Ralph Johns UK

iChat FAQs: Help with Apple's iChat

Before You Start

Before You Start

For some people it is simply a question of being on-line and starting iChat AV. If you are reading this it is likely that this is not the case for you. Or you want to make sure of things before you start.

What Will iChat AV Do ?

It will Chat /Instant Message in text to multiple users, both iChat and AIM and access AIM chat rooms. In iChat 3 you can also use a "Jabber" Buddy list to se your Jabber name and Text chat to a mixture or Buddies on other Services if you engage "transports". More links to that on Page 5

  1. It will Audio and Video chat to one other user of iChat AV or Video to AIM 5.5 (No longer downloadable) or 5.9 Preferably AIM 6.1 (NOT Triton, a now defunct Beta - Classed as AIM 6.0) running on Windows XP (Home or Professional).

    NOTE: They must be using AIM 5.5 or above and must be XP

    There is an appliaction for PC users called Trillian that also uses the AIM system that allows Audio only chats (As well as Video) from PC to Macs.

  2. Depending on the capabilities of each user (which are displayed in the form of green icons in iChat. See pic to the right) you can also Audio or Video chat one way.
    (i.e if you have a camera and your Buddy only has a microphone you can start a one way chat and he/she will see you, whist you will only hear them.)

Depending on the capabilites of the receiver, you can exchange files; including movie clips, put pics in the text chats as well as Text, Audio or Video Chat. (And that si before you get to the Add-Ons !!)

If this is not what you want then return to iChat Discussion Pages or choose another page from the menu items.


Before you Start

What you will need

This list will be in addition to at least a G3/600 or better and a Mac running Panther (or better).

There was a version of iChat for Jaguar but Apple disconutined it around the end of September 2004. (This earlier version of iChat AV worked on 10.2.5 though to 10.2.8). iChat comes free as part of the Panther install. That version is currently updatable to ver. 2.1 through Software Update or direct fom the Apple site. This is for Panther.

It also comes as part of Tiger (10.4.x) at a base version of iChat 3. It has been updated several times via Software Update (once on it's own and virtually every incremental OS update)

  1. Either an AIM name (AN Aol or Netscape screen name counts already) It is free here, AIM.com. Navigate to the screen name application by clicking on the Download button.(NOTE: Don't bother with a download after getting a screen name. You will get an email to confirm.)

  2. Or a @mac.com name. This can be free if you sign up for a trial .Mac account here, .Mac HomePage. The name will continue to work after the trial period.

  3. A Firewire DV Camera (not Sony MicroDVs) or method of inputing DV from an another Camera. I use a Hollywood Dazzle DV-Bridge converter (Also works with iMovie) like this, Hollywood DV Bridge (Not the Manufacturers Site but nice pics) and I can input from an Canon analogue camera.
    (NOTE: price may not be current)

  4. A spare Firewire port on your mac. Cameras work at 200Mb/s and do not work well with other devices working at different speeds on the same cable.
    This means don't daisychain cameras with other devices

    Note: There is a workaround for USB cameras which is linked on Page 5

    Mine from System Profiler

    FireWire Bus:
    Speed: 400 Mb/sec Speed
    Hollywood:
    Manufacturer: Dazzle*, Inc.
    Model: Hollywood
    Unit Spec Id: 41005
    Speed: 100 Mb/sec Speed
    Unit Software Version: 10001

    Note the lower speed of the input in the second from last line. This may cause problems with other Firewire devices using different connection speeds (DaisyChaining).

  1. A DSL broadband link to the internet with at least an uplink speed of 100kbps.
    (Audio chats are possible over Dial-up and other lower speed connections (IDSN)

iChat Discussion Pages or The Next page or Top of Page

© 2005 Ralph Johns: Edited 24/9/2005, 5/5/2006
Updated September 2006. Moved to Gargoyles Mar 2007

Information Column

Things specific or different about iChat 3 that came with Tiger are in little coloured boxes.

Ryan's Start-up Pages for links to AIM and @mac sites for Screen names

First three numbered Links on Page 5 for Jabber



<<-- Notice the differences between the fully showing Video icon (Stacked for iChat 3) and the partially visible Audio icon for some one that can not join A/V multiple chats

Setting Up iChat

Router Set Up Section

Trouble Shooting, Info & Add-ons

Other Pages within this Site

iChat 3 & EZ Jim's iSight Stuff

Links to Other Sites

Other iChat Help Sites