Jabber video quality is terrible

[DavidW617]

Binary package hint: empathy

Description: Ubuntu 10.10
Release: 10.10

empathy:
  Installed: 2.32.0.1-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 2.32.0.1-0ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 2.32.0.1-0ubuntu1 0
        500 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick-updates/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     2.32.0-0ubuntu2 0
        500 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ maverick/main i386 Packages

When starting a video conversation with another user who is using Empathy on an updated Ubuntu 10.10 machine the quality is terrible. See attached screenshot to appreciate how bad the quality is. I have the same pixelated look to the conversation partner on the other end.

This is not an internet speed issue as video quality of Skype is reasonably clear.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 10.10
Package: empathy 2.32.0.1-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.35-22.35-generic 2.6.35.4
Uname: Linux 2.6.35-22-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
Architecture: i386
CheckboxSubmission: 4f5564c50a42755fd0a913a86e07ee6a
CheckboxSystem: b845c366ea09c60efa3a45c1b5b21525
Date: Sun Nov 14 23:29:11 2010
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/empathy
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" - Beta i386 (20100318)
ProcEnviron:
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_CA.utf8
SourcePackage: empathy
XsessionErrors:
 (polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1:15700): GLib-CRITICAL **: g_once_init_leave: assertion `initialization_value != 0' failed
 (nautilus:15706): GConf-CRITICAL **: gconf_value_free: assertion `value != NULL' failed
 (Banshee:17938): Gtk-CRITICAL **: IA__gtk_widget_event: assertion `WIDGET_REALIZED_FOR_EVENT (widget, event)' failed
 (Banshee:17938): Gtk-CRITICAL **: IA__gtk_widget_event: assertion `WIDGET_REALIZED_FOR_EVENT (widget, event)' failed
 (Banshee:17938): Gtk-CRITICAL **: IA__gtk_style_detach: assertion `style->attach_count > 0' failed

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

thanks for your bug report. could you please enable maverick-proposed repository See https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/EnableProposed for documentation how to enable and use -proposed. and update your system. there is a fix in some gstreamer component in the proposed updates Thank you in advance!

[Omer Akram (om26er)]

did updating your system make any difference? there was a bug in the codecs which was fixed with some updates.

[DavidW617 (davidw617)]

Sorry, I should have replied earlier.

Of the two systems that I used for the initial screenshot, I only enabled the maverick-proposed repository under one. I am hesitant to add this repository on my girlfriend's laptop.

However, the results are interesting. On the computer without maverick-proposed enabled, the video chat is identical to the initial bad quality results. On my computer (with maverick-proposed) enabled, the errors are very different. When the chat first starts up, the video quality looks good and then the video gets very pixelated at parts and then all grey as if a keyframe is missing. I'll hopefully get some screenshots tonight and upload them here.

[DavidW617 (davidw617)]

I built GStreamer from source using the instructions found here: http://wiki.pitivi.org/wiki/GStreamer_using_jhbuild. When I launch empathy using this build then the person who I am having a video conversation with can see me very clearly.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for empathy (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]