Webcam Review

Adding an HD webcam is a simple way to improve the way you video chat with your loved ones. You can vastly improve the quality of your video and sound with the right webcam. The combination of an HD webcam and a video chat application such as Skype can make you feel close to your loved ones even though they may be hundreds of miles away.

Most desktops and laptops come with built-in webcams, but these do not offer many of the unique features or portability of an external webcam. The best-rated webcams offer HD resolution as well as panning and tilting capabilities for maximum field of view. They also have video effects to make your webcam experience as fun and goofy as you want.

We found some great webcam options for you. Get ready to use them any way you want – to make your own original music video, a blog entry or just an internet call to your parents or friends across the country. The best webcams we reviewed come from the Logitech HD Pro , the HP HD and the Creative Live Cam Socialize HD series. You can also find articles about webcams that will help you better understand the world of webcams.

Webcams: What to Look For

If you are in the market, you are likely looking for some decent bang for your buck in the form of a high quality, high definition picture, along with other extras such as facial recognition, wide-screen recording and high-resolution stills. When you compare webcams, knowing what you want out of your webcam will help you make the right purchase. Below is a list of criteria to consider when looking for the best webcam for your PC.

Image Quality
Image quality is the most important aspect of a webcam. The best HD webcams offer 1920 x 1080 resolution and capture video at 30 FPS (frames per second). These two specs go hand in hand in creating full HD video, so even if a camera is capable of a 1080p resolution, a video capture speed of less than 30 FPS may not be fast enough to avoid choppy video. Check the listed video capture speed; if a 1080p camera captures video best at a lower resolution, you may as well just go with a lower resolution camera, which are usually less pricey.

A webcam falls somewhere between a digital camera and a camcorder. Because of this, manufactures express image quality in a couple of different ways. Some manufactures will list a resolution of 1.3 megapixels, while others will note a resolution of 1280 x 1024. These two measurements ultimately result in the same resolution. For your convenience, we have listed both types of resolution formats for each camera above so you can avoid the confusion and make easy comparisons.

Features
You are going to want a webcam with sound that is just as clean and clear as the picture. A webcam with echo and noise reduction will help clean up any hissing or added noise to make your video conversations feel like you are chatting in person.

If you are ultra particular about a camera’s focus, a manual focus webcam will be the way to go. If you're not, webcam cameras with auto focus can be ultra convenient. A camera with facial tracking will also help to make sure you always stay in focus. Fixed-focus cameras do not have the ability to adjust the focus as you move, so at certain distances the picture may become blurry.

Extra features such as video and audio effects can add a little extra fun to your video chat experience. Once you have created a video that you want to share with the world, one-click upload features can speed up the process to internet stardom.

Design
The best web cameras offer easy connection via a USB port and can rotate a full 360 degrees. Look for high quality built-in microphones because these help bring more clarity to your video chat conversations. A webcam with a long connection cable enhances the webcams portability and placement options.

Help & Support
It's important to not only look at the product itself, but also at the company that backs it and how they do so. We prefer companies that offer long warranties, live chat support and easy email and telephone contact options. Getting the answers you need should be easy.

When you combine a high resolution video with crystal clear sound quality, you have the right foundation for a great webcam. Add features such as auto focus, noise reduction and a portable design with a full range of view, and you will have one of the best webcams available.

At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™