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Microsoft Portrait Research Software
Microsoft Portrait is a research prototype for mobile video communication. It supports .NET Messenger Service, Session Initiation Protocol and Internet Locator Service on PCs, Pocket PCs and Handheld PCs. It runs on local area networks, dialup networks and even wireless networks with bandwidths as low as 9.6 kilobits/second.
According to their website, Microsoft Portrait delivers portrait-like video if users are in low bandwidths and displays full-color video if users are in broadband. In low bandwidths, portrait video possesses clearer shape, smoother motion, shorter latency and much cheaper computational cost than do conventional video technologies.
Microsoft Portrait pursues providing presence notification, chat/voice/video functions anytime, anywhere, on any device.
Microsoft Portrait Features allow you to make video communications with others using PCs, Pocket PCs or Handheld PCs through almost any network at any low bandwidth. Even if you are behind a firewall, you can still transmit audio/video through an HTTP proxy that most firewalls provide.
If you are unable to transmit video, you can still receive video calls. With the Chat feature, you can chat with people. In addition, you can save the chat messages.
You can use this research prototype to take pictures, make internet phone calls, but you can send files only when you are in a call.
The website for Microsoft Portrait is located here and you do not need the Chinese language pack to access the site. Go there and you will see what we mean.
You can place a call either from the buddy list of Microsoft Portrait or from the Action menu of MSN Messenger after you install Microsoft Portrait. You can also browse in an ILS server and select a people to call.
