Creative Labs Live! Cam Video IM Ultra 1.3MP Webcam
- Get smooth, vibrant HD video
- Send crystal clear voice through the noise-canceling microphone
- Add real-time voice, video effects and avatars to your video chat
- Keep your kids safe with the exclusive parental control feature
- Works seamlessly with popular IM programs
Product Description
Get high-quality video and voice chat with the Creative Live! Cam Video IM Ultra. The high-definition 1.3 megapixel sensor and fast USB 2.0 connection ensure that you get smooth, vibrant video. The built-in noise cancellation microphone makes voice chat easy with crisp, clear sound and without the hassle of headset wires. Full featured software makes chatting more fun and safer for your kids. And installation is easy-the true Plug and Play install gets you up and ru… More >>
Creative Labs Live! Cam Video IM Ultra 1.3MP Webcam
This is a basic webcam, with ok picture quality, not much better than the webcam on most newer laptops. This is meant to sit on top of the flat screen monitor or laptop screen. The performance in low-light is okay, nothing too great. This webcam is adjusted for artificial light as that is the most common scenario. The colors in bright natural light appear a little washed away but very few people use webcam in natural light. If using it on a laptop the attached cord pulls it backward a little so you’ll have to adjust it so it does not fall off.
If you’re looking for better picture quality go for a webcam with higher MPs.
Rating: 3 / 5
This is a good, solid webcam. It does its job and feels well-built, even though its a little lightweight. The picture quality is good. It is built for flatscreens or perhaps older laptops without built-in webcams. There is a focusing ring on the front and a built-in microphone. I ususally don’t install the additional software, but it allows color adjustment and zoom capabilities. As is, it works out of the box without too much hassle. It works with all the major messaging clients and I have heard it works with certain varieties of Linux as well, although I only tried it on Windows XP.
Rating: 5 / 5
The base of this camera comes with a plastic piece hinged on the back. It is made to clip onto the edge of a flat screen monitor. It doesn’t balance very well on the top of a crt monitor or a flat surface. The camera is on a swivel and will move side to side and forward. The camera will not swivel up, so if you stand up you will have to step back, and maybe refocus, to stay in the frame. The USB cable exits from the rear of the camera so adjusting the camera’s position means you must adjust the cable as well. There is a focusing ring on the front. When focused on a close subject, the camera picks up the objects in the background clearly with almost no blur. There is separate software that can be initialized that allows for a minimum amount of color adjustment and zoom. The software can also manage snapshots and videos from the webcam. The camera, once focused, tracks movement well and there’s almost no jitter in the stream. The microphone is very sensitive. It picks up the noise of my curtains rustling in the breeze across the room. The picture looks better to me when using artificial light and the colors aren’t as balanced in natural light.
Rating: 5 / 5
When it comes to quality of the picture, I would have to say that everything depends on exactly what you need to do with this little baby. If you want to chat with a camera that is cost effective, you have something that works out pretty well. So, that said, I’m going to review it as such. If you want a camera for anything else, you either need the money that it costs to get a upgrade or you have a patient audience. Either way, this really is something that I enjoy playing with, but it isn’t something that I would want my future riding on if it came to say, a job or something (and, for the price and the 1.3er, you shouldn’t either).
As far as a chatting camera goes, it isn’t that bad. It has some of the same problems that older variants have, with blurs here and blurs there, but I kind of expected that from a 1.3 camera that registered at a good price. What I expected a little more from was the shading that the little beastie would give me – when I took computer into a darker room, the camera simply did not adapt as well as expected. It felt bad there and, adding to the movement problems, it caused some issues when I was tired and chatty. And live casting – I really did not like what it did BUT I was not expecting a lot from the 1.3 model.
There were some good things that came with this as well, and I do not want this review to sound negative. When I went to hook it up, for instance, I was shocked by how easy the process worked out. Normally there are ups-and-downs in the installation department, but the camera was ready to go in no time and that made me happy. I also liked the iming feature, although I do agree with the reviewer that talked about the receiving issues. Still, it worked out pretty well, better than expected to be honest, and I was happy with that. On top of that, a lit room really did bring out the quality of the camera. I talked about low light being a downfall, but enough light was really one of those good things that has to be praised. I sometimes consider the room I use a bit too bright, but even blocking a little of that light made the thing work out good.
If you want a model that is not too expensive and you have something you specifically want it for, then you should know if it will work for you or not. It is a novice camera when you look at it and one that people want at a good price. If you are expecting otherwise then you need a better grade of camera, perhaps switching to some of the recommendations that people have given.
Rating: 4 / 5
My review of this product after 3 months of use is the as the description for the product is written on the product page.
The video is smooth with hardly and “blurps” on the feed. The built in micrphone with the outside “noise cancellation is of good use also.
One of the overlooked features but I have found to be of much better quality than other web cams is the adjustable “foot” that lets you clip it to the top of your laptop. I have tried it on all three laptops I own and its a flawless piece of equipment.
Rating: 5 / 5