FaceVsion announces TouchCam N1 Skype HD webcam
By Donald Melanson 
posted January 9th 2010 2:47AM
posted January 9th 2010 2:47AM
In Store Solutions might have been the first to announce the first Skype HD webcam, but it looks like FaceVsion (yes, it's really spelled that way) isn't about to let it get off that easy, with it now introducing its own first Skype HD-ready TouchCam N1 webcam. As with In Store Solutions' cams, this one packs an embedded H.264 video compression chip to help out with 720p video streaming, and it includes dual unidirectional mics to ensure that the video isn't let down by sub par audio. Look for this one to be available sometime next month for $119.
Wow... $30 for a mic. If I were in the market for an "HD" webcam, I think I'd stay with my Logitech USB mic.
@Smurf true, they probably thought the customers were too stupid to figure that out ;)
@unwynd Exactly, that why they made two models.
NATAL
TOOLBAG
Why you don't want Skype in HD.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NapA2Y7qEg
(Bets on how long it'll take NBC to take it down)
@Teslanaut For those who live in the United States http://www.hulu.com/watch/112743/30-rock-take-510
Do the Logitech one's use embedded H.264 compression? These seem to compare very well in price. I thought the reason webcams were inexpensive was they lacked compression chips and let the computer do all the work.
If this can do real HD, that is at 30FPS(or more), then they won from logitech hands down.
And it was about time webcams got real HD, it's freaking 2010 and HD is in everything, and not at 15FPS but the real stuff.
@Wwhat
# 22fps at HD (1280x720) with H.264.
# 30fps at WVGA (768x 480) with YUV.
Problem with this one is that it's only 22fps at 720p which sort of spoils it, it does 30fps at WVGA though... uhm, as in not HD...
@TheLostSwede
22fps isn't bad because in all likelihood, the delivery of the image won't be 30fps anyway. And believe it or not most people can not tell the difference between 30fps and 24fps videos, so, 22fps won't be bad.
It all depends on the sensor, whether or not this cam is any good.
@TheLostSwede
Wow, just wow, you can buy whole HD camcorders for less and they still can't make a freaking webcam that does HD at a measly 30fps? And then claim to have a HD compressor?
I guess you just have to buy a hdmi/composite capture card and use a normal HD camcorder then, but it's pretty pathetic from all the webcam makers.
@Wwhat
That's the point..of course they *could* make decent webcams that do even 1080p60, but they are better off using cheap parts (h.264 hardware compressor? give me a break, 2$ chinese bargain chip) and probably make more money fooling the masses with their crapgadgets, and their so called "HD" label...most people don't even know what a framerate means, they just see "HD" and automatically assume the picture quality is going to be good.
@jellotime91 I found this demo of this camera
http://blog.laptopmag.com/hands-on-skype-goes-high-def-with-720p-video-calls
I do look forward to calling my family from my living room using my entertainment center.
Above posters are absolutely 100% correct.
These so called "HD" cameras only advertise HD RESOLUTION, but they don't have HD FRAMERATES! Just like the stupid Logitech Orb AF -- it has 1280x720 HD resolution, at 2 FPS!
This cam is a bit better at 22 FPS, but that's not good enough to put "HD" in the product name. It's really shameful to ride this "HD" hype and have no set standards of what something should have spec-wise to call itself "HD" -- they even have "HD" sunglasses, they're 10$ -- I'll put this product in the same category as the sunglasses unless the framerate spec is wrong and it's at LEAST 30 fps.
Microsoft LifeCam Cinema can already do HD (1280x720, 20-25 fps) w/ Skype. It doesn't do the on-board H.264 encoding though.
http://www.hanselman.com/blog/ReviewAndComparisonMicrosoftLifeCamCinemaHDAndVX7000WithHighQualityVideoInSkypeAndLiveMessenger.aspx
@mados123 yeap and because of that you would need a Quad (4 cores) CPU computer and would take up 2 of the 4 cores at 100% like in the review u posted.....definitely would not like to see what happens in a dual core laptop like mine!
@mantra: know of any ways to use the video card/GPU parallel processing (i.e. CUDA) to do the real-time compression?