Microsoft LifeCam Show (Black)
Saturday, October 23, 2010
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The Microsoft LifeCam Show comes with a complete system lock accessory desktop, laptop clip, and attachment discs, for configuring and using the LifeCam a snap, no matter what kind of computer you own. To show yourself in front of the webcam forward. To show friends and family, just turn around!
Works with: Windows Live ™ Messenger, Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, Skype
Product Features
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| Laptop Clip |
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| Desktop Stand |
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| Windows Live™ Call Button |
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| Attachment Disc |
Additional Features:
- World-class High Definition Optics with a Glass Element Lens
- Vibrant, rich video quality, even in dim lighting
- High Definition 2.0 megapixel sensor with 8.0 megapixel photos (interpolated)
- Always focused
- 5× digital zoom: Realistic, up-close zoom capability
- Video effects: Express yourself with fun effects
- Built-in unidirectional microphone with noise cancellation
- Crystal-clear audio performance
- Echo-cancellation software for improved sound clarity
* World-class high-defi nition optical glass lens
* Vibrant, rich video quality even in low light conditions
* High Defi nition 2.0 megapixel sensor 8.0-megapixel photos (interpolated)
Built-in unidirectional microphone with noise cancellation
* 5 × digital zoom: Realistic, ability to zoom close
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Customer Review
>> See all 31 customer review
Great camera for on the go....,
This is by far the best "on the go" webcam I have ever owned. I can't tell you about the technical specifications, but I can tell you the picture looks great! I have another laptop that has a built in webcam and a desktop PC that I use a Logetech Quickcam and this webcam beats them in quality of picture and ease of use. The Logetech webcam has a a few more features but this also comes with fun and interactive options that will have your have family and friends laughing while they look at you via the webcam.
Installing the software did take quite a while (about 13 minutes) but once you are done installing the software, you plug in your webcam, answer a couple questions and you are all set to chat. I love the different ways you can set the camera up to your monitor. I use the clip since it fits my monitor perfectly. The stand it very sturdy and tall. The attachment discs will stick on any clean surface on your laptop cover. It also comes with an extra attachment disc in case you loose one. The magnet on the webcam is very strong and it will hold it's place securely. The webcam can also be easily adjusted to go up and down without "popping" or sliding off.
The sleek and small size of this webcam makes it easy to tuck into a laptop bag and the plastic case ensures you will not scratch or damage the lens.
The built-in microphone works perfectly and sounds crystal clear. I tried the webcam in low light conditions at first and it automatically focused and lighten the view and it was clear. I have attached pictures to the product so you can see for yourself how clearly the picture looks in low light conditions.
Great performance in low light, but ...,
I am a big fan of video chat. I use a different video conferencing software for my work and for my personal use. It is always great to see my family over the webcam no matter what the quality of the video is. However, I have thought that it would be even better if I could enjoy high quality video over the messenger or any video conferencing software. I am using several different kinds of webcams now and some of them are built-in webcams in the notebook computer. The picture quality coming out from those webcams made by Logitech, Creative, and Apple (built-in iSight) are pretty much the same, not good. The Microsoft LifeCam Show is the first high resolution web cam I have used. So I had high hopes and it really gave me very nice pictures. However, there are things that you need to know before you make the decision.
The installation was simple and I did not have any problem with it. The thing I was impressed was the accessories. The desktop stand is the first thing I ever seen in a webcam and I immediately liked it. Since I use the LifeCam Show for my desktop and the LCD display is too thick to use a mounting clip, the desktop stand was a must for me. The LifeCam show is attached to the stand by a magnet and it makes it easy for me to adjust the angles. It comes with two more attachment discs that are basically magnets, so you can mount and unmount the LifeCam Show in other computers very easily once you stick the attachment disc on each display. The LifeCam show has two metal concaved surface in the front and back, so you have the options to stick the attachment disc on the front or the back of your display. The plastic carrying case is also a great idea to carry and to store the LifeCam Show.
The one thing that I do not like is the length of the USB cord. It is too short to reach to the desktop sitting on the floor. It seems like the maker of the LifeCam Show is tarketing it to the notebook users. So, to use it with my desktop, I had to use a USB extension cable. If you are a desktop user who puts your computer on the floor and the display on the desk, you might need a USB extension cable like me.
Since my main purpose of this webcam is for using it with a messenger and video conferencing software, I tested it on Skype, ooVoo, SightSpeed and NateOn (popular messenger in Korea) that I have been using. All works fine. However, I found something that could be a deal breaker for me. It does not give high quality video on Skype, ooVoo, and SightSpeed. The reason I guess is that the messenger (or video conferencing) software does not support it. Skype is supporting high quality video for Logitech high quality webcams, not this one. I found a Skype hack to force Skype to send a high quality video by using the LifeCam Show, however, it did not work. SightSpeed and ooVoo show familiar low quality video that I have always seen. I tried to tweak the settings, however, it was not successful. Only the NateOn messenger naturally supports it and I can see very crisply. NateOn is being used only by a small number of people in the States, though. I did not try on MSN messenger or Yahoo messenger since I do not use it. I can only hope that popular messengers will eventually support the high quality video from the LifeCam Show.
The one thing that I like the most is a built-in noise cancellation mic. It works as a USB mic and delivers very clean sound. And the sensitivity is pretty good. By using two computers at my home, I heard the voice through the built-in mic and it was very good. I would use the LifeCam Show for my USB mic for recording voice in other applications.
Unlike other reviewers stated, I was quite satisfied with the low light performance. Whenever I use any kind of video conferencing software, I had to worry about the lighting. With the light coming from behind, most webcams show very dark pictures. However, the LifeCam Show delivers bright pictures no matter what the lighting condition is. I tested at several places where normally generate dark video by other webcams, I got bright and clear video.
Also, the software that came with the LifeCam Show gave a fun time to my kids. They love to put funny effects on their faces while enjoying the video chat. You can decorate yourself as a pirate during the video chat and can make a raining effect in the background of your video. My kids were having a lot of fun with it.
Overall, the LifeCam Show is definitely a beautiful webcam and the finish of it is a top-notch. It is a 2.0 megapixel webcam and the quality of the picture coming out from it in low light condition is very good. With good light, this webcam can be used as a good digital camera. However, I might need to wait for the high quality video supported by most video conferencing software. That's why I give 4 stars, not 5 for this webcam.