Skype Video Messaging preview for Windows 7 and above released
The Skype team has released several new features and improvements for the messaging software in recent time. We have seen the integration of Skype on Facebook and more recently Microsoft's email service Outlook.com, and also the release of Skype for Windows 8 and several improvements to the Skype client as well.
Today's beta version of an upcoming version of Skype for Windows 7 and Windows 8 introduces another new feature that several users of the application will certainly find interesting. It now supports a video messaging feature that you can make use of to record video messages that you can send to contacts afterwards.
What is great about this is that the contacts do not have to be online or available at the time of sending as the messages get saved in the cloud so that they can access the video message next time they come online, regardless of whether you are still online or not.
To record a video message right-click on the contact in the Skype sidebar and select the video message option from the context menu. Microsoft notes that this feature requires the installation of Adobe Flash Player on the system, and that it may not be available in all markets the application is available. You also need a connected webcam or other device that enables you to record videos.
It may come as a surprise to many that the Windows version of Skype is not the first to receive the new feature. Microsoft previously has made it available for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows Phone. The beta version of Windows is more or less the last supported operating system to receive the video messaging feature.
I could not find any information about the process itself, but Caschy mentioned on his blog that videos are saved for 90 days in the cloud, and that anyone with access to the video code can view them in the browser. He also notes that 25 messages with a maximum playing time of three minutes are free (at least) per month.
You can read the official blog post over at the Skype blog. There you also find download links to the latest beta version for Windows 7 and above.
Where’s the whoop here? Friends, relatives and I have been doing this for two or three years without the help of Skype, Yahoo or any other type of program. It’s simple. Record your video, save it, attach it to email and hit the send button. If it isn’t complicated and it works, or did I miss something?
Works well Martin
Thank you for the info
A few observations
1] Skype Beta 6.5 install has the usual two boxes to uncheck or you’ll end up with bing & something else installed as well as the Skype app
2] Also I got asked if I wanted the Skype “Click To Call” Firefox addon
3] The install remembers previous Skype settings, except it ignores my preference to not launch Skype on boot [easy to change in preferences though]
4] Video message feature didn’t work until I rebooted
5] The Skype program says I have 20 free messages [not 25 as reported here] & it doesn’t say “per month” ~ maybe it’s total rather than monthly?
Michael, thanks for the observations. Good that you mention that Skype tries to make changes to your system that are selected by default in the installer. I can’t really comment on the last point as I can’t use the feature yet. 20 in total does not make a lot of sense in my opinion, unless you regain the option to record one when a previous one expires.