Send Video Messages to Anyone With an E-Mail Address. You'll need a Windows Live ID to send a video message, but anyone with an e-mail address and access to a PC can receive them! On the receiving end, you'll see an e-mail message that includes a thumbnail image from the video and a link you can click to view the video. There's also a "What's This?" link that takes you to a page that explains what Video Messages is and how to access the service.

Send and Receive Videos From Your Windows Vista-Based Computer. Using the LifeCam video messages gadget, you can receive messages directly to your desktop - and respond right then and there. Use the gadget to open and view the message, record and send a response, or save messages you've received. You can also access your six favorite contacts from the gadget with just one click. The gadget is exclusive to those with supported Microsoft LifeCam cameras.

The Video Messages Web Site. If you don't have Windows Vista you can still send and receive video messages through the Video Messages Web site. The Web site is where you'll access all your video messages, and create and send new ones - it's a type of inbox for your video messages. You can sort through your messages by contact, date or time received or sent, and unviewed. Log into the interactive Web site using your Windows Live ID and you'll have access to your Windows Live contacts. Your videos are stored on the Web site for access from any PC - they won't take up space on your computer.

Private Option for Your Videos. When you create a video, you have the option to lock it so it can remain private. Private videos cannot be forwarded to anyone else or saved to the desktop. Until you change the permission settings on the video, you control who sees the video and what they can do with it. If you want to make the video private, you can lock it, prohibiting viewers from forwarding or downloading the video.

Fun, Friendly Media-Rich Communication. It's easy to create and send your video, and it's just as easy to receive video messages. You get two minutes of video in a 320x240 pixel format - large enough to be easily viewable but small enough to allow for playback at low connection speeds.