Easy to use

Unlike some video conferencing applications, Oovoo is very easy to get running with your webcam and it can handle very high quality cameras - up to 2 megapixels, depending on the speed of your connection. During chats and video calls, you can add video effects such as sepia, blurring and morphing, something that sets it apart from other popular VoIP apps like Skype.

Outstanding Features

With ooVoo you can talk face-to-face with up to six people, add an ooVoo link to your blog or online profiles (so others can instantly add you to their contacts), send and receive video messages and, best of all, it's completely free. You will need to create an Oovoo account however, which, as registrations go, is fairly painless.

What's really nice about ooVoo, though, is the ability to place your contacts, and their video images, down the side of your screen in a sidebar simultaneously. This way, you can chat away to all of them at the same time and see them at once.

Set-up

Once you've started the setup process, you'll be asked to create an ooVoo username and password. You'll also be asked to add a few friends and contacts to your ooVoo account although if you don't know anyone using ooVoo, you can simply elect to send invites and hope that they sign up.

OOvoo’s an impressive video chat app, although it would be interesting to see how it performs when multiple users are trying have a video conference.

Download ooVoo 3.0.11.47 in Softonic

Special effects are categorized such by type ranging from wigs, sunglasses, hats, distortions, animals etc. The effects are not always well placed or positioned however and a watermark saying "manycam.com" appears permanently at the bottom of the screen.

You can also add things such as flags (although not many), the time and date or a text of your choice. The most fun part is changing the backgrounds however which range from a beach, pool or mountain to classic black or white and sepia. The effects don't exactly look realistic, but it's fun all the same.

If you get bored with the default effects included in ManyCam, there are plenty of others available on the developer site for free.

If you're just looking for a good laugh or a bit of online video fun, ManyCam is simple and easy to use.

Download ManyCam 3.0.68 in Softonic

Camfrog Video Chat sounds innocent enough and generally it is, although its a bit disconcerting when it asks you for your marital status as mandatory during registration! The Camfrog Video Chat interface is similar to that of an IM client with contacts listed down the right hand and a messaging box along the bottom. When you log in, you're asked whether you want to join the main Camfrog Video Chat room or a specific room such as Latino, LearnEnglish, Single and a special room for those using sign language.

When you log into a Camfrog forum room, the rules are made clear - "No disturbing the room with repeated text or spamming" and "No nudity or asking others to get nude", for example. The main Camfrog Video Chat room is chaos though. Because there are several people all communicating at once, all you see is a flurry of random messages between users. Click on a contact, and you can usually see their webcam (unless they are categorized as a "lurker" which means their webcam is paused for a while).

You can also hear Camfrog Video Chat conversations intermittently like you're tuning in and out of a radio. In general, the whole thing is quite confusing. It would be fine to have a one-on-one chat on Camfrog Video Chat but interacting with several different users at once is like trying to catch rain water. If nothing else, it's amusing just looking at people on their webcams who look equally confused as they stare at the Camfrog Video Chat messages scrolling past and scratch their heads. You also get the sense of a voyeur at times. It's quite odd to accidentally tune into a conversation between a guy who's explaining to his girlfriend that she and Camfrog Video Chat are the best things that ever happened to him!

The Camfrog Video Chat video and sound quality are pretty good and it's amazing how many people are online. It's much nicer to meet people "face-to-face" in this way rather than just chatting to them anonymously. It would be nicer to expand the size of the video but this is only available in the pro version. The same goes for seeing multiple videos at once. The overall Camfrog Video Chat interface looks a bit retro however - like MSN Messenger a few years ago - and feels a little bit cheap.

There are plenty of people online and Camfrog Video Chat has a lot of potential as a group collaboration tool. If you just want to meet friends though, you shouldn't have any problems if you persevere.

Download Camfrog Video Chat 5.5.241 in Softonic

But webcams are generally restricted to nothing but the image you see. However, with WebcamMax Full, you can add all manner of special effects and images to webcam images to make your broadcasts and webcam sessions more interesting. WebcamMax adds videos, pictures and effects to virtual/real Webcams and broadcasts on messenger services.

You can add videos, screenshots, pictures, flash and effects to virtual or real Webcams and messengers including the most popular IM clients such as ICQ, AIM, MSN, Camfrog, Skype, Paltalk, Yahoo, ANYwebcam and Stickam. You can also add special motion effects (Frame, Transform, and Emotion) over your webcam image. If you find that the program doesn't offer you enough effects, you can also download up to 1500 more from the developer's website. Apart from having fun, this program can enhance your YouTube videos or blogcasts by changing the background or environment from where you are broadcasting from.

Perhaps the most useful feature however doesn't relate to effects at all and relates to PinP (Picture in Picture). So for example, you want to talk about a certain part in a film with a friend or discuss it in a review, WebcamMax Full allows you to choose an alternative source which plays in the corner of your webcam in a smaller screen while you talk.

An interesting webcam tool which can be used for fun or more serious pursuits like picture in picture to get the most out of your webcam.

Download WebcamMax 7.1.7.6 in Softonic

MagicCamera turns your webcam into a fun device by adding all sorts of special effects and frames to the image that's currently showing on it. You can preview the webcam's image and test all the filters, effects, masks, backgrounds and animations included in MagicCamera in real time. They're all organized in tabs under the video preview, and can be applied with a simple mouse click.

The best thing about MagicCamera though is that it doesn't only work with real webcams. The program can emulate a virtual webcam which you can use to stream any other kind of video (a short movie, a photo slideshow or even the image of your own desktop) to your friends over IM.

MagicCamera works with all popular video chat-capable apps (Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ, Camfrog Video Chat, PalTalk, Skype, etc.) and is pretty straightforward. On the downside, I think the video preview is surprisingly low in quality (despite using a high-spec webcam with a Carl Zeiss lens), and some of the frames and animations included are a bit tacky.

MagicCamera makes your video chats more original and fun!

Download MagicCamera 6.4.0 in Softonic

The advantage of this program is that you do not need additional hardware or dedicated servers. It has been developed with closed groups in mind using peer to peer connections. It's especially useful when performing negotiations or interviews as you can add other users at any time. Bravis Galaxee 4free adapts the quality of the call to the type of connection you have which means that communication is usually pretty stable. In addition, you have a chat client which can also accept new additions at any time. Overall, the program is very easy to use and you never feel like you have to explain to other users how they may join and remove themselves from conversations at any time. If you need to be able to conduct video conferences with an unlimited number of users, then you'll find BRAVIS Galaxee 4free an easy to use and solid solution.

A very good multiple video conferencing app which doesn't require installation and is easy enough for anyone to use.

Download BRAVIS Galaxy 4free 1.5 in Softonic

iSpQ VideoChat effectively connects you with people from around the world in a live video chat community. There are hundreds of different iSpQ VideoChat public directories, private chat rooms, and an online contact list for you to choose from and meet people although how many people you will find online in each one is a little hot and miss.

You can also view other people's profiles and photos before you chat to them but you've only got access to this if you're a paid subscriber which leads to the main problem.

iSpQ VideoChat seems little more than an online dating or singles club for those looking to hook up although if that's what you're looking for, and you don't mind paying for contacts, you may well like it.