White Pine CU-SeeMe

White Pine is now a division of First Virtual Communications Inc. The cuseemeworld.com, wpine.com and cuseeme.com domains are all now owned by FV Inc.

CUSeeMe Version 5.0 Pro

This version was released to be a paired product with the latest commercial reflector product. This reflector version is not found commonly at all on the net at this time. Only two sites are actively encouraging people to connect with it, CU-Central, NixPix and duh White Pine! (those are running White Pine MPCS reflector 4.0.2) Attempts to use it with most of the other non-business reflectors on the internet (the remaining 98%) will get you a lot of hate and or banned. By default settings it doesn't allow you to be seen by others. In many cases it can make system problems for the reflector operators, hence the bans. Bottom line: don't use it and try to get you money back! If you insist on using it go into advanced settings and set your video window to smallest and select M-JPEG as the default codec. Not many refs will support this version.

White Pine CU-SeeMe Pro 4.x

CU-SeeMe Pro 4.x product appears to have been produced with the intention of eliminating the FREE Cornell software by discontinuing most support for backward compatibility. This version does not support sending in the standard video size of 160x120. This means that users of the FREE Cornell CU-SeeMe PC version cannot see you as they many times only have the M-JPEG codec. A partial fix for that is below. You will not be able to see users sending with the Gray scale codec.

It is highly recommended that you remain with the older Version 3.1.2.007 or the Version 2.1.2 if you wish to see or be seen by 90% of the CU-SeeMe users on the Internet. This new version has many shortcomings in how it can be used with existing Cornell, E-Ref and White Pine 2.x reflectors. Many of the new features added in version 3.x.x were removed. Some of the lost features:

NOTE: partial success has been reported with others being able to see CU-SeeMe Pro 4.0 user's video. A White Pine CU-SeeMe 4 Pro setup and configuration guide is located here. White Pine Enhanced 2.x.x can't handle the display of CU-SeeME Pro 4 user's H.263 video properly and shows them as lurkers (not sending video). CU-SeeMe Pro 4.0 has a new version 2.x of the White Pine M-JPEG codec that's not visible to all other CU-SeeMe version that use the version 1.13 PMatrix M-JPEG codec however the Cornell MAC 1.0b10 version CAN. To fix this you must download and install either Service Pack 1 or Version 4.01 both of which are free downloads from White Pine.

I found a page posted on another website with instructions for upgrading the Core for CU Pro Version 4 to 4.2.0.29. CU Pro with a Core of 4.2 is fully compatible with Cornell V1.0 using M=JPEG, i.e., Cornell users can see the M-JPEG video codec of Version 4, Core 4.2.0.29, with no problems. However it only makes CU Pro compatible with Cornell on Enhanced-reflectors, it doesn't improve matters on Meeting Point reflectors. The instructions from White Pines Tech Support (there is nothing on their web site addressing this issue) and were verified with his copy of Version 4. The upgrade does not change the version of CU Pro, it will still show a version of 4.0.1.18 but will show an updated Core of 4.2.0.29. It does install the CUseeMe Web version: 2.0.0.129 also. The instructions are located at: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/reflist/cuprocore.htm

White Pine version 3.1.2 and 3.1.x

This version required a different key # than the version 2.1.2 key to unlock the 30 minute time limit (per run-you can restart it unlimited times). An illustrated installation and setup guide is located at Daffi Duck's website on the page Guide on How to Set up 3.12 found here.

There is a bug in White Pine Version 3.1.0 Build 25 (shows as version 3.1.0.025 in the info) for the PC. When going from one ref to another, this bug makes it so you do not send video or that your video freezes. To fix this bug you MUST CLOSE the program and restart it EVERY TIME you go from one ref to another. This is a real pain but, it MUST be done to insure that you will be sending video. Version 3.1.1 Build 4 from White Pine is supposed to fix the Build 25 bug. It looks like the bug that was in version 3.1 Build 25 is still there for non White Pine Reflectors!! Version 3.1.2 Build 007 (shows as version 3.1.2.007 in the info) of White Pine's CU-SeeMe is the last version of 3.x released for the PC (MAC 3.1.3). All users of White Pine 3.0 and 3.1 should upgrade to this version as most of the bugs are fixed in it.

Version 3.1.2.007 is still not as good as version 2.1.2 as the videos are grainy and slow. Many users have found version 3.x.x a resource hog that slows and or locks up their computer. For those that want purchased software with the maker's support, this is the only choice.

Some people have experienced video freezing when connecting to a reflector. The point that it freezes varies from at once to as long as several minutes. A potential fix can be found here

White Pine Enhanced CU-SeeMe 2.1.2 and 2.1.3 (MAC)

This version required a different key # than the version 2.1.0 key to unlock the 30 minute time limit(per run-you can restart it unlimited times). White Pine Enhanced CU-SeeMe v2.1.2 does not turn off the flow of video from the reflector of video-windows that you closed. The only way to turn off this video flow is to use the "close-all-windows" command/button (closed eye on the button bar). This is a longstanding bug that causes the majority of complaints about bad/broken video with this version. When the flow of these videos are still present it causes the same problems that having too many video windows open. Video slows, becomes choppier and motion gets jerky. In extreme cases previously opened windows will "freeze" and the just opened video window will remain black.

White Pine's CU-SeeMe 2.1x Open Video Bug --- This section was contributed by cragis. Thanks cragis!!!

If you are using White Pine CU-SeeMe version 2.1.1 or 2.1.2 you need to know about the open video bug. This bug can be a bother to others on a reflector, and it can impede your ability to see videos on a reflector. The nature of the problem is simple. When 2.1.x user closes an open video window, the program shuts the window but fails to halt the flow of video packets from the ref to your PC. Two things happen as a result:

• The person you had been watching still sees an open eyeball icon, so they think you are still looking at them.
• The packet stream for the closed video clutters up the bandwidth coming to you, taking up room that could be used by the video you want to see. Thus your videos that are open are very sluggish, and you wonder why it is so hard to see folks.

There is no fix or patch for this bug, but there are two actions you can take to minimize its effect. First, turn off the auto-open videos feature in your preferences. If a new video window pops open automatically for each person joining a ref, you have this feature turned on (the default setting, by the way). With it turned off, you must select each video you want and open it individually.

Second, when you are ready to close a video, use the Close All Videos command. This will stop all video packet traffic. Then reopen the windows you want to keep.

Comments? Send them to Hoople <hoople_ny@hotmail.com>