A microphone and speakers are required for an audio chat, but a headset is recommended whenever possible. Headsets often provide superior sound quality and echo cancellation, resulting in a better all-around experience.

Windows XP users who do not have a headset may be able to utilize a software echo cancellation package that ships with Windows XP. To ensure echo cancellation is enabled, disable all programs which are using the sound devices (such as Winamp or Windows Media Player) before launching an audio chat. This feature is not available on all XP machines, but Trillian will attempt to use it if it can be located.

A webcam is required for video chats. Most newer webcams (Logitech, Creative) work well with Trillian, and we have only found very few that do not work. Trillian supports the newer WDM model for webcam functionality and does not have legacy VFW (Video for Windows) support. If you are not sure which mode your webcam supports, we recommend you download a trial version of Trillian Pro and test it out before purchasing! We will be working to support as many WDM webcams as possible, so if you run across an unsupported webcam please drop us an e-mail.

The audio and video chats new to Trillian 3.0 require a direct connection between two computers. Trillian attempts to work around firewalls and NAT devices as best as it can, but you may need to forward/unblock certain ports to initiate a session properly. Again, please take advantage of the Trillian Pro trial period to make sure Trillian works for you! If you run into problems, please contact us so we can work to fix them.