#Skype video call android phone how to#
#Skype video call android phone tv#
#Skype video call android phone free#

The Stream 4K runs Android TV, and though it doesn’t have the Google TV interface, it does come with TiVo’s Stream app, which provides a very similar curated and personalized experience for finding streaming content to watch. The TiVo Stream 4K is essentially the same hardware as the Chromecast with Google TV, which means it should also work with a webcam if you buy a powered USB hub and Google Duo.

#Skype video call android phone how to#

Simon Cohen / Digital Trends How to make a video call on TiVo Stream 4K This solution doesn’t have the Facebook Portal TV’s fancy tracking smart camera (unless you buy a USB webcam that has this feature) and you’re limited to calling folks with Alexa devices, but if you already own a Fire TV Cube, or you were thinking of buying one, this is yet another benefit to owning one. Fortunately these can be purchased for just a few dollars. This means that in order to use a webcam, you'll need a MicroUSB to USB-A adapter cable, sometimes known as an On-The-Go (OTG) cable. The one caveat is that the Fire TV Cube does not have a USB-A port, which is what virtually all webcams require. You can use Alexa to initiate and end calls, as well as tell her you’d like to turn the camera on or off. It also works with select video calling apps like Zoom.

#Skype video call android phone free#

You can buy an inexpensive USB webcam, hook it up to the Cube, and use the device to make free two-way video calls with anyone with an Alexa-equipped smartphone, tablet, Echo Show, or Echo Spot. How to make a video call on Amazon Fire TV CubeĪmazon makes several great Fire TV streaming devices, but its $120 Fire TV Cube has one very cool feature that helps it stand out from the streaming device pack: Not everyone is going to be comfortable trusting a camera- and mic-equipped product from Facebook, but the Portal TV is a powerful video-calling device for TVs. Unfortunately, neither are Google Duo/Meet nor Skype, which means that as clever as the Portal TV is, it’s not as flexible as we’d like. Naturally, because it’s a Facebook product, you can also initiate calls over Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp.Ĭuriously, even though Amazon Alexa is built into Portal TV, Alexa-based video calls are not supported. You can use it to call other Facebook Portal devices, but it also works with other video-calling apps, too, like Zoom, BlueJeans, GoToMeeting, or Webex. The smart camera can automatically follow you as you move around the room, and built-in apps like Netflix and Spotify make it a handy alternative to other streaming devices. The company’s $100 Portal TV is a device that incorporates a webcam and microphones and perches atop your TV. It’s weird to think that Facebook, a company better known for its massive social media and messaging presence than for its hardware, has one of the best ways to video chat on your TV, but it does. How to make a video call on Facebook Portal TV The one catch is that, for the moment, the Duo app seems to be restricted to outgoing calls only.īecause the Chromecast with Google TV runs a version of Android TV, this little trick should work with any video-calling app that you can find on the Play Store, and possibly apps that can be sideloaded onto the device, but don’t count on it - as I said, none of this is officially supported by Google. From there, you simply load the Google Duo app from the Google Play store, and voila, you’ll now be able to make TV-based video calls with any other Google Duo user. You can buy a USB hub and use it to connect a USB webcam to the streaming dongle. Google’s latest streaming media player, the $50 Chromecast with Google TV, is a superb and affordable media machine, but it also has an unadvertised (and unofficially supported) feature. Some are elegant, some are awkward, and none are perfect solutions.Ĭaleb Denison/Digital Trends How to make a video call on Google Chromecast with Google TV There are, however, several ways to get these calls onto a TV. And when I say ridiculous, I’m talking about how virtually none of the tech companies that make smart TVs, game consoles, or streaming media devices (yes, Microsoft, Apple, and Google, I’m looking at you) have stepped up to make video calling on a TV a task that’s as easy (and versatile) as doing it from a computer or smartphone. Smart TV, game console, or other streaming media deviceīut despite the prominence that video calling has gained, it’s remarkable that so few of us do this activity on the largest screens in the house: Our TVs.