-11-11T23:44:23Z

Great news but I am confused as to why it doesn't work in Gtalk via the Google Desktop sidebar. I almost NEVER chat in gmail, always on the desktop in Gtalk.

Oh well, what do I know?

Comment from gowers on 2008-11-11

2008-11-12T01:18:46Z

I like it!! But I also want it works in Gtalk

Comment from DaveK on 2008-11-11

2008-11-12T01:41:45Z

This is really great. To have a video chat ready to engage as you are checking out your emails. How convenient is that?

I will probably even get a singing happy birthday chat from my son for my birthday ☺☺☺.

Comment from Steffest on 2008-11-11

2008-11-12T03:43:23Z

Seems a bit weird to me ... does it only work if both parties happen to have Gmail open in a browser?

And ... really ... going up against Skype?
You're not serious, eh?
Skype runs on every imaginable platform (including Symbian and Windows Mobile) offers phone-out and phone-in, SMS ...

Video chat in Gmail is a nice feature, but it won't make a dent in any other of the big IM platforms.

Comment from blog-it.pl on 2008-11-11

2008-11-12T07:06:11Z

It should be also for Linux, is it so dificult for Google?

Comment from venkat on 2008-11-11

2008-11-12T07:36:53Z

This is a great news for Gmail users ,Google integrated Google Voice chat and Video chat with Gmail , it will be to early to say about the Voice quality in Google video chat compared to Skype.

Comment from wyndell dorsey on 2008-11-12

2008-11-12T12:40:13Z

It's about time Google where have you been the last 5 years.

Comment from ubunutu user on 2008-11-12

2008-11-12T14:53:50Z

its high time google must develop its softwares in linux as well. just picasa and google earth wont do. more than 50% of unix/linux users hv a gnail id. if google is so much inclined to open source then why not release softwares in open source platform first??

Comment from Diamonds on 2008-11-12

2008-11-12T17:55:16Z

Nice, will definitely try this out

Comment from Alex Faaborg on 2008-11-12

2008-11-13T00:10:57Z

We need to get to a point where you don't need to install a plugin for every site that wants to add this feature, and streaming video input is just a standard capability of the Web. The functionality is particularly useful for mobile devices that more commonly have built in cameras:

http://blog.mozilla.com/blassey/2008/09/23/camera-input-tag/

Comment from Udo Schroeter on 2008-11-12

2008-11-13T01:30:46Z

This doesn't work in Firefox on Mac, of course - just Safari.

Comment from Udo Schroeter on 2008-11-12

2008-11-13T01:47:14Z

Hum... it works OK on my friend's Firefox... guess there's a reason these things are beta ;-)

Comment from firstcobra88 on 2008-11-12

2008-11-13T04:00:57Z

I think along the road...google will try to put video chat for their android phones. This is just a stepping stone.

Comment from Keysonic on 2008-11-12

2008-11-13T05:32:49Z

As all know Google has introduced the Video chat recently which has been the talk of the town. Its not that Google is the first one to bring it. Yahoo and many others have ventured it well before years. But if Google has brought up something then its special these days.

Me and my friend yesterday night had plans to see the performance of this newly introduced Google Video Chat. Both of us have high speed broadband connection. As part of the process we downloaded the plugin from google for the video chat. All set to test it.

Initially it started well with video streaming happening with just a dealy of a second. We made sure that the bandwidth is not been used by anyothe resources. We stopped all the other uploading and downloading process. We expected a surpirse but there was a deep shock. The video streaming started to drop drastically and we started to see a lot of delay and finally almost viewing a still picture.

When we looked at the netmeter the upload and download bandwith consumed by this Google Chat was enormous. The download was around 25.4 kiB/s and upload was 40.9KiB/s.

The Google video chat was consuming lot of bandwith but still was not streaming properly. We were cast down totally with the Google Video chat. For sometime we felt yahoo and other who pioneered it had a better technology as it was streaming with a delay of 2 to 3 seconds.

We did have the voice chat of google along with the Video chat and thought may be the Voice chat is taking too much bandwith. So later we discontinued the video chat and did just voice chat. Netmeter was showing upload 1.1 KiB/s and download as 4.9KiB/s.

From the above two measurements its understood that Google Video chat consumes more bandwidth but a pathetic video streaming.

Finally dismayed we had to end the video chat. I guess Google has to work more on this to take care of the video streaming as that is all video chat is all about.

Comment from Tina on 2008-11-12

2008-11-13T05:55:30Z

Hi, As i am behind the proxy i cannot download the setup file for voice and video plugin. Can you please mail me the 2 mb setup file on my email. My email id is hotandsweet_mirchi@yahoo.com

Comment from How on 2008-11-13

2008-11-13T08:35:18Z

Have difficulty in Firefox too...

Comment from J. Smith on 2008-11-13

2008-11-13T15:31:51Z

Awesome. Putting it on the Android is ever more awesome. Lookinf forward to checking this one out.

Comment from Sujay Ghosh on 2008-11-14

2008-11-14T12:47:01Z

Installed it yesterday, works great for me in FF3 . Unfortunately the GTalk ( desktop edition) does not have this feature ) .

Waiting for Google to release it soon.

Comment from Wilson on 2008-11-14

2008-11-14T23:29:12Z

Just sad they didnt roll it out with support for linux at the same time. We always get left out and have to end up writing our own Code :(

Comment from kishore on 2008-11-15

2008-11-15T11:03:00Z

hi i download plug in gmailvideo chat software, but i it is not installing. my system beyond the proxy. it is not asking proxy and show error. how to over come this problem ....

Comment from Stop Smoking on 2008-11-17

2008-11-17T08:00:31Z

This rocks! And it does not get any easier than that.

Comment from söve on 2008-11-17

2008-11-17T13:11:51Z

Have difficulty in Firefox too

Comment from Linux support - Now on 2008-11-19

2008-11-19T10:29:52Z

Strange!

I guess that they are using Marratech, a product they bought a year or two ago. That product had (has) Linux support. So... why dont they release Linux support at the same time?

Strange.

Comment from film izle on 2008-11-21

2008-11-21T22:56:26Z

wow this is wonderfull really. thank u.

Comment from Nagendra on 2008-11-23

2008-11-24T07:10:18Z

how to download video & voice chat in gmail. can u explain clearly

Comment from tangy on 2008-11-27

2008-11-27T18:24:49Z

this plugins firewalled or something at where i use internet... i just cant download the thing..if someones got a hang of it please email at tangy.nutmeg@gmail.com

thnks:)

Comment from tangy on 2008-11-27

2008-11-27T18:27:52Z

i cant download this plugin due to proxy issues can someone plz mail it to me or tell me another way to install it... my email address is tangy.nutmeg@gmail.com

thanks

Comment from pandiyarajan on 2008-11-27

2008-11-28T06:32:49Z

hit to all

Comment from 2004 Fairings on 2008-12-07

2008-12-07T23:48:48Z

Does anyone know if Google would include emoticons to the messenger or will be just plain as it is now? Thanks for your answers.