I had a further chance to test out the Microsoft Lifecam Studio HD webcam in a setting outside of the office and into a bedroom lit environment. The first of my problems was with Wirecast, I was going to use the switching ability of Wirecast to swap between both webcam’s and microphones on the fly to give a balanced view of the webcam. Wirecast failed to show this webcam, they suspected I have too many USB webcams plugged in but I tired on a fresh system with only this webcam and still nothing – so I gave up on that idea. At least I now know that if you were thinking of buying it and use Wirecast – then you will be out of luck.

I used the software that came with each camera to record a short clip, the purpose here show the quality of each webcam and how the in-built microphone would sound. The goal of course is to aid the people who might have seen this webcam on offer in a store, been lured by the word HD and parting cash with it. read on after the break on how it looks and how I found it.

How did it look?

As you can see from the video I made, there is a difference – while the Microsoft webcam made the whole room very bight indeed, I felt it was too bright and while the Logitech was darker, it had more definition.

Some points to think about

I already mentioned the Microsoft one does not work in wirecast, this to me is a big problem. Next up is the CPU useage of the Lifecam, why it needs to eat the CPU when trying to operate at 720p make me wonder, the Logitech does not do this. The microphone as expected on both models seem be both “roomy” in that it sounds like your in a tunnel and background noise is an issue. The last point is that the body of the webcam after using it for one hour got very hot indeed, not sure if this had to do with the Monitor heating it up or it was working in overdrive.

I personally never had much joy with any single webcam made by Microsoft and this model (the top end if you like) does not change anything but as you have the video evidence in a couple different environments to look at and compare against, you can make your own mind up.

Of the many Webcam’s out there, Microsoft feel they can offer a true HD experience with there Microsoft LifeCam Studio. While the initial price was closer to £80, it has dropped all the way down to £50 which means its is either very good value or it was not quite as good as first thought and is not selling. I had the chance to try one out for a brief period and everything recorded was using the supplied software and office style lighting. The question on your lips when you stand in the store will be “Is this worth the money and should I buy it”. I hope the video and pictures presented can in some way help you make that choice.

The Webcam itself

The webcam comes with a built in mount that can either mould to a screen, stand on its own or be screwed to a standard tripod mount. While it looks well made, it does feel a bit on the cheaper side but given the now much cheaper price, this is not a major concern. The web-cam part swivels 180 degrees in either directions which is handy for showing behind the monitor and such. It comes with a Lens Can which I almost threw out – I imagine this is not something you want to use but it is there if you want it.

Pictures

Using the software that comes with it – I took pictures at HD resolution – given the good and consistent lighting as afforded to by most offices, this is were the camera will look the best.

Video

I recorded a Short clip – again this is through the software and at HD (1280×720).

HD Recording

While it says on the Box it does HD, the highest option to record at in the software is 1280×720 which is not 1080p but if you use ‘other’ software such as virtual dub – you can record at the full 1080p resolution. The Logitech C910 on the other hand can record in full 1080p using the software supplied (or so it says).

Thoughts

In the choice between the Microsoft Lifecam and the Logitech C910, it comes down to price and low light features. The Logitech C910 is still £60 on-line while in many shops I have seen the price as high as £90. The Microsoft Lifecam by comparison be bought as I mentioned for £50 on-line, Remember though that the pictures and video above was taken in a well lit office, your mileage might vary in a normal bedroom with one light source.

Even though the PS3 could be used with my Current Logitech USB Headset or my Bluetooth Headset from my Mobile phone, the Bluetooth headset from Sony designed for the PS3 had a lot going for it compared to the other solutions. Whilst I agree that at this time I do not actually speak to anyone in-game via the PS3, I have already seen items I looked at before go up in price – so with this when I pasted by a store I had seen the price cheaper than the rest – I took the plunge, placed my hard earned cash on the desk and bought this device. The goal of this article is to go through the first 48 hours of owning the device and what to expect if you bought one.

What is it and what does it do?

The Sony Playstation 3 has Bluetooth and USB which means it has the ability to use most USB Type Headsets (wired) such as the Logitech Range and you can use just about any Bluetooth type headset if you have one handy from your mobile phone. The problem is that with the wired version, you need to get some extension cable going which can be annoying as it wraps around the chair and so forth and the Bluetooth headsets can be very bad sound quality, I know this from me pairing a G2 Bluetooth with a PC for Skype, the resulting sound quality was tinny to say the least.

This device has two modes, it can be used as a standard bluetooth type headset and it comes with a base to both charge the device and allow it to be used as a hands free microphone. The end goal is you are in a game and you can chat away with people, it is my understanding that there is no key on the PS3 to enable Push to talk but rather you mute the microphone between talking or keep really quiet.

Getting it ready to be used.

Inside the box was the Unit itself, the base, a very small USB Lead and finally a replacement rubber ring for the earpiece. I plugged it all into the PS3 and powered it on – at this stage there was no sign in any of the menu’s that it had picked up anything. I pulled out the manual and followed the guide as it said which was plugging the base unit into the USB and then the headset into the PS3 – but to no avail. Maybe it needed to be charged fully for it to work? I left it plugged in while I did some other stuff on the PS3.

Red Light stays on

The Mute button had a red light, this flashes Red when it is charging and for some reason it was on all the time after I had been charging the headset via the PS3 for about 2 hours. I could not power on the headset as described in the manual and I started to suspect at this point it was broken. I left it this way all night while I slept, my theory was it was loose power and the red light would go away. In the morning, before I went to work, I plugged the USB lead into my HTC Hero Mains charger and left it charging via the mains power supply (probably quicker) while I went to work – this was I would know it had a full charge.

Googling the answer

I now had a unit which at least now did power on (holding the power button for 3 seconds) and had a green light. Still no connecting or pairing to the PS3 though. Google turned out to be the way to go and what you do is in fact take the USB lead and plug it into the end of the headset and not the base and almost straight away the PS3 found the device and we were good to go. This now appeared in the menu to select and I could test it to make sure it worked as planned. I need to state here that Sony really needs to look at this, I wonder how many units were returned thinking it was broke?

Testing the Unit

I went into the settings and tried the voice changer function as this feeds back the audio as you speak and from that test alone let me know that the microphone was 100x better than the G2 Trek one I have and as good I would say as the USB Logitech. I am not sure if I have odd shaped ears but the ring you insert into your ears hurts a small amount, maybe this is why there is another rubber ring supplied in the pack for smaller ears? I will have to look into this. Update – this was the case – works fine now.

If you wave you head around wildly – the unit as with just about any Bluetooth headset will come off but it hangs in there better then some I have tried and why would you be waving your head around like you were at some heavy metal concert anyhow while playing a game?

Using it as a standalone microphone

One Feature the PS3 model has over the rest is you can dock the headset into the cradle and continue speaking to people. From various reviews that I have read you can get some good distance and still sound good. The main problem with buying a standard headset is once the battery runs out – thats you done, so this feature alone is worth the extra money.

Connecting to a PC

The most obvious question is, can you attached this to a computer and use it for skype. On Windows 7 64Bit which I have Bluetooth built in, I held the power button until it flashed Red and green and Windows picked this up but failed to find a driver. After some searching, I found THIS Driver which is a cab file (you can extract this). It should now appear as a device in your sound system and from here you can select it for Skype and such. I know I tested this and wondered why I could hear nothing, pressing up on the volume on the headset soon sorted this (he he).

Overall thought

Given I paid in the region of £22 for this and it was the proper headset for a PS3 – I am more than happy that it was worth the money I paid. I still feel that it is uncomfortable in my ear and you cannot blame sony for this. I Love the fact it plugs into a cradle and charges – I hate having yet more plugs for another device and I can if needed use any USB type charger I already own. I would say if you can find one cheap enough, then buy it.

While the mouse as a pointing device has both survived and evolved, the trackball is nearly extinct, except on select smartphones.

Trackballs are wonderful solutions for those with limited desk space, so it’s a shame that there aren’t more of them. Logitech, however, is revitalizing one of its classic trackball designs in the soon-to-ship Wireless Trackball M570.

Something stationary like a trackball doesn’t demand to be wireless, but Logitech has the nano receiver technology so it’s seen fit to pair that with the M570. From a single AA battery, the M570 will last an estimated 18 months before another cell is required.

The Wireless Trackball M570 will hit stores later this month with an MSRP of $59.99.

If your looking for some new gear for the PC from the fine hardware people at Logitech, then good news people – they have brought out some new toys for you to buy. We have a wireless headset, a mouse and a keyboard. The Wireless Gaming Headset G930, the Wireless Gaming Mouse G700, and the Gaming Keyboard G510. All three products are currently up for purchase on Logitech’s website, but are also slated to hit retail shelves soon.

Wireless Gaming Headset G930

The Wireless Gaming Headset G930 features “gaming-grade” wireless technology designed specifically for two-way, uncompressed audio streaming. They also provide 7.1 Dolby surround sound support, three programmable G-keys for controlling music levels, voice morphing, and chat client volumes. Memory foam keeps the headband comfortable while plush ear pads ward off any outside noise.

Wireless Gaming Mouse G700

Logitech’s Wireless Gaming Mouse G700 was designed for MMOG players while keeping FPS fans in mind. Its ergonomic design keeps the hand comfortable while 13 “precisely placed” controls offer the user plenty of customization. A full-speed wireless connection–reporting 1000 times per second–reduces lag without crippling in-game performance.

Gaming Keyboard G510

The wired peripheral in the trio–the Gaming Keyboard G510–features 18 programmable G-keys with three mode states, providing up to 54 possible macro settings per game. The built-in GamePanel LCD display renders PC performance data and real-time game stats while the keyboard’s RBG backlighting (somewhat) illuminates the desktop day or night.

Prices

The Wireless Gaming Headset G930 carries a $159.99 pricetag, making it the most expensive in the bunch. The Gaming Keyboard G510 trails behind in second place, priced at $119.99. The Wireless Gaming Mouse G510 falls into third with a $99.99 pricetag.

The Logitech LS21 is a 2.1 Speaker set with 2 speakers, a Bass Uint and a wired remote control, the specs are as follows:

Total FTC Power : 7 Watts RMS

Subwoofer : 4RMS

Total Peak power : 14 Watts

Sound Quality

The bass unit is small enough to stand on the desk with a Speaker in the bottom and a control to determine how much bass is present. The Speakers pump out a good enough sound and loud enough for PC music use for example. The good point about the entire set was the wired remote control, this allows you to locate this in a good position to allow you to turn the volume up and down quickly as well as a on/off switch. It has a headphone socket which works even with the power turned off on the front of the slider.

Conclusion

I bought these at WH-Smiths for £19.99, everywhere else they retail at £29.00 or Higher, if I had to pay the full price, then I would not have bought these but as they were £20, then worth the money to me personally, even if just for the wired remote control. 

My Current “Main” keyboard & mouse was the Microsoft Laser Desktop 6000 Set which I bought some time back. The problem was that even though the receiver (desktop thing) was right in front of the keyboard, it would miss keys a lot whilst typing and the thing was BIG plus the paint was starting to wear off from the mouse and the keys. I needed a new keyboard and the hunt was on to find a decent (but cheap) model out there.

Trust Wireless set

The First Keyboard I spotted was in the local Supermarket, made by Trust – it was THIS model but wireless and with some shoddy looking mouse, both wireless and the mouse claimed to be laser (not sure of DPI). Now it was Cheap enough, the keyboard seemed a good design and a lot smaller but something in the back of my mind told me that Trust just plain cannot be “Trusted” and all there stuff is utter crap. I searched the internet when I got back home and found a funny YouTube Video of a guy smashing up this very keyboard and how unresponsive and crap it was – phew.

Saitek Eclipse II Keyboard

My Next thought was a wired keyboard by Saitek, the good thing about this was it lit up, I asked in the local computer shop first to try it out and next how much. The keys were not as good as I expected and I think it is more aimed at the fact it does light up then actually typing anything long on this thing (from my brief test anyhow). It was the Price that shocked me, considering it is £31 online (plus postage as well), this guy wanted in the region of £50 – quite some mark up I would say and I cannot see myself needing to type in the dark.

Logitech LX710 Set

The next port of call saw this set which was originally £50+ and now not a bad price of £24 and for this money you get a Wireless Keyboard which was not too big, had enough function Keys to help me out and the mouse was 5 Button plus Laser. First the keyboard can control iTunes from Anywhere, unlike the Microsoft one which needed to have the program Selected (which is pointless you would agree). The keyboard and mouse worked well in operation and it makes sense that you need to stick with Logitech these days as they are just Better.

In the world of Webcam, if you want the best picture with the best light pickup, then you can do no better at this moment then the mighty Logitech 9000 Pro Webcam. If all you do is occasional video chat via Skype or whatever, then the cheap webcam’s will suit your needs (and save you a lot of money) but for anything else, maybe this webcam is the choice for now. Read on to find out my testing.

Testing Webcams

Anybody who knows me or regular readers will now that I have been buying (and returning) various Webcams in the hope that I might pick up a cheap model that offers both good quality and good picture from low light (well the camera thinks its low light) for some time now. The end result of all of this is you end of with a whole bunch of sub-standard webcams that are basically not fit for purpose. While the numbers on the box read well, such as 2MP and the such – the end result as shown in my various random Youtube Video’s is the quality and/or the frame rate sucks badly. The only Webcam which came close was the Creative Optiva Pro, the street price is still £50 but I picked it up for £24, so good bargain there.

Low light

I am not sure why a webcam needs almost studio lighting to get a good picture, stick some decent lighting in a room or go to a well lit office and the quality of most webcams shoot up by a big factor but my room is not lit in that manner. I have one large enough Windows which is covered by first Blinds, the reason for this is I do not want people to see inside of course. This diffuses the daylight and even during the day gives a soft light, I can see very well indeed of course. At Night, we only have the one light which for some reason is offset near the Window – maybe the house designers felt this was needed? Short of fitting a 100Watt Built or buying Studio lighting, the room by webcam standards is dark, so dark in fact that any software built into compensate either makes the Frames per Second (FPS) very low – like 5FPS or in the case of Microsoft webcams, Grainy as hell.

What I cannot understand though is my CamCorder copes with this so call “Low Light” which ease and that as you can read was the cheapest HD Model going. You need to remember this when buying a webcam or testing one out, if its not brighter then the sun in that room, the quality is going to suffer.

The Cost of this webcam

If you head to the normal high street stores, you will see that this webcam commands a £69 price tag and that alone is a bit of a “WoW – How much?” – to me at least anyhow. Searching online in my case Amazon seen this webcam go for either £48.25 plus £2.95 Postage from a company you never heard of or picking Amazon and it goes for £52. If you add the next day delivery, this normally brings it up to £60 and you start to wonder if it is easier just to pay the extra £10 and get it from the local store. I noticed a special deal for Free next day if you join this thing at Amazon which is free for one month, which I did (called Prime) and got it for the £52 – so a saving of £18, the price of the last webcam I just had then

Amazon Prime

I just read what this Amazon Prime is, it costs £47 per year and gets you Free Delivery, great if you shop a lot on Amazon. I switched off Auto Upgrade so that my Trail will expire in one months time, good job I checked or this cheap webcam would not have been so cheap after all.

Initial impressions

How would this camera cope with not only Windows 7 RC1 but the fact it is 64Bit? The CD that it came with failed to work, I could have run this in Vista 64Bit mode and it may have installed but I went to Logitech and grabbed the latest Vista 64Bit version, which installed and worked just fine. The light was in the morning (it arrived 7:30am) and my very much initial testing produced some good results indeed. The clip managed to hang no problem on my LG L203WT which most don’t due to the design and no fiddly focus ring to deal with.

Video Effects

I know that most people will not use these and indeed they are a gimmick, I liked the way they actually kept up unlike the one’s in ManyCam and the like. I am not sure if you can make your own but this seems possible, I just need to locate the software. Effects are split into Face Effects which overlays a cartoon face which moves in time with your face, Face Overlays – which put something on top of your face (Glasses etc) and finally Video effects such as Black & White etc. 

Thoughts and Conclusion

There is a wide range of Webcams out there, ranging from £5 all the way up to £100+ – The resolutions start off at 300k CMOS which means in effect 320×240, probably USB1 and the worst lens ever made – I cannot image the quality of these but hey, if you want some very basic video for the cheapest price ever, I am sure these will just about suit you but do not be surprised when it runs at 5FPS and has the grainiest picture known to man. 

What is hard to see in the store is that every single webcam boasts how many MegaPixel it can do, how well it works in low light and the picture they present on the box is amazing. I have had (and still own one) Microsoft Webcam’s – I can only suggest to steer well clear of these no matter how much of a bargain – the picture is grainy as hell. My Other saying is – you get what you pay for UNLESS you are comparing prices in the high street stores, I would not pay £79 for the Microsoft VX-6000 for example, nor the £49 and so forth, this is closer to a budget webcam.

I am impressed by the Logitech 9000 Pro, the quality of the webcam feels like it is worth the money, the clamp is very good design, its large compared to most webcam’s and the picture is as expected the best out there. I have not done an un-boxing or a video review as there is already way too many out there, so pointless.  

I did a quick look around for the price of this keyboard and it comes in at about £20 but I have seen it also for £13, depending on where you look. You may not find this model for sale now as Logitech as always have updated there stock with much different models. It is a USB Keyboadr and advertised as Zero Tilt, this means it sits very flat and is a pleasure to type on. I personally would buy this ove some of the much cheaper ones you see in Grocery stores as you generally get a much better typing experience.

The Logitech Media Keyboard advertises the “Zero Degree Tilt” design, which is all rows are of the same height, instead of rising from front to back. Logitech promotes this no-slope design by saying that it minimizes potentially painful or harmful wrist extension. Logitech has also modified the cursor-control keys, substituting the rarely-used keys with function keys, all in all to make working on the keyboard more accessible. It offers simple, straightforward options for customizing the launch buttons and function keys to load your favourite applications or Web sites or open a file or folder. There are browser back and forward buttons which are convenient to browse through Web sites. However notebook users will be disappointed to know that the Media Keyboard comes with an old-fashioned PS/2 cable and connector, and not even a USB adapter plug. And this will not appeal to our modern users who are internet and music savvy. The media part of the Media Keyboard is the top-centre control cluster that launches a specified media player and offers play/pause, stop, next/previous track, and volume up/down/mute buttons. Other buttons along the top launch your home page, Web favourites, e-mail and instant messaging clients, and Windows’ Calculator and suspend/sleep mode.