How to improve Skype video

One of the most searched topics on my blog over the years has been how to improve Skype video. So, I thought I would share some advice on what you can do that will make a large improvement in your Skype video experience in less then 5 mintues.

#1) Update your video card driver...

Many PCs are still using the video card driver that was pre-installed when the PC was new. These generic pre-installed drivers will provide you with a very bad Skype video experience...extremly bad!

Check your PC to see who is your video card manufacturer. You should see names like "Intel, NVidia, etc." Go their company website, select "software upgrade" or "Driver" or something to that effect. The new driver software is free and requires you to reboot your PC when finished.

#2) Choose "Millions of colors" from the "properties of your video card"

Once you have upgraded your video card driver, you will immediately see the color benefits from the millions of more colors that are now possible. Benefit: the skin color of the people you are seeing on video is now life like, as if they were actually in the same rooms as you!

The speed of the internet connection does not matter. The colors will now always be life like.

#3) Choose the largest screen size from your video card.

For example, I have my PC video cards set to display at "1440 x 900 pixels". This is the largest setting my video card will display with "millions of colors". Try choosing the largest "pixel" size you can from your recently updated video card driver.

The benefit will be in the increase details and elimination of the pixilization of the people you are seeing on Skype. It will be a clear, perfect and precise picture.

#4) Clean the glass lens of your web camera

You should clean the lens of your web camera on the 1st of every month. Dust and dirt collect on the web camera's lens and slowly degrades the image that we are displaying of ourselves to others on Skype. We can't notice it but everyone watching you will notice.

I've had people comment to me after cleaning my lens, if I had just purchased a new web camera! This is the quickest and easy way to improve Skype video. Use a little water and a very soft clothes or tissue paper. Be very careful not to scratch the lens. Work slowly.

#5) Use natural sun light (and not behind you)

Natural sun light will provide your video image with the best image of you. Make sure the sun light is shinning on you and not shimming over your shoulder towards the web cam. This will cause the webcam to compenstae and make your image appear blackend out because of the sun's rays are shinning directly into the webcam's lens.

Always have the sun shinning on you from behind the PC, not from behind you.

I have many more Skype video tips and secrets, if you have any questions about the above Skype video tips, just ask.

Tags: Skype, video, improving skype video, webcam