Help Me Help My Grandmother - Webcam Related

[ghaynes]

Issue: My grandmother is not doing so good with her old age (88) and lives by herself. Recently I picked up 8 Logitech 4000 webcams to be sent out to family (locally and out-of-state) that would like to watch her to make sure shes doing okay and to communicate with her if she is feeling lonely.

Goal: Find software that will allow us to monitor her throughout the day via internet and then be able to talk to her allowing her to see us and us to see her. I would need to find software that will allow little to no interaction on her end since she is complety computer illiterate. What software out there will allow broadcasts and video conferencing to happen without too much interaction on her end. She will have a broadband connection.

Logitech owners what software have you tried out that will fit my goal. I don't think the bundled software that comes with cams will work. I appreciate any help.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

as far as I know you can either do a web broadcast, or point to point, on a broadcast they can see her but she can't see them, on point to point only 2 ends can work at the same time. this may have changed, the last time I delt with webcams has been about 4 years.

 

[tyanni]

IF you do a search on google, there are a lot of hits for video conf. and webcams.

This site is just one example:

http://www.cometconnection.com/

Another option would be to use Linux, since you could make a very easy to use system at your Grandmothers, and lock it down so she couldn't break anything. GnomeMeeting is one software package for that, check out:

http://www.mandrakeuser.org/docs/mdoc/user/video-apps.html

Its a little old, but should get you started. Good luck, and keep us posted, its an interesting idea.

EDIT - this site looks good too, CU-See ME apparently can do up to 24 participants:

http://myhome.hanafos.com/%7Esoonjp/vidconf.html