Video chat services allow their users to talk to have an unprecedented level of interaction, and they’re especially popular among people with long distance friends and family members as well as business people. When you choose a video chat service, you’ll need to decide which features you’re looking for. There are many video chat services out there. You can check this long list from TopTenReviews.com. We checked six of the best video chat services for various uses and their advantages and disadvantages here.
SKYPE
Skype 5.0 allows video chats with up to 10 people. You can share your screen during calls and record videos using an add-on. Skype had the fewest dropped connections and smoothest calls during our test, but a bit confusing.
Google Video Chat
This free service works as a part of Google’s popular Gmail. It’s in the chat client, and it’s completely web based–very advantageous for anyone who needs to regularly schedule video chats between multiple computers. Google Chat is fast, dependable, and it doesn’t suck up a ton of system resources like some of the other chat services out there. It doesn’t hurt that it’s completely free and works with any webcam that your computer will recognize.
OOVOO
ooVoo’s business plan supports video chats with up to six people. It lets you share your screen, tweet invites, and record videoconferences. We liked the slick design and high-quality audio and video, but the interface was a bit confusing.
SightSpeed
SightSpeed is the one option on this list that costs money, but it’s worth it. The service offers full 30 frame per second video without any annoying delays. It’s like the futuristic video phones portrayed in old 80s movies, although you’ll have to decide how often you use video chat before paying for SightSpeed.
Wetoku
The beauty of Wetoku is in its simplicity. It’s designed for businesses and for interviews, and offers a recording element. You can easily record interviews on the web and post the results via embed codes. It’s fast, easy to use, and ideal for certain applications, particularly if you need to keep a video of a brief interview or if you need video chat that’s not necessarily in real time.
TOKBOX
This service, which supports video chats with up to 20 people, is easy to use and bug free. You can share your screen, tweet invites with a chat link, and send video e-mails to other users. The audio and video were crisp during our tests.
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