Microsoft LifeCam VX-5500 (White)
Sunday, October 24, 2010
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Microsoft ® LifeCam VX-5500 allows you to hold videoconferences with friends, coworkers, and family in high quality video and audio, no matter where you are. It is attractive, easy and fun to use, additional faceplates allow you to choose the color that matches your personal style. Optimized for Windows Live and Windows 7, the LifeCam Cinema also works with Yahoo Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger and Skype for video calls and messaging.
Additional features:
* Send video messages to anyone, anywhere, at any time, even if they are not online
* Crystal-Clear Audio
* Unidirectional Microphone
* Always focused
* Auto-adjusts for low light conditions
* Fold
Product Description
Share your world with friends and family from anywhere ", at any time. The Microsoft ® VX-5500 webcam allows you to hold videoconferences with friends, coworkers, and family in high quality video and audio, no matter where you are. Is it s attractive, easy and fun to use "additional faceplates allow you to choose the color that matches your personal style.
Technical Details
Easy to exchange messages with your LifeCam video!
* Send video messages to anyone, anywhere, anytime - even if they are online
* Extra Faceplates Choose your color "
* Crystal-Clear Audio
* Auto-adjusts for low light conditions
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Customer Review
>> See all 54 customer review
Beware the EULA!,
The Lifecam 5500 is a cute little webcam that's extremely portable and has a nice long cord. It even comes with three different colored faceplates - dark red, blue, white-- so that you can integrate it into your 'look'. Built-in microphone, of course.
Technicals:::
Size: 1.75-inch-by-1.75-inch square
Connect: Uses a Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin Type A
OS: Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Windows XP SP2
Min. Processor: 1.8 gHz
VGA sensor that captures 640x480 video and still 1.3-megapixel images.
Warranty: 3 year
License: extensive rights assertion
I tested the VX 5500 on an older PC running XP/home. The first thing that I noticed, besides the fact that there seemed to be a lot of packaging, was that there was a tag on the USB that said that the software should be installed before the camera is plugged in.
I did NOT, however, follow that advice because I could not agree to the Licensing Agreement. [For more on that, See the Con's.] Instead I just plugged it in and waited to see if the software I had previously loaded for my Gigaware webcam would work. It did. Perhaps it is because I used other drivers that I ran into no installation problem like others have commented on. I just plugged the cam in and it worked.
RESULTS:::
Pros :::
o Plugged right in and worked on our XP Home system.
o It works with non-Microsoft drivers.
o It worked with Google video chat.
o It has a Great stand. You can use it with a laptop or PC. (The Gigaware cam we purchased is only for laptops)
o 3D effects (requires software and internet downloads)
o It handles dim lighting conditions well. [Contrarily it tends to wash out in bright light.]
o Cord length is a nice 6 foot. (Longer than the Gigaware webcam by a foot!)
o 3 year Warranty
Cons :::
o The camera tends to wash out in bright light; it does better in dim light.
o Not compatible with Macs
o Invasive User Agreement (EULA) enables automatic updates and data collection.
Generally speaking, this is a nice webcam. It compared favorably with the Gigaware cam and the 5500 dealt with dim light conditions much better. If you are into such things, there are 'fun' 3D effects like hats and what not that you can download.
I'm going to give this product 4-Stars because it's reasonably priced and does a good job. HOWEVER, if a draconian EULA bothers you I would recommend the Gigaware Webcam as an alternative. It is roughly the same price, slightly higher resolution and the EULA doesn't give Gigaware unlimited access to your computer.
Blurry motion and awkward mounting on a monitor,
This webcam is very small and folds flat. It's a great idea for travelling with a laptop when you want to keep in touch with your Paltalk friends.
Pros:
Picture quality is excellent (see Cons).
No focus needed. The depth of field is 21 inches to around 60 inches which is a great trend for the webcam product segment.
UVC support so you don't need a driver unless you want extra features.
Works in Linux due to UVC support.
Cool blue LED and interchangeable faceplates.
Hand-waving latency is very low (see Cons).
Cons:
Even with USB 2.0 the hand waving latency is very low but the frames per second is way less than 30.
Fast movement will blur your image which is something I did not expect. This doesn't happen on comparable Logitech or even the older Lifecams.
Your computer does all of the processing so it will slow down your computer a little bit more than the prior generation of Lifecams did.
A word about the fixed focus: the depth of field ends at 60 inches, not infinity. It's not suitable for monitoring a room or objects that are more than 60 inches away. It's intended to sit on your screen or desk.
The cable is thick and puts so much weight on the camera it pulls the camera off your screen if you're not careful.
Due to the poor motion support this camera is not worth the money. This camera does not compare well to the cheap, generic UVC models I got at my favorite local computer store.