TREADLAYERS.COM: HIGH QUALITY, FREE VIDEO CALLING IS HERE!

HIGH QUALITY, FREE VIDEO CALLING IS HERE!

It seems like we've waited decades for the next logical step after the telephone to appear - cheap video phones - but it still has not arrived. Some companies have created video phones, but those were expensive and barely produced a legible image. With Skype being the world's #1 free VOIP application, it was only a matter of time until they improve the video enough to a point where details become lifelike and the experience becomes enjoyable and truly productive.

Logitech has produced now a set of three different webcams which are specifically geared toward high-quality video use in Skype:

The Quickcam Pro 9000, the Quickcam Pro for Notebooks, and the Quickcam Orbit AF.

We tested the Quickcam Pro for Notebooks model for this article. Here are its specs:

Carl Zeiss® lens
Autofocus system
Ultra-high resolution 2-megapixel sensor with RightLight™2 Technology
Color depth: 24-bit true color
Video capture: Up to 1600 x 1200 pixels (HD quality) (HD Video 960 x 720 pixels)
Frame rate: Up to 30 frames per second
Still image capture: 8 million pixels (with software enhancement)
Built-in microphone with RightSound™ Technology

Logitech has a minimum requirement of 1.4 GHz CPU for XP users, and 2.4 GHz CPU for Vista users. No Mac OS support here, and those with slower notebooks, it may not be able to cope with the images the webcam is sending down the USB cable.

Our testing of the Quickcam Pro for Notebooks entailed using the latest version of Skype for our video calling tests. To compare, we used an older Quickcam Ultra Vision SE on the other system. Both machines ran XP, with dual-core CPUs and at least 1.86 GHz CPU speed. Here are the screen shots of both Skype apps:

This is the window of the 1st PC where the webcam is the older UltraVision SE. It's video is in the inset. The main video screen is from the caller below...

Here we can see the difference between the two cameras now. This PC's camera is the Quickcam Pro for Notebooks,
and its video is shown in the inset, while the caller's video using the Ultra Vision SE, is in the main window.

From the images, we see that the auto-focus mechanism of the Quickcam Pro for Notebooks works superbly. Both webcams were placed a few inches away from the same Tabasco bottle. The Ultra Vision SE has no autofocus, and the resulting image is blurry. We tested the autofocus of the Quickcam Pro for Notebooks, and its minimum distance is an impressive 1.5 inches. It doesn't focus as quickly as digital cameras, but within 2-5 seconds, you'll get a sharp image every time.

Note that in the upper left corner of the top image, and in the inset of the lower image, there is a symbol indicating High-quality video:

This means the video being streamed is 640x480, and at least 20+ (typically 30) frames per second. In order to have high-quality video, a dual-core PC is required, at least a 512k (some say 384k) uplink broadband connection must be available, the version 3.6 of Skype is used, and version 11.5 of the Logitech drivers are installed. HQ video doesn't always happen even if all requirements are met, it also depends on the link quality, as we discovered during testing to a Skype user in Taiwan, while we are on the US West Coast. Also, if HQ video can indeed be streamed, it takes several seconds before the symbol appears.

One thing that Logitech needs to redesign on the Quickcam Pro for Notebooks is the attachment mechanism. It only opens one way, allowing it to clip on the TOP of panels only. A more flexible opening which can swivel and rotate would be much better. That way, the webcam can be attached to the sides of panels as well.

All in all, this has become a favorite way for Skypers to communicate and show things in great detail. Excellent for tech support, meetings, demonstrations, or other "social" activities.