Skype 4.0 for Windows: Better video, audio

By Jessica Dolcourt on 04 February 2009, 4:09pm

On Tuesday, Skype 4.0 became available to Windows users free of charge. Version 4.0 of the desktop VoIP communicator is a worthy final iteration that packs some key enhancements in terms of video and audio bandwidth, although it leaves behind some of the extra adornments of version 3.8, the last stable build.

Those who have been following the triple release of betas since the summer won't see more than a few changes. If 4.0 is new to you, however, the developments are more noticeable.

Skype has concentrated on video size, quality and performance in this version. From version 3.8 to version 4.0, every design change has been made to draw video and IM to the forefront, and, for the most part, it works. The video window has expanded and calls are easier to start. The classic two-pane interface has also been consolidated into one, although you can still split them apart if you prefer.

As the culmination of the beta series, Skype 4.0 gets a pumped-up video and completely new audio engine. Compared with other codecs out there, the new audio engine, 'Silk', is touted to give Skype super-wideband audio, which operates like broadband, but uses half the bandwidth. Fewer bandwidth demands give Skypers with dial-up connections (of which there are plenty in India and Brazil, for example) a boost, keeping calls from being dropped or mangled beyond recognition.

We'll attest to the great call quality during our interview with Skype's London-based product manager. It was clear and the vocal timbre sounded true. Keep in mind that we dialled in from a newish, memory-loaded Asus computer with full broadband support and a set of top-tier headphones. Quality will still depend on your Internet connection and hardware configuration. Using headphones that support ultra-wideband audio will help.

The video stream was similarly good. Though far from the perfection of TV, we noticed fewer jumps and blips, and sound syncing that was very close to real-time. Problems that have beset Skype's video calls in the past -- a frozen or choppy image and packetised audio -- were largely absent during test calls. According to Skype, that's thanks to a new back-end addition that sticks a finger in the air of network conditions. As available bandwidth drops, the bandwidth manager tries to salvage audio first.

In choppy conditions, it helps steady the video, too, by lowering the rate of frames per second and by compressing images more heavily. Your friend on the other end may become blocky and the image delayed, but faces should also break up less than in previous versions.

Other new features include abuse reporting, for when you receive an invite from an unauthorised Skyper, and a light stub installer that pulls down the rest of the application.

Skype, it seems, has also been pulled into a toolbar partnership. On installation, you'll see an optional toolbar that comes bundled with Skype 4.0. The free Browser Highlighter includes the 'Compare on eBay' tool for Firefox and Internet Explorer. Considering that eBay owns Skype, it's not a surprising addition, and one we'll skip every time.

What's missing
There are two skins in version 4.0 -- the default light grey and blue 'Chrome' combination, and the classic hue. Skype hinted at more skin support in later versions coming out this year. There aren't plans at the moment to support third-party skins, but we've been assured that a greater focus will be put on customisation in future.

Those of you shouting about the cessation of public chats will be glad to know that Skype 4.0 for Windows will support those you already have, although it will prevent you from adding new ones. Skype representatives told us they're still playing around with ideas of how to become more Web-orientated.

That brings us to Skypecasts, another source of lamentation among some users. Skypecasts was pulled last September because it didn't get the hoped-for attention. A similar feature will probably be rolled into whatever becomes of public chats in future releases.

For now, Skype has retreated to its bread-and-butter position of providing good, clean voice, video and text chatting. If worldwide Windows users notice consistently improved audio and video quality, Skype can be proud.