Push to Talk? [ Edited ]

[Neil]

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epichunt wrote:

There is an option for PTT, but it should be renamed PTM (Push-To-Mute) which is completely usless. 

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whether the 'Toggle mute' hotkey operates as push-to-talk or push-to-mute is determined by the state of microphone mute BEFORE you use the Toggle Mute hotkey sequence

so if the mic is muted FIRST (either by clicking mute in the GUI, or by using the 'Mute microphone' hotkey sequence) then the hotkey sequence for 'Toggle mute' operates as push-to-talk, which is what most gamers want

if you use the 'Toggle mute' hotkey sequence when the mic is NOT currently muted, then it operates as push-to-mute, which is nice, but not much wanted

so, even though most users want push-to-talk rather than push-to-mute, both modes of operation are fully supported

[Neil]

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jetblast3500 wrote:

I would also like to see removed the requirement for a modifier key (shift, alt, ctrl) for Mute microphone.

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you are right that the inclusion of at least one 'modifier' key is required for most of key sequences for the supported hotkey functions, but that is not the case for the 'Toggle mute' hotkey

however, since all of the Skype hotkeys are GLOBAL in nature (meaning that they are active across ALL Windows) you had better choose a key that you don't need to use for any other purpose, not just within Skype, but within ANY application that is running at the same time as Skype

[BucksterMcgee]

Actually the push to talk works fine. What it does is toggles your current state (open/unmuted, or muted) and switches to the opposite state.

So normally when you're on Skype, you have an open unmuted state, hence pushing the PTT button causes it to mute, but if you instead mute the call using the push to talk button will unmute you, which is basically how most PTT calls are, i.e., you are muted until you push the button and thus can be heard.

So all you have to do is click the Mute icon, and you'll see the push to talk button work as you expect it to.

Hope this is helpful.

[Neil]

yes, the push-to-talk global hotkey works exactly the way it was designed to work, and just as I described 2 posts before yours

[Dokudoku4u]

Skype is currently unusable for me because Mouse4 (side mouse button) is not recognized as a valid key. Please fix this.

[Doc72ocker]

The push-to-talk global hotkey isn't exactly a push-to-talk hotkey. It is a push-to-toggle-mute-state. There is a marked difference between the two. Ventrilo and Teamspeak (and every other VOIP program I've ever used--integrated or third-party) have push to talk hotkeys able to be set without issue. When you press the respective PTT key, you are able to speak (and be heard by others) while holding it down.

Skype's current label for the "push-to-talk" feature is clearly a misnomer. As I said, it is a "push-to-toggle-mute-status". You press the button to be able to be heard, but then you have to press it again to not be heard, not just let go of the button. I can understand companies trying to be different than their competitors, and Skype has certainly succeeded in this regard. The numerous features and great interface alone offer an amazing platform for online communication in many arenas, yet the simple lack of an actual push to talk feature, and the existence of a feature with that name that does not provide that feature is the leading reason among every gamer I know (myself included) that we don't use Skype for gaming. Every single call I've ever been in with Skype has people breathing heavily directly into the mic, crumpling bags of chips, or someone's mother yelling at them among other noisy distractions. In addition to the aforementioned mislabeled, NOT functioning as designed, the "PTT feature" is buried in menus to the extent that virtually no one I've ever been in a call with knows about it.

In order to gain a larger chunk of the gaming market, and provide a better communication environment for those gamers, Skype should not have tried to reinvent the wheel with something as simple as the Push To Talk feature. As awesome as Skype is, I refuse to use it simply because I don't like hearing everything in someone's home, be it game sounds, television, yelling, chip bags, dogs barking, cats meowing, gunshots, cell phones, stereos, or any of the other divers and sundry bleeps, chirps, blams, kapows, kachunks, blippity-bloos or other noises that can be mild to moderately annoying, to straight up immersion-breaking, anger-inciting sonic mayhem.

Until Skype remediates this ultimately extremely simple issue, myself and MANY other gamers will continue to simply refuse to use such a great program.

[Neil · Accepted solution]

@Doc72ocker:
it would be wise to ask for clarification before making such rash declarations, because clearly you do not understand the feature fully

read this post again CAREFULLY
http://community.skype.com/t5/Windows/Push-to-Talk/m-p/535095#M45556

here is the detail on how to actually use this feature

1) for this example, I have set Ctrl+T to be be used for PTT -- in other words, for the hotkey sequence labelled 'Toggle mute (Push-to-talk)' -- as you know, many other key combinations are possible

2) start a call and then either manually mute mic using the call control bar, or use the mute mic hotkey sequence that you may have enabled -- in my case that is Ctrl+Space

3) do you agree that the mic is muted at this point?

4) now press Ctrl+T and HOLD BOTH KEYS DOWN -- note that the mic is now NOT muted

5) as soon as you release EITHER key, the mic is muted again

6) press and hold Ctrl+T again and the mic is re-muted until you release either key

7) if you want to operate in push-to-mute mode instead, then unmute the mic manually or re-use the mute mic hotkey sequence and continue at step #4 and you will see that Ctrl+T now operates as Push-to-mute -- I do agree that not many need or want Push-to-mute that does not 'latch' -- but those who do want mute to 'latch' can use the original mute hotkey sequence and mute will toggle as it always has

8 ) imo, you are not likely going to get a single-key PTT feature from Skype -- all Skype global hotkeys involve 2 keys

[derek007]

The Push To Talk function works perfectly for me on a single key. I just didn't check any of the modifier buttons.

P.S. For those who missed what Neil was saying, after you set your mute toggle button you still have to mute your mic during the conversation. This will cause it to behave just like PTT in ventrilo/teamspeak/whatever. I guess this is to stop you from being on PTT during calls to your mom. =)

[Neil]

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derek007 wrote:

The Push To Talk function works perfectly for me on a single key. I just didn't check any of the modifier buttons.

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that must be something relatively new, cause I don't think you were allowed to do that originally -- good to know

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derek007 wrote:

This will cause it to behave just like PTT in ventrilo/teamspeak/whatever. I guess this is to stop you from being on PTT during calls to your mom. =)

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I think the real reason is that these hotkey seqences are GLOBAL in nature, which means that, while Skype is running, they will apply even when Skype is not in focus, so conflicts are possible

[derek007]

"I think the real reason is that these hotkey seqences are GLOBAL in nature, which means that, while Skype is running, they will apply even when Skype is not in focus, so conflicts are possible"

Ok thats probably true...