Microsoft has unveiled the latest entry into its LifeCam series of webcams, the LifeCam Studio, which brings full-frame 1080p video to the platform.As Microsoft's first full-HD webcam, the LifeCam Studio has a lot to prove - but its specifications certainly seem to hold their own. As well as configurable resolutions from 640x480 right up to 1920x1080, a high-precision glass element lens provides a clarity that previous models haven't quite been able to match.As Microsoft’s first webcam with a 1080p sensor, LifeCam Studio delivers superior sharpness and image quality in video calls. The native 1080p sensor is more than twice as large as the 720p HD sensors on the market and lets more light in so people experience great video in virtually any lighting condition. Whether the sun is streaming in the window or the user is lit only by the light from the computer monitor, LifeCam Studio brings friends and family closer than ever before.
The design has had an overhaul, too: an elongated hood prevents excess light from outside the frame hitting the camera sensor and washing out colurs; the flexible base allows the camera to be tilted and adjusted; and a full 360 degree field of rotation allows the camera to be adjusted to shoot anything.Interestingly, Microsoft has also included a tripod thread on the base - meaning that it's possible to use the LifeCam Studio as a video camera, albeit one that is tethered to a laptop or PC by USB.
TouchCam N1 brings HD video to Skype
Video chat specialist faceVsion has announced the its latest HD webcam - and it claims to be the first to offer 720p video streaming over Skype.The company's TouchCam N1 - which is Skype-certified, to allay any compatibility fears purchasers may have - features in-built H.264 hardware encoding, allowing the webcam to take the strain of creating a 720p high-definition video stream for your next chat session.
While 720p resolution cameras - such as Microsoft's LifeCam Cinema, which we first previewed back in August 2009 - have been available on the market for a while, faceVsion claims that its inclusion of hardware H.264 encoding technology enables it's TouchCam N1 to be the first Skype-certified HD webcam.The in-built video encoding technology should, in theory, allow even modest machines to support 720p video recording without putting undue strain on the CPU - including, in theory, netbook and nettop devices.Having said that, the TouchCam N1 is priced within reach of most road warriors in need of a true HD camera on the go. Most important of all is its Skype HD badge so you can be pretty sure the world's most popular VoIP app will play nice with the FaceVsion. You'll also need to upgrade Skype to 4.2 to enable the 720p HD mode. There's one caveat though; the specs states H.264 streaming will only hit 22fps max., which may not be that bad as most users couldn't tell between 24 and 30fps so a little lower than this FPS range could still be considered acceptable. As for the TouchCam N1 itself, the cam has a unidirectional dual mic and auto-focus lens with 78-degree field of view.
As well as the high resolution sensor and in-built video encoder, the TouchCam N1 features a 78 degree wide-angle lens along with dual microphones which are capable of detecting and removing ambient audio from the stream while transmitting crystal-clear audio - even, the company claims, from several feet away.
Freetalk Everyman HD Webcam
Freetalk's new HD webcam is available only through Skype's online shop. For all the talk of HD webcams, we've seen precious little at the Skype shop -- until now. Freetalk's Everyman HD (Talk-7140) features on-board H.264 hardware encoding for up to 720p video at 22fps, with minimum system requirements of WIndows XP, 1GB RAM and a dual core 2GHz CPU. Apparently, Mac users (OS X 10.4 or better) can expect VGA quality at 30fps. Available soon, pre-order now for $50.
It's cleverly designed with a double-hinged mount that allows it to sit on top of just about any monitor. It's also small, light and relatively good-looking. The 1.8m USB cable should be long enough to connect to even the remotest PC.As you'd expect, HD means a maximum resolution of 1,280x720 - at a frame rate of 22fps. If you step down to VGA, frame rate increases to 30fps. Thanks to the autofocus lens, the image was always nice and sharp and colours were surprisingly faithful, even in the presence of strong backlighting. Whether the person you're chatting to in Skype will see such a great image will depend on the speed of both broadband connections, of course. During our tests, quality was respectably sharp, but frame rates were nowhere near the maximum of 22fps.
FaceVsion TouchCam
It’s 2010 and video chatting has been practically mainstream for 10+ years. You would think by now we would be able to video chat with our loved ones in high definition. Well, finally, we can: FaceVsion’s TouchCam N1 delivers 720p High Definition Video Calling supported by Skype. This USB webcam features a wide-angle auto focus lens, dual microphones, and built-in H.264 encoder for a superior video chat experience. TouchCam N1 is compatible with Windows XP, Vista, and 7 (sorry Mac users). Best of all is the easy installation–TouchCam N1 is plug & play; no drivers required. It’s the first Skype-certified HD webcam – this isn’t a huge deal, but it does make it very simple to setup, with no drivers to install. You just download and install Skype (or make sure you update to the latest version if you already have it on your PC), then just hook up the USB lead and decide best how to position the camera.
The lens has a wide angle of 78-degrees, so you can fit more people in front of the camera without having to move back. Its autofocus is quick and accurate, and kept us in focus as we moved about. There are dual microphones too, which work in tandem to help tidy up any background noise. Finally, there’s a built-in H.264 chip which encodes the outgoing 720p video on the fly. This is particularly useful if both callers have HD webcams, as usually your PC has to simultaneously play and encode 720p video. We saw CPU usage reduced by around 20%; great if you like to get on with other tasks while chatting.On paper, the FV TouchCam-N1 will blow any standard webcam out of the water, and the built-in H.264 encoder makes it a strong competitor against any HD webcam. Benchmark Reviews checks out the FV TouchCam-N1 to see if it really is capable of delivering true HD video chat. The webcam will evaluated for its compatibility, usability, and quality.
iBall Pro Webcam Webcamera - New & Latest Webcam
About this product- iBall Pro Webcam Webcamera - New & Latest Webcam Supported Operating Systems : Advantages : Web camera, with 800x600 active pixels resolution and hardware JPEG compression engine, provides smooth video and lets you enjoy the clarity of web video). Sensor Type: CMOS Sensor. Image Format: RGB24. Pixels: 480K Pixels.
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