Microsoft Portait Updated

[Brad Adrian]

<a href="http://research.microsoft.com/~jiangli/portrait/">http://research.microsoft.com/~jiangli/portrait/</a><br /><br />Version 1.2 of this cool "proof of concept" video tool for the Pocket PC has just been released.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/msportrait.gif" /><br /><br />"Microsoft Portrait enables two-way video conferencing on Pocket PCs and Handheld PCs for the first time in the world. This means with Microsoft Portrait, a Pocket PC or Handheld PC can not only display received video, but also capture and send video in real-time...Microsoft Portrait is a research prototype for mobile video conferencing. It supports MSN Messenger and Internet Locator Service (ILS) on PCs, Pocket PCs and Handheld PCs. It runs on local area networks, dialup networks and even wireless networks with bandwidths as low as 9.6 kilobits/second."<br /><br />This little application provides a neat glimpse of the direction that new video technologies are moving. If you want to learn even more about it, take a look at <a href="http://to-tech.com/mobileviews/Comments/Commentary.asp#Microsoft%20Portrait%201.2:%20Two-way%20video%20conferencing%20on%20a%20PPC!">Todd Ogasawara's analysis</a>.

[jpaq]

How does this/can this work?

I have a Jornada 568. I plug the HP Camera into the CF slot. Now, how do i connect my 568 to a network, dial-up, or through wireless? My CF slot is taken by the camera. There isn't another slot to plug in a connectivity peripheral.

I have to be missing something here. This seems like a good idea, but how is it physically executed?

[Brad Adrian]

Todd Ogasawara's the real expert, but I believe you can do it using cradle pass-through.

[jpaq]

Well, I guess that's nice, but it pretty much eliminates the portability aspect.

[nirav28]

question regarding the hp camera

Does it actually capture video or is it only for taking still pictures?

And also does it work with the ipaq?

MS portrait is a very good product..i tried it out without the video on my ipaq on a 802.11 setup and it worked great. i was able to get a video feed from my desktop webcam.

However, if my sleeve is holding the 802.11 cf card then it would make it useless since i can't hold a camera in it.

Now if someone came out with a sleeve with built in 802.11, that might make this thing portable.

however, I'm going to use this as a security monitor. That way if someone is at the front door and i am in the backyard, i can see who it is.

[Sven Johannsen]

You can use it portably on the Jornada if you happen to have a Cell Phone connection that uses the bottom connector. I could not get the video to work via the cradle with my 568 (PPC2002/PassThrough), though I have read about it working on a 548(PPC200) with no special proxy settings.

Yes it does two way video (I could only do one way, to the PPC, via 802.11). It also supports audio and text chat. That worked in the cradle for me.

Yes it does allow the HP camera to be used on the iPAQ, FOR THIS, emphasis being that Portrait works, but the HP camera software does not (at this point). So there is no incentive for iPAQers to run out and get the HP camera. If you have an HP camera, or a friend with one, and a dual sleeve, and a wireless card, this makes a wow tech demo. Wireless, two-way, video conferencing from the PocketPC.

It is a tech demo. The video is of very low quality, but of very low bandwidth. We are talking 4 bit black and white on the PPC. But we are talking 9.6Kb videoteleconferencing too.

It's fun to play with desktop to desktop too.

[ToBeWired]

I'm The Prime Tester For Microsoft West Coast. We Are Working With Tawian To Inprove The Product. We Want It To Work With All Types Of Cameras. We Are About A Month Away From A Full Working Copy.

DJ