Re: [Ekiga-list] Video resolution

[Rob Owens <rowens ptd net>]

On Sun, Jan 10, 2010 at 12:40:27PM +0800, Bret Busby wrote:
> On Fri, 8 Jan 2010, Bret Busby wrote:
>
>> Date: Fri, 8 Jan 2010 11:24:56 +0800 (WST)
>> From: Bret Busby <bret busby net>
>> Reply-To: Ekiga mailing list <ekiga-list gnome org>
>> To: Ekiga mailing list <ekiga-list gnome org>
>> Subject: Re: [Ekiga-list] Video resolution
>>
>> On Thu, 7 Jan 2010, Eugen Dedu wrote:
>>
>>> Date: Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:16:48 +0100
>>> From: Eugen Dedu <Eugen Dedu pu-pm univ-fcomte fr>
>>> Reply-To: Ekiga mailing list <ekiga-list gnome org>
>>> To: Ekiga mailing list <ekiga-list gnome org>
>>> Subject: Re: [Ekiga-list] Video resolution
>>>
>>> Bret Busby wrote:
>>> On Wed, 23 Dec 2009, yannick wrote:
>>>
>>>> Date: Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:48:42 +0100
>>>> From: yannick <sevmek free fr>
>>>> Reply-To: Ekiga mailing list <ekiga-list gnome org>
>>>> To: Ekiga mailing list <ekiga-list gnome org>
>>>> Subject: Re: [Ekiga-list] Video resolution
>>>>
>>>> Le mardi 22 décembre 2009 à 17:30 +0800, Bret Busby a écrit :
>>>> Hello.
>>>>
>>>> I am wondering what prospect exists, for the video resolution, and
>>>> thus the displayed video size on screen, to be increased?
>>>>
>>>> I have recently purchased a Logitech C300 webcam, which apparently has
>>>> video resolution of up to 1.3MP; 1280 x 1024, I think.
>>>>
>>>> The webcam came with access to a Logitech free videocall facility'
>>>> "Vid", which apparently (on this computer, anyway) allows for video
>>>> resolution of up to 640 x480, at 30fps.
>>>>
>>>> So, I am wondering whether any intent exists, for Ekiga to provide for
>>>> image resolution of 640 x 480, or, better, also, 800 x 600, or, even
>>>> better, also, 1280 x 1024, at 30fps.
>>>>
>>>
>>>> The higher you can get with Ekiga 3.2.x is: 704x576 30fps
>>>
>>>> (This is 4CIF, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4CIF )
>>>
>>> Okay, now I understand; the video format used by Ekiga, is apparently
>>> for television screens, rather than for computers -
>>> ("CIF was designed to be easy to convert to PAL or NTSC standards. CIF
>>> defines a video sequence with a resolution of 352  288 like PAL Source
>>> Input Format, a framerate of 30000/1001 (roughly 29.97) frames like
>>> NTSC, with colour encoded using YCbCr 4:2:0."
>>> and
>>> "xCIF pixels are not square, instead having a native aspect ratio of
>>> ~1.222:1. On older television systems, a pixel aspect ratio of 1.2:1 was
>>> the standard for 525-line systems (see CCIR 601). On square-pixel
>>> displays (computer screens, many modern televisions) xCIF rasters should
>>> be rescaled horizontally by ~109% to 4:3 in order to avoid a "stretched"
>>> look: CIF content expanded horizontally by ~109% results in a 4:3 raster
>>> of 384  288 square pixels.").
>>>
>>> I assume that the 4CIF resolution, is what used to be named something
>>> like High Definition television, in the 4:3 analogue television format
>>> (now all television screens available in sizes bigger than 14"
>>> diagonally, are this silly widescreen format, that makes the pictures
>>> look like someone heavy has sat on them).
>>>
>>> So, is the 4CIF format available for Ekiga, and, how can a user select
>>> that resolution, to be used?
>>>
>>> I could not find a means of selecting different resolutions, in the
>>> facilities for configuring the Ekiga interface.
>>>
>>> Does a method or facility exist, whereby a user (one party to a call)
>>> selects a particular resolution, as a maximum possible resolution to be
>>> viewed by the user, and the user interface software or carrier software,
>>> then determines the lower common factor for the resolution selection
>>> between the parties to a call, and uses that lower common factor
>>> resolution, for the call, at each end involved in the call, so that, if
>>> one party to a call, sets the maximum possible resolution at 4CIF and
>>> another party sets the resolution at CIF, the CIF resolution gets used
>>> by the call, to optimise bandwidth usage (me sending video at 4CIF,
>>> isn't much use, if a receiver can view only CIF) and the call then
>>> progresses using the lower common factor resolution?
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> You can set *your* resolution (the one you send, i.e. your local video)
>> in Preferences/Video.
>>
>> Hello.
>>
>> Thank you for your response.
>>
>> However, ekiga 2.0.12 does not have that option visible.
>>
>> ekiga 2.0.12 is the latest version available from the repository for 
>> Debian stable (Debian 5).
>>
If you are running an amd64 system, there is a backport available:

http://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=ekiga&searchon=names&section=all&suite=lenny-backports

-Rob