Video will start to flip upside down rapidly

[NiallHughes]

Hi,

My company is using skype for remote meetings, when connected to our other branch the video they see, as well as the picture in picture of our own image will inverse its self rapidly making the video unusable.

When we use a tracert, we are getting a large latency hop during the call.

Skype is running off of windows XP, with a Microsoft lifecam 7000.

The camera drivers, skype, and windows are all up to date with the most recent drivers/updates.

Any help with this issue would be much appreciated.

Sorry if this issue is in another post, I was unable to find it if it was.

[g4pilut]

I think that's the first time I'm seeing that particular problem which would explain why you couldn't find an existing thread about it.

If you click on Tools > Options > Video settings, is your video display there stable or does it do the same thing as when you're on a call?

What version of Skype are you running?  Click on Help > About Skype for the specific number.   If you don't already have v5.6.0.156 installed, update to that version via the full installer from this link:  http://download.skype.com/msi/SkypeSetup_5.8.0.156.msi

If the problem persists, when you're on a call and seeing the problem, click on Call Technical Info.  Copy and paste the results here.  That may shed some light on what's causing the problem.

[NiallHughes]

Thank you for your quick reply,

The video is normal when viewing through the skype video test/settings.

The issue only seems to happen when on a call out side of our local network.

I will use your link to install that version of skype to be sure and get the call technical info when it happens again.

Thank you again.

[g4pilut]

  Standing by for further, which I hope will be that the recent update correct your problem. 

[LesC]

I'm experiencing exactly the same issue with my picture-in-picture flipping upside down and back rapidly. Happens intermittently, not constantly. Have Skype version 5.8.0.156 on PC running XP. Camera is a Logitech C270 HD webcam. I'm pretty new to Skype so haven't been using it long enough to establish a pattern as to when it happens...

Someone with the same issue here too: http://community.skype.com/t5/Windows/Fast-Flipping-Picture-from-my-webcam-when-using-SKYPE/td-p/141...

[eziamsterdam]

I recently encountered the problem of my image flipping upside down during a Skype session as well. Never saw that before. The party at the other end also sees my image flipping upside down. My Skype version is 5.5.559.119 on XP with a Microsoft Lifecam VX-7000.

Anybody any clue?

Thanks for your attention.

[jvinto01]

Same Problem.  Using Microsoft video Cam 3.5 with XP.

[acorns]

PROBLEM & OBSERVATIONS RELATING TO RAPID VIDEO FLIPPING:

I have read posts from several other users who are or were getting rapid video flipping.  well, I am also getting rapid video flipping and I don't yet

have a solution.  So any help would be appreciated.  The other posters didn't provide details about what they saw.  For me the flipping started

sometime after the video was enabled either by selecting the "Webcam" tab from the Call Quality Information button, or by going to

"Tools>Options>Video Settings."    The Webcam tab indicates that: my video quality is medium.

I thought it was interesting that the video image didn't start flipping immediately after enabling the video display.  So what I did was to bring up

Windows Task Manager (WTM) and highlight the SKYPE.EXE task.  What I found was that when the video display was enabled, the

SKYPE.EXE CPU usage as shown by WTM was in the range: mid to upper 40's percent.  But after a period of time, that ranged from around 1

minute to up to slightly under 2 minutes,  the CPU utilization of SKYPE.EXE jumped abruptly to the range: mid 80's to lower 90's percent!  It is

interesting that the SKYPE.EXE CPU usage would nearly double for no apparent reason.  Once the SKYPE.EXE CPU usage jumped to this new

higher level, the video flipping would start from almost immediately to up to 3 minutes later.

Once started, the video flipping continued without stopping.  As soon as the video display was deselected, the CPU  usage dropped to a few

percent.  If the video display was re-enabled too soon after being disabled, the video flipping would resume immediately.

By the way, the video flipping appears as though the image is flipping about a horizontal line that runs through the middle of the video frame. 

While it is flipping, the video image seems to be in the correct orientation a majority of the time.

Do any of these obervations point to a solution?  Information about my system is included below.

*******************************************************************************************
System Requirements for running SKYPE on Windows compared to my system
in angle brackets:
*******************************************************************************************

Version:  Windows XP   < Windows XP Pro, 32-bit >
 Windows Vista
 Windows 7
 (32-bit and 64-bit versions supported)
Processor:  At least 1GHz   < 1.86 GHz >
RAM:   At least 256 MB  < 512MB - 64MB (for video) = 448 MB >
Additional software:  DirectX v9.0 or above  < DirectX version 9.0c >

*******************************************************************

 MY PC SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS

*******************************************************************

VIDEO CALLING HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, AND SERVICES:

Webcam:  Logitech HD Webcam C615 (Interface is USB version 1.1)

Video calling software:  SKYPE version 5.9.0.114

Internet access:  Verizon FiOS  15 Mbps/ 5 Mbps
The Internet conection is through a wireless router, an Actiontec MI424WR

PC  USED:

OS Name:   Microsoft Windows XP Professional 
Version: 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600 
OS Manufacturer: Microsoft Corporation 

System Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard 
System Model: Pavilion ze4500 (DM736A) 
System Type: X86-based PC 
Processor: x86 Family 6 Model 10 Stepping 0 AuthenticAMD ~1855 Mhz 
  (a.k.a.:  Mobile AMD Athlon XP2500+  1.86 GHz)

BIOS Version/Date: Phoenix Technologies Ltd. KAM1.49, 9/12/2003 
SMBIOS Version: 2.3 

 
Total Physical Memory: 512.00 MB 
(Note:  64 MB of physical memory is used for video, leaving a total of 448 MB of RAM) 

*********************************
Driver Information:

*********************************

USB Video Device (WEBCAM):

Windows Device Manager/Imaging devices/USB Video Device/Location 0 (HD Webcam C615)

Driver Provider:  Microsoft
Driver Date: 7/1/2001
Driver Version: 5.1.2600.5512
(14 total files)

Wireless Network Adapter:
Windows Device Manager/Network adapters/HP WLAN 54g W450 Network Adapter

Manufacturer: Broadcom

Driver Provider: Broadcom
Driver Date: 3/19/2003
Driver  Version: 3.10.53.0

Driver File: BCMWL5.SYS

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[ruwim]

Try to connect your webcam to an USB 2.0 port. USB 1.1 isn't sufficient for a HD webcam.

[acorns]

ruwim, 

Thank you for responding so quickly.

Unfortunately my PC has no USB 2.0 ports.  I thought when Skype showed my video quality as "medium" that it was giving me the best quality  that is possible with a USB 1.1 connection.  I can see good video for several minutes before the flipping starts, so why can't that be sustained?

Even though my webcam is an HD type, I don't really need HD quality video.  In their listed minimum requirements Logitech shows USB 1.1 with USB 2.0 recommended so I thought it would work for me.