Microsoft Portrait is back with a new, improved, better performing, more standards-supporting (SIP), and ever more audacious version of its cutting edge one-to-one video communication technology.
This very advanced video communication technology works on PCs, PocketPCs, handheld PCs and smartphones on Internet connections as low as 9.6 Kbps or less.
Microsoft Portrait also integrates:
instant messaging
file transfer
text chat
VoIP
video (one-to-one)
Microsoft Portrait is the only digital video communication system I know that intelligently adapts and "scales" the quality and color resolution of its video transmission according to the amount of bandwidth available. With low Internet connection bandwidth, Portrait provides higher visual definition, smoother motion, shorter latency and much cheaper computational cost than do any other conventional video technologies.
In very adverse situations Portrait can send video feeds in grayscale, plain black and white or "colorized" mode, which while producing a very "lean" transmission it still produces visual images intelligible enough to provide a sinigificant added value to the communication taking place.
The new version of portrait now supports .NET Messenger Service, Session Initiation Protocol and Internet Locator Service on all supported platforms.
Microsoft Portrait can also be run on local area networks (LANs) and on wireless networks with bandwidths as low as 9.6 kilobits/second.
What's New in this 2.2 release:
· Support for the latest version of .NET Messenger Service.
· Support for Microsoft Live Communications Server 2003
· Support for other SIP servers
· Realizes new features such as multiparty chat in Microsoft Live Communication Server 2003.
I would recommend Microsoft Portrait both to anyone needing to carry out VoIP/video conversations on low bandwidth situations as well as anyone needing a simple, free, one-to-one cutting edge tool to communicate rapidly across a range of different hardware and systems solutions with ease and effectiveness.
Some unique features of Microsoft Portrait are:
The working bandwidth of full-color video codec works below 56 kbps.
Users can place a call by inputting a SIP URI directly in the address bar rather than adding a buddy to the buddy list and then selecting the buddy to call.
Users can specify SIP server's address and port number in the form of x.x.x.x:port-no.
Users can take a pictures up to a resolution of 800x600 if the camera supports it.
Chat in Chinese is supported:-)
Take a Picture and Send function. When you click the shutter button, a picture is token and saved in a JPEG file with its name specified at Tools->Options->Picture menu. If you take the picture during a connection to your partner, you will be asked whether to send the picture after you close the picture window.
Supports larger video feed sizes such as 320x240 and 352x288. This not only improves visual experience, but also let the program support Firewire cameras and camcorders that only output video in large image sizes.
Connecting to public SIP servers such as iptel is supported. This enables business applications of the program. Please go to Tools->Options->Accounts to configure and refer to these SIP servers instructions for details.
Compatible with Windows Messenger 4.7 and MSN Messenger 5.0 (but not MSN Messenger on Windows XP).
File transfer ability. On the Tools menu, click Send a File..., select a file to send. The file will be sent after your partner accepts.
A video feed from Portrait can look like a watercolor and still keep a low bitrate. Please check the "Plus watercolor" box in Tools->Options->Video menu to enable watercolor effects.
Portrait video uses also gray scales images when needed. The software can automatically determine when to transmit bi-level, tri-level or four-level video according to available bandwidth.
Microsoft Portrait supports Internet Locator Service (ILS). This makes dialup users able to use video conferencing through ILS due to Microsoft Portrait's low bitrate property. On the "Call" menu of Microsoft Portrait, click "Directory", a "Find Someone" dialog box will appear. Type the name of an ILS server, a list of people on the server will occur if the server works. You can then select a people to call. You can also input the name of an ILS server to the "Directory" bar in the "Options" menu, and click "Apply" button to log on to the server so that other people can find you at that ILS server.
Download
The new version of Microsoft Portrait can be freely downloaded at:
PC Version (6.2 MB)
Pocket PC, Handheld PC and Smartphone Versions
See also:
2002-10-07
One-to-one quality low-bandwidth videoconferencing
2001-12-22
BigBlueBall.com Review
2001-10-15
Microsoft Portrait: realizes video communication on wireless Pocket PC
--Weizhong Li
