Audio problems in MSN
Why do it if it's not fun?
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Audio problems in MSN
Does anyone have any experience trouble-shooting audio problems with MSN?
The symptoms are that, after requesting an audio conversation (and the other person accepting), the status bar at the bottom of the screen says "Connecting to <other person's e-mail address>'s computer...". Neither party can hear the other party. Some time later (seems to vary between a few seconds and a few minutes) the audio conversation is terminated.
Just to make things difficult, I'm having real trouble finding out what's going on at the other end. My brother's girlfriend has bought at webcam so she can talk to her family in Israel. Unfortunately, none of her family speak any English. For the most part, she is able to translate, but she doesn't understand many technical English words (things like "scroll bar", "text box" and so on). She has hardly used a computer before at all, and her family are, as far as I can tell, completely computer illiterate.
And, as if that wasn't enough, her family are using the Hebrew version of MSN, which she has never seen - so we don't know what Hebrew word is going to be on each button, or even what order the buttons are in (she thinks the order may be the reverse of the English version, but we don't know), which makes it almost impossible to describe anything to her family accurately.
Some more background information. My brother's girlfriend is using Windows Millenium, MSN version 6 and a 56k modem. Her family are using MSN 6 but we don't know what version of Windows, and they have a broadband connection. We have been able to get a webcam conversation between the two of them working without any trouble at all (which is strange because I'd have thought that the webcam was more likely to cause problems than the audio). The mic and speakers at our end all work fine.
If anyone has any suggestions for what to try next, especially suggestions which don't involve her family being asked too many questions or asked to do anything too difficult, I'd appreciate it!
FFF
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The symptoms are that, after requesting an audio conversation (and the other person accepting), the status bar at the bottom of the screen says "Connecting to <other person's e-mail address>'s computer...". Neither party can hear the other party. Some time later (seems to vary between a few seconds and a few minutes) the audio conversation is terminated.
Just to make things difficult, I'm having real trouble finding out what's going on at the other end. My brother's girlfriend has bought at webcam so she can talk to her family in Israel. Unfortunately, none of her family speak any English. For the most part, she is able to translate, but she doesn't understand many technical English words (things like "scroll bar", "text box" and so on). She has hardly used a computer before at all, and her family are, as far as I can tell, completely computer illiterate.
And, as if that wasn't enough, her family are using the Hebrew version of MSN, which she has never seen - so we don't know what Hebrew word is going to be on each button, or even what order the buttons are in (she thinks the order may be the reverse of the English version, but we don't know), which makes it almost impossible to describe anything to her family accurately.
Some more background information. My brother's girlfriend is using Windows Millenium, MSN version 6 and a 56k modem. Her family are using MSN 6 but we don't know what version of Windows, and they have a broadband connection. We have been able to get a webcam conversation between the two of them working without any trouble at all (which is strange because I'd have thought that the webcam was more likely to cause problems than the audio). The mic and speakers at our end all work fine.
If anyone has any suggestions for what to try next, especially suggestions which don't involve her family being asked too many questions or asked to do anything too difficult, I'd appreciate it!
FFF
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FFF
I wonder if it simply the fact that at this end it is only a dial up modem, I gave up trying to get sound on mine when using dial up, but like you say the pictures and other stuff works fine.
Do you know anyone that you could 'borrow' a broadband connection from to test a decent connection at either end?
It also might be worth running through the Audio/Video tuning wizard in the tools menu.
I wonder if it simply the fact that at this end it is only a dial up modem, I gave up trying to get sound on mine when using dial up, but like you say the pictures and other stuff works fine.
Do you know anyone that you could 'borrow' a broadband connection from to test a decent connection at either end?
It also might be worth running through the Audio/Video tuning wizard in the tools menu.
Why do it if it's not fun?
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Thanks FSD,
Like you, I'd have assumed that if video works, audio would too.
Audio tuning at our end is fine. I have no idea about the Israeli end, and I wouldn't even like to think about how to ask them to try it!
I think I will try to find someone else in the UK to start an audio conversation with, just to check that everything really is good from our end. At least that way we can narrow it down to the other end, and suggest that they find someone who understands computers to sort it out for them.
FFF
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Like you, I'd have assumed that if video works, audio would too.
Audio tuning at our end is fine. I have no idea about the Israeli end, and I wouldn't even like to think about how to ask them to try it!
I think I will try to find someone else in the UK to start an audio conversation with, just to check that everything really is good from our end. At least that way we can narrow it down to the other end, and suggest that they find someone who understands computers to sort it out for them.
FFF
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I have the same problem. Myself using ME, and my friend on XP. We are both on dial-up. When he had no webcam connected he could see and hear me. Now with his webcam we can see each other, or via Net Meeting he can hear me, but not all at the same time. Perhaps dial up just can't cope. We are going to retry using his old Windows 98 system just to check compatability issues.
Get the same messages and errors as yourself currently. Will let you know if any solutions are forthcoming.
Get the same messages and errors as yourself currently. Will let you know if any solutions are forthcoming.
