Full Feed720p HD webcams from Microsoft and Hercules coming in September
While full 1080p HD is still coming, a crop of 720p HD webcams will be here before you know it. Microsoft and Hercules (the company, not the demigod) will be releasing 720p cameras for your computer in September, 2009.
Microsoft’s LifeCam Cinema is a barrel shaped clip-on webcam that will bring 720p video in widescreen to your computer. There is a built in microphone as well. Microsoft claims that the camera is set to handle the normal lighting situations of a home, so low light situations shouldn’t result in cruddy video. The LifeCam Cinema will cost $79.95.
Hercules is also bringing out its own 720p webcam called the Dualpix HD720p. It has the same features as the LifeCam Cinema with 720p HD and a built in mic. The Dualpix captures video at 30 frames per second. Hercules went with a flatter design which could make packing the device easier. Another distinction is the price—$59.99 for the Dualpix HD720p.
Both cameras are designed for Windows and don’t officially support Mac OS X.
If all of this 1080p/720p stuff has you confused, here’s a quick refresher on what these terms mean: The 1080 and 720 numbers refer to resolutions of 1920 x 1080 and 1280 x 720 respectively. The “p” designation refers to how the image is drawn onto your screen; the “p” stands for progressive. That means that an image is drawn on your screen from top to bottom line by line. The other designation is “i,” which stands for interlaced. Interlaced video draws every other line (the odd lines), then fills in the rest of the picture (the even lines). Most sports programs are broadcast in 720p because it handles motion better.
Product site: [Hercules Dualpix HD720p]
Read: [Microsoft Press Release]
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these HD webcams are great if they broadcast (not just record) in HD, but as far as I know, none of the free video IM software tools allows you to broadcast in anything but pixelated mode. Even Skypes high Logitech isn’t very high. Or maybe I’m wrong. Does anyone know?
on August 28, 2009 at 05:45 PM - LINKprobably right, but id slightly favour the MS cam if they decided to make HD broadcasting available in msn only available on MS cams.
wouldnt touch either of these until a review of the logitech ‘webcam’ pro 9000 and these 2 has been done (yes thats a new logitech cam which is different from the quickcam 9000 and is so stupidly named that their own staff get it mixed up). chances are at least one will have some sort of issue and/or perform badly in low light.
on August 31, 2009 at 06:12 AM - LINK