Facebook is the most popular online social network with over 750+ million users worldwide. Skype is the most widely used movie calling software in the world today. Very recently, Facebook partnered with Skype (who is now wielded by Microsoft), and now Facebook offers the Facebook Movie Talk feature (Skype-powered movie calling). This integration is likely to help both companies to increase their popularity even more. Before this integration, Facebook did not have a movie call feature, so this helps them to challenge with Google+ (which is the newest social network with a movie talk feature of their own).

Skype is software application that permits users to make movie calls (called Skype Movie Calls) to each other over the internet. Users can also make PC-to-phone calls. In order to make a Movie Call, a user must install the Skype client software on their computer and must register (create a free Skype account). Registered Skype users can make calls to other registered Skype users who are also running the client on their computers. Skype Movie Calls inbetween two people are free. But if you want to have a Skype Movie Call inbetween numerous users (videoconferencing), then you have to become premium users, for which you have to pay a fee.

What is Facebook Movie Talk?

Facebook Movie Talk does not suggest group talk capabilities. The reason put forward by Facebook for opting out of group talk is that one-to-one movie talk is more popular on Skype compared to group talk (but group talk in Skype is a paid product and that could be a reason for this lack of popularity as well). Because Skype is reluctant to liquidate the pay barrier for the premium user (in order to use group talk), it will take a considerable amount of time when Facebook adds group movie talk to the Facebook Movie Talk. But if you maintain a list of all your friends on the Facebook (i.e. all your friends are using Facebook), then the Facebook Movie Talk is the best option for a one-to-one movie talk, specially since you don’t have to download the Skype client or register for Skype (and you can initiate the call from either your home page or the profile page of the friend you want to talk with). However, Facebook Movie Talk does not work with mobile phones yet.

What is the difference inbetween Skype Movie Call and Facebook Movie Talk?

Skype Movie Call can be used to call numerous people at once (movie conference), but Facebook Movie Talk is only a one-to-one movie talk. However, Skype videoconferencing is a paid service, while Facebook Movie Talk is free for all Facebook users. Another advantage of Facebook Movie Talk is that it permits users to use the Skype movie talk service (built on Skype’s’ networking technology) anonymously, and even without installing the client (it only requires you to install a puny plug-in at the very very first time you make a call). Unlike Skype Movie Call, Facebook users do not need to be registered Skype users to use the Facebook Movie Talk feature. But, a significant limitation of Facebook Movie Talk is that, if you have a Facebook account and your friend has only a Skype account, you can’t use Facebook Movie Talk to communicate. Similarly, Facebook Movie Talk does not run on mobile phones yet. But, one significant thing to note is that prior to Skype integration, Facebook did not have a movie talk feature at all.

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