Does Skype continue transferring video to clients that choose not to consume it?

Question

I attempt to find any information on whether Skype continues to download video streams in conference calls, when I close/minimize the video window, thus effectively downgrading the conference to an audio-call (for me).

However I don't find any clear answer on the internet. The motivation behind this question is to better plan whether I can reliably join calls in low-bandwidth environments (like on a train).

The same question was already asked here, however MS chose to close and lock the thread after replying with an answer that clearly shows that the support team didn't even care to read the question: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/skype/forum/all/turn-off-receiving-video-on-ios-to-save-bandwidth/b318c339-2361-457c-8c16-0c3266bf8870

So now I'm wondering, if anyone has already done some measurements and can provide a clear answer. After all, all involved computers (including central infrastructure) would benefit from lower resource usage.

Answer 1

Skype must be continuing to download video streams even when the video window is minimized.

You can see that by hovering with the cursor over the taskbar icon of Skype. You will see that the mini-window is still moving in sync with the audio.

In fact, I would guess that this mini-window is taking even more resources, since the image has also to be scaled down from the received video dimensions.