Adjust the video: Google uses Flash video, which means you can do little in the way of adjusting your webcam directly from your chat window. If for some reason you can't see video, right-click the video window and choose Settings. Confirm that you've allowed Google to access your camera and microphone (the icon looks like a computer with an eye inside it). Next, verify that you've chosen the correct webcam--go to the icon with the webcam on it, and find your camera in the drop-down menu.

If you're a member of Google+, you can use Google's messenger service to broadcast your webcam in a . To start a , go to your Google+ homepage and click Start a Hangout on the right side. Hangouts can hold up to ten people video chatting simultaneously in the same room.

You should use Google Talk if you have a lot of Gmail contacts, you want to talk to multiple friends at once (using Google+), or you don't want to download and open a separate program.

Skype

Skype is practically synonymous with "video chat." This instant messenger program lets users make both video calls and regular calls straight from their desktop.