Starting to think about videoconferencing in Fedora

[Mike C]

Having recently started to play with webcams and videoconferencing applications
in order to stay in touch with distant relatives, I wondered what other users'
experiences have been like?

I have played with several applications that work in some but not all situations
and wonder what the best approach is that make getting going quick easy and
simple in  Fedora-based Linux system.

Of course the first obstacle to be overcome is to find a supported camera.
I chose a camera that needs the pwc module which is already in the kernel,
which means the camera is plugged in an immediately recognised by the system.

Then any v4l app will use it straight away.

I wanted to be able to talk to family members across the miles, so which
application is best.

1) ekiga - it works nicely but only if you have "cone NAT" detected otherwise
there are not very nice firewall issues to contend with. If both parties have
asymmetric NAT it works well. 

2) wengo - still in development but it does work - though sound can be iffy 
and there is minimal access to video control

3) mebeam - (www.mebeam.com) a very nice web based flash application being 
developed by Ashod Apakian, and his company, in Australia. Works very well and
does not need any messing with firewalls, or indeed installing software! But are
there any security implications?

I have come across other applications (that I have not tried!) such as:
Marratech which is linked to Google.
http://www.marratech.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=2122
http://www.marratech.com/

vmukti
http://www.vmukti.com/meeting-place/vmukti-meeting-place.html

vic
http://linux.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Video/vic-15140.shtml#

ray
http://linux.softpedia.com/get/Internet/HTTP-WWW-/Ray-30707.shtml

qnext
http://www.qnext.com/video_conferencing.shtml
http://help.qnext.com/topics/personalizing/setting_picture/

Which of these, if any, actually work and work easily and well in an up to date
F7 system?

There seems to be little discussion about video conferencing or chat in 
Fedora list but would be worth finding out if there are users who have
working systems but are staying quiet in the forums.