Logitech launches four HD webcams, we preview the 1080p C910

It seems like only yesterday webcams were struggling to shed their VGA roots; that megapixel cams were relying on interpolation tricks to falsely boost the pixel counts of their dinky sensors. No more. The age of the HD webcam is truly here, and Logitech has just announced a suite of the things, including the highest of the high: the 1080p HD Pro Webcam C910. It's fitting that the manufacturer behind the most iconic brand in webcams would jump straight to the top of the resolution charts, but do the extra pixels warrant the $99 price tag? Click on in to see the video proof and decide for yourself.

Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910

The gamut

First let's get the details out of the way. Logitech is announcing four webcams, with the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 having the longest title and the best specs. It'll record at 1080p, do video chat at 720p, has stereo microphones and an auto-focusing Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. This cam is set to release worldwide for $99 in August. Next is the more portable-friendly and slightly more affordable $59 C510. This model does without the 1080p recording but still does 720p video chat, and folds up neatly to protect the screen for travelers. Then, there are the C310 and C270, $49 and $39 HD webcams for the budget-minded.

Logitech HD series webcams

Finally, Logitech is pushing the HD update of its Logitech Vid video chat software. Logitech will be including the software in its Google TV product, meaning to get your HD video chat on you won't even need a computer.

All the cams will naturally do HD chat using Logitech's software, but they won't do it using Skype's. Skype HD requires that its certified cams have onboard video processors to offload the heavy lifting from the computer that's providing the USB port. None of Logitech's offerings deliver that. But, as more and more cams move into higher and higher megapixel territory, we wouldn't be surprised if Skype relaxes that requirement a bit.

Testing the C910

Logitech was kind enough to send us a pre-production C910 model to play with for a few days, and so far we've been reasonably impressed. We hadn't thought that we needed high-resolution webcammery when phoning home to say "hi" to the missus from some tech conference or another, but the improvement in quality over a standard webcam is so noticeable that, well, it's a little hard to go back.

Webcams have never been particularly good in dimly lit rooms, but the C910 does a good job of capturing enough light to make the image parseable -- though you'll want to warm up your CFLs for the best image. The camera's auto-focus is a bit slow, but so long as you don't fidget too much during your chat you'll be fine. Also, the camera can automatically digitally zoom in on your face and pan around as you move within its field of view, which is a great feature if you have to position the thing far away and don't want to give those around you a great view of your surroundings.

In terms of design, the C910 represents Logitech's typical high-quality feel, with a combination of matte and high-gloss plastics plus rubberized bits that look great. It has a nice heft in your hand, but that's largely thanks to the weight placed at the bottom of its hinged mount to counter-balance the camera itself. The mount has two hinge points and is designed to either run down the back of an LCD display or lay flat atop something with a bit more depth. We do wish the top hinge, where the camera is mounted, had a bit more articulation to it (it looks to be about 45 degrees in either direction), but nevertheless we never had a problem getting it pointed in the right direction.

Now, regarding the lack of onboard video processing that the Skype HD camcorders offer. We've seen cases where other HD webcams have resulted in high CPU utilization while recording. The case is similar with the C910, which pulled down about 30 to 40 percent utilization on a 2.5GHz Core 2 Duo-equipped laptop. But, when you stop recording, the software automatically transcodes that recording into a lower bitrate file. Then the utilization goes through the roof until the transcoding is finished and, as if that wasn't bad enough, the resulting file is badly compressed at about a 2Mbps bitrate. Sure, it saves disk space, but blocky 1080p is hardly desirable. We're hoping that, with a future release of the software, you'll be able to manually select the resulting bitrate -- and possibly disable re-encoding altogether.

Oh, and one more thing: if you want to get in on the 720p webchat train, you'll need a 1Mbps upload.

Wrap-up

We haven't had time for a full evaluation of the C910 just yet, and there'll more to come as we evaluate a few other entrants into the HD camcorder market. But, we like what we've seen so far -- minus the ugly compression used for recorded video. HD chats online looked (relatively) great, the design is nice, and it certainly looks nice perched atop your display. Still, it costs nearly twice as much as Microsoft's 720p HD-5000 LifeCam, and only $20 less than the TouchCam N1, which packs an onboard video compressor and thus is compatible with Skype HD.

Of the four announced, we're thinking the 720p C510, at $59, is the best blend of features and price, but if you absolutely must have full HD, this isn't a bad way to do it.

Show full PR text

Logitech Unveils Family of HD Webcams and Logitech Vid HD

Flagship Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 Features HD 720p Video Calling, Full HD 1080p Video Recording, One-Click HD-Uploading to FaceBook and YouTube

New Logitech Vid HD is the Easiest Way to Make an HD Video Call

FREMONT, Calif.--Today Logitech (SIX:LOGN) (NASDAQ:LOGI) took another step toward delivering on its promise to bring HD video to anyone, anywhere, unveiling a full lineup of HD webcams and the recently announced Logitech® Vid™ HD, the free and easy way to make an HD video call. Offering HD 720p video calling, Full HD 1080p video recording, Logitech Fluid Crystal™ technology and one-click HD-uploading to Facebook™ and YouTube®, the flagship Logitech® HD Pro Webcam C910 makes high-definition video calling, recording and sharing a reality.

"HD video calling is a critical step toward our vision of a world in which video communication is as mainstream and seamless as a telephone call - for anyone, anywhere"

"HD video calling is a critical step toward our vision of a world in which video communication is as mainstream and seamless as a telephone call - for anyone, anywhere," said Eric Kintz, vice president and general manager of Logitech's video business. "With Logitech HD webcams and Vid HD, you have everything you need to share, to connect, to see the people that matter to you in breathtaking detail that far surpasses the quality of embedded webcams."

Every new Logitech HD webcam features Logitech Fluid Crystal technology, ensuring that each video call and recording offers crystal clear images with smooth, fluid motion and rich, true-to-life colors, even in the real world.

Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 - HD in Every Way

Setting a new standard in quality, the top-of-the-line Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 not only lets you record video in stunning Full HD 1080p and make video calls in fluid HD 720p, but it also features crystal-clear stereo audio with two mics – one on either side of the webcam lens.

The Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 presents a stunning, streamlined profile. At 25 millimeters deep, the exceptionally thin C910 webcam adds a modern minimalist touch to your laptop or desktop computer setup.

Logitech HD Webcam C510 - For Portable HD Video Calling and Recording

If you prefer a webcam that can go wherever you go, the portable Logitech HD Webcam C510 - with its fold-and-go design - makes it easy to take your webcam with you. So whether you want to make a video call at home, at the hotel, or at the office, the C510 webcam will fold up and fit in your pocket for easy transport. Plus, the 360-degree full-rotation allows you to swivel the webcam around and include more people on your video calls and recordings.

Logitech also introduced two HD webcams at a price that everyone can afford: the Logitech® HD Webcam C310 and the Logitech® HD Webcam C270.

Logitech Vid HD - HD 720p Video Calls

Logitech Vid HD brings the HD video-calling experience full circle, because you can't have a high-definition video call with an HD webcam unless you have software that can transmit two-way live video in HD.

So if you've been waiting for a simpler and better way to make a video call, Vid HD is the free, fast and easy way to make an HD video call - and it's included with all new Logitech webcams, as well as available for free download at www.logitech.com/vid.

If you're already using Logitech Vid™, you can upgrade to Vid HD and use it today with any HD-ready webcam.

One-Click Upload to Facebook and YouTube

In today's world, social networking is an essential part of day-to-day life for millions, and video is an indispensable part of sharing your life with the people you care about. With Logitech's new lineup of HD webcams, it's a snap to record and upload HD videos to Facebook or YouTube. For your convenience, the included Magix™ photo and video editing software will help you polish the rough edges before your video goes viral. And the included picture and video gallery makes it easy to store your memories, too.

Taking Photos with Logitech HD Webcams

The new Logitech webcams make it easy to take a snapshot and e-mail them to your friends and family. The C910 webcam offers rich, 10-megapixel photos, the C510 webcam will create dazzling 8-megapixel snapshots, the C310 webcam takes crisp, clear 5-megapixel pictures and the C270 webcam will take 3-megapixel photos. (Highest-quality photos are software enhanced.)

Compatible with All Major Video-Calling Clients

All new Logitech HD webcams are Skype®-certified, optimized for Windows Live™ Messenger, and will work with the major video-calling clients, including Skype, Yahoo!® Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, and Gmail™ Voice and Video Chat.

Pricing and Availability

The Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 is expected to be available in the U.S., Europe and Asia in August for a suggested retail price of $99.99 (U.S.). The Logitech HD Webcam C510 (SRP: $59.99 U.S.) is expected to be available in the U.S. in June and in Europe and Asia in August. The Logitech HD Webcam C310 (SRP: $49.99 U.S.) and the Logitech HD Webcam C270 (SRP: $39.99 U.S.) are expected to be available in the U.S. in June, in Europe in July, and in Asia in August. For more information on Logitech HD webcams, please visit www.logitech.com/webcams.

[DefPoet Posted Jun 10th 2010 4:04AM]

No mention the Poll please.
Lets chill things down.
Engadget runs Windows 7!
That i can respect!

[Chuuchdizzle Posted Jun 10th 2010 4:27AM]

@DefPoet Apparently these webcams, don't support Macs, at least not yet. but w/e people bickering here like their life depends on it.

[mnhthebest Posted Jun 10th 2010 5:13AM]

@DefPoet

I can guarantee that Windows 7 is on Bootcamp

[theoneandonlyradiostation Posted Jun 10th 2010 5:52AM]

@mnhthebest
Its on a Thinkpad
...
I can guarantee there is no mac os there

[TimStevens Posted Jun 10th 2010 6:19AM]

@theoneandonlyradiostation To be specific, it's a T400s. No bootcamp here, folks.

[xX SIMP Xx Posted Jun 10th 2010 8:20AM]

@DefPoet
In the Photo Testing the C910...on the taskbar to the right are network and battery status indicators for windows 7...Question is how might I get a hold of those/is it a mere change in settings on windows 7?

Thanks Everyone.

[TimStevens Posted Jun 10th 2010 9:22AM]

@xX SIMP Xx Sorry, I believe they're Lenovo-exclusives.

[Kid Red Posted Jun 10th 2010 9:42AM]

@DefPoet It saves it as a WMV file?!!?! WTF!? Lost sale.

[rutter9 Posted Jun 10th 2010 9:43AM]

@DefPoet

Haha but you like how they snuck the iphone advertisement... i mean iphone article at the top?

[fastm3driver Posted Jun 10th 2010 11:32AM]

@Chuuchdizzle This is exactly the reason to not NOT buy a mac. I like their stuff but there is still a big divide on available hardware and software.

[pika2000 Posted Jun 10th 2010 4:05AM]

For webcam, I couldn't care less about HD. Upstream bandwidth of most people won't be enough to make good use of HD anyway. I rather see better low-light capability, but oh well, like I said, HD is the new megapixel race.

[Michael Scrip Posted Jun 10th 2010 5:05AM]

@pika2000

Exactly. My whopping 0.36 megabit upload speed sucks.... but I get 26 megabits down!!!

Is there something wrong with my connection? I know up is slower than down... but that much? Geez...

http://www.speedtest.net/result/842701125.png

[cptskippy Posted Jun 10th 2010 5:05AM]

@pika2000 I was in on the beta for the c910 and compared to the webcam in my laptop, the low light sensitivity of the camera is pretty amazing.

Regarding the HD resolution, when you enable the "Follow my face" feature in the driver (i.e. it works in all programs) the camera will digitally zoom in on your face and track it as you move around the camera's field of vision. The fact that the camera is HD pretty much negates the loss of quality you might otherwise see when digitally zooming an image and as a result your picture is always optimal during Skype calls or when using GTalk. It's also really nice to be able to relax and not have to worry about sitting up straight in front of the camera.

[beatsandmelody Posted Jun 10th 2010 1:03PM]

@Michael Scrip

If you are in the USA, there's probably nothing wrong with your connection. All the major broadband providers here have PATHETIC upload rates. My Mbps speeds are 16 / 1.5 but that .5 of upload is burst, not constant. So while I can download at up to 2 MB/s, nominal upload is 100 KB/s...

[Schmerzlichtod Posted Jun 10th 2010 4:07AM]

HD is totally useless for webcams, at least when it comes to chatting with them.

[DefPoet Posted Jun 10th 2010 4:08AM]

@Schmerzlichtod
This is good for Webcam-sex
Soldiers will love this!

[Schmerzlichtod Posted Jun 10th 2010 4:11AM]

@DefPoet
LMFAO! Now, there's a use for this device.

[joshky Posted Jun 10th 2010 4:17AM]

@Schmerzlichtod

well i got a logitech quickcam communicate deluxe. it can do 960x720 max but even if it doesnt go up to that high it apparently does help the other side see my picture clearer. so i guess HD does help to a certain extent

[cptskippy Posted Jun 10th 2010 5:15AM]

@Schmerzlichtod I participated in a beta for these cameras and I can assure you that you're wrong in this belief. Compared to my laptop's integrated camera the quality of the c910 is absolutely amazing. The HD resolution really shines when you enable the "Follow my face" feature in the drivers because it enables the camera to track and zoom in on your face so that you don't have to consciously center yourself in front of the webcam. If the camera weren't HD this feature would end up looking like ass but since it's source is full frame 1080p, the output is great.

[airbag888 Posted Jun 10th 2010 8:55AM]

@DefPoet Soldiers have 1Mbps uplinks? or are you talking about webcam sex when in the same house :p

[beatsandmelody Posted Jun 10th 2010 1:05PM]

@airbag888

Exactly dude, home made sex tapes in HD. $99 bucks is a great price.

[beatsandmelody Posted Jun 10th 2010 1:06PM]

@airbag888

And, you can use it as a surveillance monitor too, I'm sure with the right software.

[DoctarPeppar Posted Jun 10th 2010 1:35PM]

@cptskippy
Full Frame 1080p?
Full Frame 1080p is 60 fps.
I seriously doubt a 99$ webcam can do that.
I bet it won't even do 20 fps average.

[Digital Jedi Posted Jun 10th 2010 4:07AM]

ill stick with my HD-5000 thank you very much

[33driver Posted Jun 10th 2010 4:21AM]

Tandberg was the brains behind the MS HD5000 anyway, they had the first true HD web camera for their conferencing facilities, however it comes with a $500AUD price tag (damn nice camera though!)

[EGOvoruhk Posted Jun 10th 2010 4:21AM]

Any idea if these things will support OS X a little better than their previous offerings? I really didn't like how the Vision Pro has no Windows support, and the Pro 9000 has no OS X support. How about something for us dual booters, or those with multiple systems?

[needlegun Posted Jun 10th 2010 5:46AM]

@EGOvoruhk
According to the Logitech website, these cameras only support - Windows® XP (SP2 or higher), Windows Vista® or Windows® 7 (32-bit or 64-bit). Afraid no OS X support.

[inawarminister Posted Jun 10th 2010 7:20AM]

@EGOvoruhk Hack the drivers yourself-
Wait, that's for linux users.

Sorry, wrong person.

[Coke Posted Jun 10th 2010 4:26AM]

Chatroullete will get worse?

[akbc Posted Jun 10th 2010 8:37AM]

@Coke
Chatroulette HD
Now with high-def genitelia!!

..ew

[seanana Posted Jun 10th 2010 4:31AM]

Upstream bandwidth of most people won't be enough to make good use of HD anyway. I rather see better low-light capability, but oh well, like I said how the Vision Pro has no Windows support, and the Pro 9000 has no OS X support. How about something for us dual booters.
http://www.powerlinebattery.com

[Valicore Posted Jun 10th 2010 4:38AM]

Great, now things will be hidious in even greater detail.

[Tes Posted Jun 10th 2010 4:50AM]

As noted in chats most people don't have the bandwidth for HD.

I assume this is most useful for those who do a lot of blog videos for Youtube and the like.

[benderfender Posted Jun 10th 2010 4:57AM]

@Tes and homemade sexy-time videos ;)

[samisax Posted Jun 10th 2010 5:03AM]

@benderfender

and showing their pubes on chat roulette and asking for advice on split-ends

[sonicyoof Posted Jun 10th 2010 5:30AM]

"Engadget launches article comparing the iPhone to the EVO, suddenly deletes it without explanation; deafening silence ensues"

[darknessangel Posted Jun 10th 2010 5:36AM]

Finally!... a tool for secretly record you and your significat (or insignificant) other shag! Cause that's the only use I can really think of for webcams.

[darknessangel Posted Jun 10th 2010 5:37AM]

@darknessangel In HD!... I forgot

[cdubaldo Posted Jun 10th 2010 6:13AM]

How do these wecams compare to their previous quickcam pro 9000 ? I happen to have the latter and it already does an excellent job in low light conditions.

[zob Posted Jun 10th 2010 6:38AM]

do they work with linux UCI?

[Elwood731 Posted Jun 10th 2010 8:34AM]

I really can't see the usefulness of a 1080p webcam. I know people will buy it, but practically I just don't see much use in it. Even for video bloggers it seems a bit much. Do those really need to be in HD?

http://www.professorhobo.com/2010/06/09/lefties

[admlshake Posted Jun 10th 2010 8:54AM]

"but do the extra pixels warrant the $99 price tag?"

No.

[bfdhud Posted Jun 10th 2010 9:19AM]

Do any of these work properly with OSX? Since apple discontinued the iSight it has been difficult to find a web cam that can do more than vga

[JStar Posted Jun 10th 2010 9:29AM]

Sweet!!!!

[Deputy Doofus Posted Jun 10th 2010 9:38AM]

It's incredible no ones has thought about Amateur HD Porn.
I thought it was about damn time!

[noxipoo Posted Jun 10th 2010 10:35AM]

finally, i can watch webcam whores in HD.

[FuturismRave Posted Jun 10th 2010 12:55PM]

@noxipoo what? so you can see the fine details?

[FuturismRave Posted Jun 10th 2010 11:53AM]

the next step now is to integrate it into computer and laptop interfaces

[tosvus Posted Jun 10th 2010 12:51PM]

Boo - my Atom netbook won't be able to take advantage of this due to lack of cpu offload. Also, if it is correct that there is a forced recompress to 2 mbit/sec, that is ridiculous. What's the point then? 10-12/sec is bare minimum, I'd prefer to have it allow up to 30 mbit/sec

[DoctarPeppar Posted Jun 10th 2010 1:34PM]

How the hell can you do a webcam review and not mention the framerate?????