High Definition Webcams

Radiation

Radiation

Radiation

Soldato
Joined
12 Oct 2003
Posts
4,027
I was wondering if there are any hd webcams around now?

It doesn't need to be a tracking one just something with more than 1.3mp and a much higher resolution image like 3.2mp or better?
 
Well that wouldn't be its use for me, im just after a high quality simple camera like what webcams are but thinking about it i see your point. :p

So is there such a thing as a cheapish, basic but high quality camera for linking with the pc?
 
Yewen said:
Most normal digital cameras can be hooked up to the PC / used as webcams in their own right.
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I have always wondered about this, I have a DV camera that is a 800,000 pixels one, so not even one megapixel but the image quality is much superior to any webcam I ever had, especially with movie playback/recording :confused:
 
Yewen said:
Most normal digital cameras can be hooked up to the PC / used as webcams in their own right.
Click to expand...
How can you set up the camera so that it behaves like a webcam i.e. it doesn't take photos but just monitors you for like a 'live' show for example?
 
CurlyWhirly said:
How can you set up the camera so that it behaves like a webcam i.e. it doesn't take photos but just monitors you for like a 'live' show for example?
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Pretty much it should all be covered in the cameras manual.

I set up one for my son (cheapo camera from a boot fair for £1 LOL) and it was setup for netmeeting/ MSN in a minute or 2.
 
UOcUK Poopscoop said:
Pretty much it should all be covered in the cameras manual.
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I only have a cheap digital camera and have checked the manual but I can't see any mention of MSN or netmeeting.

I expect this option is only available on more expensive cameras!
 
As someone has already mentioned, upload bandwidth is going to be the limiting factor.
In the UK, most are on ADSL or cable and the upload speed is not high.
People in the states with DSL have more upload bandwidth.

Viewing a half decent cam on something like Paltalk Extreme takes over 40KB a sec, and most of us in the UK can't upload at that.
I know this as I know someone in Australia that used to have a cam running a lot.

Within days she had used up her 10 gig bandwidth limit, and it wasn't on all the time.
I checked for her what it was using with http://www.dumeter.com/
 
Radiation said:
So is there such a thing as a cheapish, basic but high quality camera for linking with the pc?
Click to expand...

Not worried about using it online, just want cheap high quality and the computer can take care of the storage and hardware/software side.
 
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split said:
As someone has already mentioned, upload bandwidth is going to be the limiting factor.
In the UK, most are on ADSL or cable and the upload speed is not high.
People in the states with DSL have more upload bandwidth.

Viewing a half decent cam on something like Paltalk Extreme takes over 40KB a sec, and most of us in the UK can't upload at that.
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That may have been the case before Max DSL but now, for residential use, the upload speed has been upgraded to 448 Kb (56 KB).
 
Most digital cameras don't have webcam function, I thought. Just cheaper one generally, I think. Camcorders will do it over firewire anyday though.
 
You can get a piece of software; well in 2004 you could, that allows you to stream the feed from the camera and then you just selected this software driver as the device and it showed the picture.

Can't remember for the life of me what the name was, but it was aslong as the device shows up named in my computer when plugged in with a video mode it would work.

Got it of www.download.com while having a spell of downloading of it.
 
imo you can stream good films at like 100kb/ down, so surely webcams should increase in quality; especially with faster PC's might allow on-the-fly compression/decompression to a higher level? idk - -
 
ErNciLator said:
imo you can stream good films at like 100kb/ down, so surely webcams should increase in quality; especially with faster PC's might allow on-the-fly compression/decompression to a higher level? idk - -
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Few problems:

1. Download is fine, but upload is another matter

2. Not everyone will have a computer fast enough to encode/decode real time. Especially not high def.

3. They would be expensive, £150+ most likely as they would need to use the same tech as a digital video cam (even digi cams can only record video at VGA res)
 
On maxadsl you only have 448kbs upspeed tops, that is 44kb/s in real world terms, include overheads and the service being limited gives you 40k to play with.

Not enough, and webcams are good enough as they are really, we need a few more years before they get any better as this generation fo cams came to early really. Only last couple of years has it came to the point where the internet speeds can provide a decent enough picture, even some on broaband can't upload quick enough for a cam of this day and age, so the leap as Raikiri says would be expensive, maybe in 5 years.
 
Xvid is the best codec at the moment and you need at least 1500kbps to make hdtv look good, therefore hd webcams wouldnt be practical. And only the best digital cameras can record in hd and they are expensive so just imagine the costs.
 
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