What's New
PC Version 2.3 2004-07-16
Improves the quality of the portrait-like video.
Adds an automatic image quality improvement option for full-color video.
PC Version 2.2 2004-01-01
Supports the latest version of .NET Messenger
Service.
Supports Microsoft Live Communications Server
2003 and other SIP servers.
Realizes new features such as multiparty chat in
Microsoft Live Communication Server 2003.
PC Version 2.1 2003-05-14
We provide video codec API in this version as requested by
lots of developers. Four DirectShow filters of full-color and portrait-like
video codec (MSFCEnco.ocx, MSFCDeco.ocx, MSBVEnco.ocx and MSBVDeco.ocx) can be
found in the installation directory.
The quality of full-color video is improved. The working
bandwidth of full-color video codec is extended to below 56 kbps. The video
frame rate selection is extended to 3 and 1 fps.
Users can choose showing local video in normal or mirror
manner.
Users can choose displaying remote video in double size.
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 picture at the size of 800x600 if the camera
supports.
Users can select to automatically send video at the start of
each call.
Chat in Chinese is supported:-)
PC Version 2.0 2002-11-20
Take a Picture and Send function is added. 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.
Larger image sizes such as 320x240 and 352x288 are supported.
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.
Now the program is compatible with Windows Messenger 4.7 and
MSN Messenger 5.0 (but not MSN Messenger on Windows XP).
Send a File function is added. On the Tools menu, click Send
a File..., select a file to send. The file will be sent after your partner
accepts.
A new skin is applied. Now our program is compatible with the
latest ActiveSkin version 4.25. You can find more skins at its web site.
PC Version 1.6 2002-09-12
Microsoft Portrait enables two-way full-color video conferencing on PCs,
Pocket PCs and Handheld PCs. This means with Microsoft Portrait, a Pocket PC
or Handheld PC can not only receive and display full-color video, but also
capture and send full-color video in real-time.
PC Version 1.5 2002-08-08
Microsoft Portrait now supports .NET Messenger Service and Session
Initiation Protocol (SIP). You can chat or call with Microsoft Portrait users
or MSN Messenger users after you sign in .NET Messenger Service or
Communications Service. Please refer to Q&A 21 for details on how
Microsoft Portrait inter-operates with MSN Messenger.
PC Version 1.1 2002-03-08
Basic video colors have been added to the original black and white
portrait video. Now a portrait video 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.
PC Version 1.08 2002-01-01
Portrait video comes with more gray scales and its visual quality is
improved. We extend portrait video from bi-level video (1 bit/pixel) to four-level
video (2 bits/pixel). The software can
automatically determine when to transmit bi-level, tri-level or four-level
video according to available bandwidth.
PC Version 1.07 2001-12-03
Microsoft Portrait now supports Internet Locator Service (ILS). This makes
dialup users able to use video conferencing through ILS due to Microsoft
Portrat'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. Some bugs are fixed, refer to Q&A 14 and
15 for more information.
PC Version 1.06 2001-11-16
Microsoft Portrait now supports MSN Messenger. In addition to previous direct IP
call, You have two methods to initiate a call. (1) You can click the
"Buddy" button in the main window of Microsoft Portrait to show a buddy list, which is gotten from your MSN Messenger,
then select a buddy to call. (2) You can also select a buddy in the buddy list of your MSN
Messenger 4.5 if you installed, then select Start Microsoft Portrait from its
Actions menu or right click popup menu. We recommend to use the first method
because (1) it is more reliable; (2) even if your buddy has not installed Microsoft Portrait,
you can still invite him/her via this method so that he/she can receive a message in
an MSN Messenger window, which shows him/her you are inviting him/her and where to download
Microsoft Portrait. After your buddy installs Microsoft Portrait, he/she can accept your call. If you want to place a call from a PC to a Pocket PC 2002, please use the
first method or direct IP call. We suggest you manage your buddy list using MSN Messenger and enjoy bandwidth adaptive voice and video,
which work on almost any networks, and secure chat, which is directly
transmitted between your machine and your buddy's machine, via Microsoft Portrait. After you established
a connection on Microsoft Portrait through MSN Messenger with your buddy, you can keep text/voice/video
communication even if MSN Messenger is broken. In addition, next time you can directly press the
"Call" button besides the IP address bar to call if your buddy's IP address has not changed.
We believe the integration of Microsoft Portrait
and MSN Messenger will largely facilitate your communications.
PC Version 1.05 2001-10-30
Both black/white and full-color videos are provided for communication between two PCs. Please
refer to Readme for information on installation.
Users can select "Black/white video only", "Full-color video only" or "Switch
between black/white and full-color according to bandwidth" in
Tools->Options->Video menu. We recommend you to select "Black/white video
only" if you use a 9.6, 14.4, 28.8, 33.6 or 56 Kbps modem connection. We
recommend you to select "Full-color video only" if you use a cable, xDSL,
ISDN, or LAN connection. You can select "Switch between black/white and
full-color according to bandwidth" if your available bandwidth is around
56-128 Kbps. Please note currently our Pocket PC version does not support
full-color video. If a user with PC version 1.05 connects to another user with
previous PC or Pocket PC versions, the video will be forced in
black/white mode.
PC Version 1.04 2001-09-24
A voice discontinuity bug was fixed.
PC Version 1.03 2001-09-01
When a call succeeds, the user name corresponding to the IP address is retrieved and displayed behind the IP address. This makes it easy to identify contactors in the IP history list. An "Auto" item was added to the video bandwidth list of compression setting. If a user selects "Auto" in the video bandwidth list, the output bit rate of the video can be automatically adjusted to the available bandwidth in real-time. The delay of talk in using Mobile Voice audio codec was reduced as short as that in using GSM 6.10 audio codec.
PC Version 1.02 2001-08-18
By modifying some parts of the architecture, we further reduced the delay in
talks. Now it is at normal level. The bug that only diagonal lines are displayed in remote windows when users
set the display mode of their PCs to 24 bits was fixed.
PC Version 1.01 2001-08-07
We significantly reduced the delay in talks.
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