FaceVsion ships its 720p TouchCam N1 to vowel-averse Skypers
By Tim Stevens 
posted May 25th 2010 10:05AM
posted May 25th 2010 10:05AM
faceVsion(TM) Ships Highly Anticipated TouchCam(TM) N1 Skype(TM)-Certified HD VideoCam
New HD VideoCam Only Shipping Product Capable of Streaming Full Screen 720p Video Over the Internet
FREMONT, Calif., May 24 /PRNewswire/ -- faceVsion Technology USA, a world-class manufacturer of HD video communication products for consumers and business, today announced availability of the highly acclaimed TouchCam N1 720p HD VideoCam first demonstrated in January at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The faceVsion TouchCam N1 differs from other "HD" webcams available in the market as it's the first Skype-certified HD webcam capable of actually streaming full screen 720p HD video over the Internet, thanks to built-in hardware H.264 video encoding. The TouchCam N1 also features a super-wide 78-degree field of view lens and dual built-in microphones that deliver a video call experience so real it's almost like being there.
Families and friends separated by great distances will enjoy the stunningly clear 720p HD video quality and the super-wide angle lens lets everyone get into the picture, a far cry from typical VGA webcams where participants typically only see a person's head and shoulders at best. The ultra-sensitive dual microphones transmit crystal clear sound, even from several feet away.
Businesses can get more done, too, while saving money with HD video meetings. 720p full screen, smooth full motion video and superior audio quality lets business have productive 2-way video calls in the conference room and everyone can get into the picture, saving thousands of dollars in travel expense and boosting productivity without spending tens of thousands of dollars on high-end dedicated video teleconference equipment.
System Requirements
The faceVsion TouchCam N1 requires a Windows(R) 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP PC with an Intel(R) Core 2Duo or equivalent CPU, 1GB RAM, Skype 4.2 or higher, available Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port, and Internet connection with minimum 1.2Mbit/sec "up & down" bandwidth capability. Users are encouraged to visit http://www.skype.com for updated Skype system requirements.
Price & Availability
The faceVsion TouchCam N1 carries an MSRP of $119.00 and is available from PC Connections, Staples.com, NewEgg.com and other fine resellers, or direct from the http://www.facevsionusa.com web shop.
About faceVsion
Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Fremont, CA, faceVsion Technology USA delivers true HD video communications to the mass market. Core products include TouchCam N1 & L1 720p capable webcams, FVexpress & FVexpress Pro express cards for notebooks for encoding raw 1080p HDV video streams into Full 1080p H.264/AVC compliant streams, and the Qulives video communication software. faceVsion Technology USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of faceVsion Technology Inc.
my first thought was ..natal? but then ive read the headline :D
So -- question.
I need a new webcam -- this logitech orbit AF is trash.
It will only do 5fps at the higher resolutions and the quality is just terrible.
What is the best webcam to get these days that has an H.264 hw encoder, has a decent framerate as well (30fps@720p), and will work with Skype HD, as well as 3rd party capture software?
@DoctarPeppar
There is a 720P camera out from Microsoft called the LifeCam. They claim it does 30FPS at 720P. I haven't personally tested it though. We bought several of them for our sales offices around the country and have been happy enough with them. The quality is great and it has several decent features. For $80.00 I don't really see you finding a whole lot better out there. As for the hardware encoder - your CPU is very much over the top for rendering 30fps 720P video. It shouldn't be an issue at all.
Check it out here:
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/digitalcommunication/productdetails.aspx?pid=008
[Microsoft.com]
@thesquarerootof
Thanks..I've seen the lifecam but I dunno about the no encoder thing.
Maybe I will wait for a better one that has an encoder and can do 30fps.
I have FIOS so I have very quick uploads, so that shouldn't be a prob.
@DoctarPeppar
USB2.0 limits you to about 200Mbps sustainable bit rate, so at 2Mp you will only get to ~5fps. The Orbit AF does have JPEG encoding to get the frame rate up but Skype can't use that. That camera has quite a big sensor (relatively speaking) so I wouldn't expect you will find another more recent one will outperform it, unless you have a dud one...
@knightofni
Then how are all these new cameras like the ones in this article getting 20-30fps at 720p?
The logitech orbit AF can do 30fps but only at VGA resolution....
I don't think the USB 2.0 throughput has _anything_ to do with it...
480Mbps is plenty bandwidth for decent framerates...firewire is only 400 and people have been using that to do HD capture for years now.
This camera only does 22fps @ 720p, in tests it only gets 18-20fps in skype.
There are a small number of hd cameras out there which are all better than this due to the low framerate, avoid this at all costs! H264 onboard encoders arent needed unless you have an old pc so that should really factor into your decisions.
I'm sure in 18 months time HD cameras will go down alot in price and they will become alot more common.
@hajj3
Thanks for the specs...20fps is unacceptable for a camera that costs more than 100$. I am kind of on the fence about an onboard H.264 encoder -- it's a good thing today but CPUs are always getting faster. I don't have a nehalem yet tho, still running a Q6600, so I think as this point I would be better off getting a cam with an integrated encoder.
So..what's the verdict engadget...best 720p webcam that can do a
solid 30fps and works with skype hd and has integrated h.264 encoder?
What are the requirements to use a HD webcam? Is a basic internet connection like maybe DSL 6000 enough to stream that fluently?
a q6600 is plenty fast enough to do the h264 encoding, no point getting an onboard encoder with a good cpu like that. You need 1.2mb/s upload and download speed to be able to do 720p on skype i believe. I've got a 20mb down but only a 0.75mb up, stupid virgin isp :(
Again, Engadget prints a whole article about a product without a link to the product or the company website, but containing three links that just circle back to Engadget.
What is this site, some kind of "walled garden"??
It's not very "open" of you to do this.
So if there's a better one, then which one specifically? MS one linked?
I'd like a camera w/ onboard hw encoder,720 and 22fps+.
If none, then I'll buy MS.
(I agree w/ Gazoobee... "Again, Engadget prints a whole article about a product without a link to the product").
Wait, but MS cam is not onboard hw?
I want that.
I am back to the facevsion. (unless someone has better one plz).
I would not buy this thing just because of this over the top (Billy Mays style) promotional you tube video for the FaceVsion TouchCam N1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vgdorsUFEI
@ hajj3
A fast PC wont solve the problem that you are trying to get HD video over USB2.0, which is (in reality) limited to about 200Mbps (you can't reach/sustain the 480Mbps theoretical limit due to protocol overheads).
1280x720 image x 30fps x 16bits/pixel = ~440Mbps
...that is why you need in-camera compression to get to 30fps at HD resolution.
Of course once you get the video over to the PC then your processor is the next limiting factor (along with your ISP :-) H.264 encoding is still very, very heavy lifting for most PCs and you probably need a quad core processor to handle that plus all the heavy duty audio processing and encryption that Skype uses (if you want 30fps).
@knightofni
Your math is off. It's not 16 bits/pixel. It's 16 (or 8) bits per channel (RGB) for a total of 24 or 48 bits per pixel.
@epwnym Video only uses half resolution in color channel.