Your First WebCam
Written: Feb 23 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: The price couldn't be any lower. You get a lot for what you pay for.
Cons: This is a little slow on the performance side.
The Bottom Line: I would recommend this product to beginning users. It doesn't ask for much money but gives you a lot in return.
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| powerreviews's Full Review: Creative Technology PD1001 Web Cam |
Creative’s most basic web cam model is the Creative Webcam. Even the name is very simple. This model is good for people who are purchasing their very first web cam. It’s not as feature packed as all the other available web cams out their, but it does its job fairly well.
Design
The design is very simple. It has a round base and only an up/down swivel. The top of the cam has a button for taking snap shots. The front has an adjustable ring for focusing the picture. There is a green light under the ring which lights on when the cam is turned on.
Installation
I must say the installation was very easy. The web cam connects via a USB port so all you have to do is plug it in. Then you use the included CD to install the drivers. Installing drivers is just like all the other drivers you install so this should be real easy. After, you’re ready to use it with audio/video programs such as Windows Messenger.
Software
The CD has all the programs you would need to use the web cam. Besides the driver, it also includes ULEAD Photo Express 4.0 for editing your pictures. It’s not as complicated as Photoshop and it doesn’t offer as much to do, but I’m sure it will suffice for most people. Remember, this product IS designed for beginning users, so everything should be basic and easy to use. Along with the ULEAD, there is also Creative WebCam Control. This program lets you take pictures and record videos. These are put into the Album section of the program. The Album has thumbnail pictures of whatever you selected. The CD also includes Creative WebCam Monitor. This program lets you use your cam as a security camera. Whenever the cam detects motion, it automatically records the scene. The videos are saved in the Logs part of the program. You can also configure the program so that it sends you the video to your email, so you’ll always know what’s happening.
I think the software comes with pretty much anything a beginner needs. The functions are very basic but are solid.
Performance
The web cam’s video resolution can be adjusted up to 352x288. Of course, the higher the resolution, the slower the performance. But this shouldn’t be a problem if you have a fast computer. The sharpness, exposure, etc options could be adjusted. There were a few times when my video just stopped for a couple of seconds, then continued again. This usually happens when there is a constant fast motion. Other than this, the performance stayed near a constant 30 frames per second. The picture wasn’t perfect. The exposure was a little unbalanced. At night, when lights are on, the part of your face that’s being hit by light is very bright. The part that’s not being hit by light is very dark. This makes part of your face look pale, and the other part very dark. I figured this was one of the bad points.
Conclusion
I think this product was pretty much aimed at the newer users. All the programs are very easy to use and manage. The picture is only OK. I found all of this was really worth it because of the price. I got mine for $30 and got a $25 rebate. Mine only cost me 5 bucks. What more can you ask for at that price? This product is very satisfactory considering the PRICE. If you are new to web cams and don’t want to spend too much on your first one, this would be an excellent choice.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
powerreviews
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Reviews written: 10
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