Webcams

Roger Kirkwood | Sep 22, 2006 5:30 PM

With free video services like MSN and Skype, you’re missing out if you don’t have a webcam.

Speaking to friends and family for free using your broadband connection is one thing, but why not take advantage of the fact that you can also see them for free if you buy a webcam?

Being able to chat face-to-face is nearly always better than talking over the phone, as facial expressions and gestures add nuances to your conversation – studies have shown that up to 94 percent of communication is non-verbal.

Webcams aren’t a new idea, but the quality over a dial-up connection was so bad it doesn’t bear thinking about. And while many readers have had broadband for ages, chances are that the people you’d want video calls with are only just getting onboard.

Video calls are a surprisingly good substitute for visiting friends in person, so when that isn’t possible – because you’re too busy or they live on another continent – you can still feel like you’re there simply by hooking up your webcam. Thanks to free services like Skype 2 and MSN Messenger, the only cost will be the webcam itself, and you can pick one up for as little as $32, which won’t exactly break the bank.

Webcams don’t have to be exclusively for social calls either. With so many people telecommuting or travelling for work, webcams offer a great way to conduct business calls. You can also join remote meetings with conference-calling software.

Alternatively, you can use them as a basic security device, capturing video whenever motion is detected. Or, you can simply have a bit of fun with the many games available that put you in the action.

There are several factors you should consider when choosing a webcam: image quality (which varies widely), the field of view (some are wider than others) and features. The latter means mounting brackets, plus the inclusion and quality of any bundled microphones and software.

Fortunately, we’ve done all the hard work, so read on to find out which one you should buy.Plus how we work out the ratings.

By definition, webcams are designed to be used over the Web, so rather than simply test their quality on the PC to which they’re connected, we also make video calls to another PC using an ADSL connection.
We use Microsoft MSN Messenger 7.5 and Skype 2, both of which are free to download and use.

Each webcam is installed on a fresh test rig and we then make a call to another PC the other side of the city using a 512Kb/s ADSL broadband connection. During the conversation, we carefully assess the quality, taking into account detail, colour, frame rate, field of view and how well the camera coped with various lighting scenarios, including harsh backlighting. We take screenshots of the conversation window, both in standard and full-screen mode. You’ll find these on the cover disc. We also assess voice quality using integrated microphones and any headsets.

Tests are carried out at three different times – morning, afternoon and evening – to account for the effects of varying Internet traffic. Video calls placed at extremely busy times – such as weekend evenings – can affect the quality of a call, reducing image size and quality, voice quality and synchronisation between the two.

We also put each webcam through a series of local tests, capturing stills and video clips on our test rig using software supplied with each device. To test mounting brackets, we tried each device on a range of LCD, CRT and notebook displays. Any webcams that include infrared LEDs for dark or low-light conditions were tested in a suitably darkened room. Finally, we ran any accompanying security-monitoring software to test sensitivity to movement.

How we work out the ratings
At the bottom of each review, there are four ratings: Quality, Features & Design, Value for Money and Overall. The Quality score is determined by the results of Internet video calls and the local tests. Voice quality is also taken into account.

The Features & Design score takes into account the CCD resolution, the maximum interpolated resolution, the maximum number of frames captured per second, lens positioning and ability to focus, the integrated microphone and any headsets supplied. It also factors in software functions, particularly security monitoring.

The Value for Money rating is based on a weighted combination of the other individual scores, with the cost (including delivery) factored in to give a bang-per-buck result. Finally, the Overall score is a straight average of the other results, and the Labs Winner award goes to the webcam with the highest Overall score.

Skype 2 offers various video views including this minimal resizable view.

This article appeared in the October, 2006 issue of PC Authority.