Why Does My Camera Freeze on Skype?

By Danielle Gream

For many, Skype is a convenience, or a necessity for having face-to-face time with friends, family and business contacts. However, the convenience factor can quickly be diminished by poor video quality and freezing images. If you're experiencing freezing images on your Skype call, you should check your hardware and computer performance. You should also remember that the issues could be on the end of the person you are talking to, so have him check his system as well.

Webcam Quality

Webcams are available in a range of qualities and prices to fit nearly any budget. And while less expensive webcams may work fine for some applications, low quality cams can diminish the quality of your Skype experience. To ensure you get the best video quality available, Skype recommends purchasing a webcam that features Skype Certified and High Quality Video logos on the packaging. Remember, however, that your webcam quality affects the video on the receiving end. For quality video on your end, the person you are video conferencing with must have a quality webcam.

Slow or Busy Internet Connection

If you or the person you are talking to is experiencing a slow or busy internet connection, your video quality may suffer from lag of freezing. Both parties should close any unnecessary programs, especially those playing video or audio, running in the background. File transfers or downloads also bog down your computer's resources and use valuable bandwidth, thus slowing down your connection.

Laptop Power Saving Mode

If you are the person you are talking to is using a laptop, the laptop's power saving mode may be interfering with your Skype call. To avoid your laptop entering into power saving mode, plug the laptop into a power source or change its settings to maximum performance.

USB Issues

If your webcam is a USB device and you have other USB devices plugged in, try unplugging them. Skype warns that having too many USB devices plugged in may affect the quality of your video using a USB webcam. Likewise, if your webcam is plugging into a USB hub, try disconnecting it from the hug and plugging it directly into one of the computer's USB ports.

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