Questions about Skype

I enjoy using skype, iv'e only recently got into it with family. We all like to play games together and we have found ourselves calling each other on the phone and enabling speaker phone as we play, naturally this began to worry us with our valuable minutes eating away during a 3 and 4 hour sitting.

I had the idea of using skype alot like people use Ventrilo or teamspeak, plugging up a USB microphone and inviting everyone to a conference call like a "free version" of ventrilo. I ran into a bit of a problem though- assuming there are 4 people, Person 1 calls Person 2, and then person 1 invites person 3 and 4 to the "conference call" only person 1 can hear person 3 and 4. So we tried a differant method, Person 1 calls Person 2 and 3, Person 2 invites Person 4, only Person 2 could then hear person 4, and only i could hear 2 and 3, they couldn't seem to hear each other unless they called each other and if any of those people are invited at anytime, noone else can invite or call them.

So i came to the conclusion that i would have to buy something from skype, and so would everyone else to be able to hear each other? Seems a bit rediculas that someone charges you to use your own computer as a host, and then your own bandwidth.

I'm not interested in paying a monthly fee when we arn't always there to play together, and we play maybe once or twice a week and these sessions are only a couple of hours or so each, there has to be an alternative.

Unless i'm missing something.

I have been using skype now for years, and we were chatting maybe 6 people at once. And we don't pay any fees. Although I had some really stupid situations myself with skype because when I conference call, i ad someone but it actually just puts the other people on hold... so I can hear only one person. Make sure you don't do the same mistake . By the way skype conference participants limit is something like 25...

If you can't get Skype working the way you want, Ventrilo isn't expensive at all. It's an annual fee for a server and the fee increases for the maximum user amount that you want for the entire server. I'm sure you can get a Ventrilo server with a 10 person max for like 5 bucks a year. Maybe the same amount of money you spend on a 6-inch sub is worth preventing future headaches with skype?

Brian

DreamerBrian said:

If you can't get Skype working the way you want, Ventrilo isn't expensive at all. It's an annual fee for a server and the fee increases for the maximum user amount that you want for the entire server. I'm sure you can get a Ventrilo server with a 10 person max for like 5 bucks a year. Maybe the same amount of money you spend on a 6-inch sub is worth preventing future headaches with skype?

Brian

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Or just run your own vent server... thats what I do. Costs me $0.

The server software is available in a free version online. The free version limitations don't really make a difference for small scale, and you could just run it off of your pc, or set up a secondary pc to have it run 24/7

Good to know, Kayson. Skype problem solved!

Just double checked and according to the license, you can have up to 8 clients on the free version. I'm not sure if the server software will actually prevent more than 8 from joining though. Also, apparently you can't get the "pro" version unless you're running a business hosting vent servers and purchase a license from them. So this is a feasible option for up to 8 people, possibly more if it allows you...

DOLBY AXON!

Literally the best program we've found so far. If I understand this thread correctly it should be exactly what you're looking for. If not then my bad. Also completely free!

Kohta said:

...I ran into a bit of a problem though- assuming there are 4 people, Person 1 calls Person 2, and then person 1 invites person 3 and 4 to the "conference call" only person 1 can hear person 3 and 4. So we tried a differant method, Person 1 calls Person 2 and 3, Person 2 invites Person 4, only Person 2 could then hear person 4, and only i could hear 2 and 3, they couldn't seem to hear each other unless they called each other and if any of those people are invited at anytime, noone else can invite or call them.
...
Unless i'm missing something.

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I have no idea what's going on here, but this isn't my experience. I've used Skype in the same manner (voice chat while gaming) with more than a half dozen people or so at once without any issues like this. As far as I can tell, we've never done anything special.

Ok, i set up Ventrilo, did not know you could host your own server, everything is up and running, even got my wife connected on it, i ran out to buy a headset and paid about $20 for a logitech just to get it started and iv'e ran into another problem, i wanted to be able to talk and hear people talking through my headset but hear the game through my speakers, but i am going to go ahead and assume i cannot do that unless i spend another $30 for a USB headset? In Ventrilo it almost seems possible to split the sounds but i have no idea what any of it means.

Kohta said:

Ok, i set up Ventrilo, did not know you could host your own server, everything is up and running, even got my wife connected on it, i ran out to buy a headset and paid about $20 for a logitech just to get it started and iv'e ran into another problem, i wanted to be able to talk and hear people talking through my headset but hear the game through my speakers, but i am going to go ahead and assume i cannot do that unless i spend another $30 for a USB headset? In Ventrilo it almost seems possible to split the sounds but i have no idea what any of it means.

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If you go into ventrilo's setup, you can choose the output device, where you should be able to have it come through the headset. Getting the game to come through the speakers at the same time is something you'll have to set up in the windows sound options but it should be doable.

kayson said:

If you go into ventrilo's setup, you can choose the output device, where you should be able to have it come through the headset. Getting the game to come through the speakers at the same time is something you'll have to set up in the windows sound options but it should be doable.

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The headset i got is a Logitech ClearChat Stereo, it has (2) 3.5mm inputs, one being the mic, the other being the (green) speakers, on my motherboard (MSI 890FXA-GD70 just got the new one) has built in audio, i have MSI's RealTek HD Audio driver installed, with that said, in the options i have an advanced option "Seperate all input jacks as independant input devices" which is selected, in ventrilo i have Output device as Realtek Highdef Audio, and Input as Microphone (RealTek HD Audio), i tried to use the front ports on the case which is hooked up via motherboard jack in the case and it just kills the audio no matter what i do.

I also have another option "Make front and rear output devices playback two differant audio strreams simultaneously" selected and i can't seem to get the 2 sounds to seperate. I'm probably just going to end up buying a nice $100 pair of USB headsets, just because i'm tired of buying cheap stuff lol