My grandson wants me to get Skype to video conference guitar lessons. I'm not sure if I should do that or not now. The way things are today I'm afraid to get what I want to do with it I'll have to pay a monthly fee. I've never used it before so I figure I check around about before I do anything. Thanks in advance for any Info!

Skype is free unless you want to make actual calls to physical landlines which require you to pony up a monthly fee then, plus overseas calling, but everything else is free...
Yes you do have to sign up for a Microsoft account or something along those lines, but that's free to create...after that, you can contact and video conference for free whomever you want...
 

Bill, you have to be able to talk (coherently) to use Skype.
 
I doan uze Skipe.

We use Skype when she visits (her native) Taiwan.
 
It's free and works well, though video performance can be spotty when the other person is on the other side of the world and also doesn't have a great internet connection.

bapu
Bill, you have to be able to talk (coherently) to use Skype.
 
I doan uze Skipe.

Hmmm  I Am anything but cohairent and I Shurely can't speak
 
 
thanks Drew!

You could probably just record yourself with a webcam and send him the files. The audio/video quality will be better, no latency (if you record it properly or adjust the audio after) and you can actually contemplate/edit what you are doing.
 
That's how I intend to do my lessons. Person sends me vid/audio of their playing. I send text (tabs, instructions, etc) and a video to support the written lesson. Followup as needed.
 
I thought about live chat lessons, and may still go that route if I can set it up properly but ideally prerecorded back and forth seems like the best option.
 
The video/audio quality needed for live streaming of something like a guitar lesson just isn't there in the free services. I think you need fancy Cisco setups, top tier broadband, superior vid equipment etc.
 
Too many details would get munched with the more common freebie chat services.
 
I could be wrong though.
 
Also he'd have nice vids to keep of his grandpappy.

Actually a good example is how our own Kenny (w.telejazz) does his vids.
 
I bought a webcam a while back and did some test recordings. At the lower resolutions (the ones that would be used for something like skype) you could not see what my fingers were doing. It needed the higher FPS (frames per second) and resolution settings to see what was going on. Even then if I started blazing the camera/computator had a hard time keeping up.
 
At those higher settings (on my low powered laptop) there was severe latency (the audio was delayed from the actual vid) so I would have to correct in post production (just lining the wave up in Sonar or a video editor to the actual vid).
 
Just some things to contemplate. You'll need to consider your webcam too. The onboard webcams (like on a laptop) are usually crap. I got a Logitech 1080HD for this purpose on sale for about $100. It's just a webcam that needs to be hooked up to the computer (USB 2.0) but of course you could get one that records as well. GoPro's are probably pretty good for this because they are meant for recording hi def/hi speed stuff for sports and whatever (it's what skaters, skiers and other "Xtreme" sport goons attach to their helmets) and they are reasonably priced.

Thanks Beeps!!

Anytime, bud. I had to do a LOT of research a year ago on how to do this crap on dirt weasel's budget so that's what I discovered. Still rudimentary fershure but that'll be quality without turning it into a Spielberg event (or whoever is the fancy visual spazzo these days).
 
I wouldn't mind checking out what Billy 'o' the Bayou's got up his sleeve myself.
 
Cheers.

I Am not Shure but I think it's called   "~ PRESTO ~"
 
P.S. I apologize if I Am wrong 
 
Thank you for your support
bayoubill