MICROSOF LIFECAM VX-800 WEBCAM BLK

says Microsof buyer beware!

I bought this so I could use Skype, for which my desktop computer needed a microphone, and for which I prefer being able to see the person I'm chatting to. The built in mike was handy as it meant fewer bits and pieces and leads cluttering my workspace. I tested both sound and video quality using Skype's built in testing facility. The sound recording quality was excellent. The video quality was good. The webcam is very light and compact too. And now that I have it set up, it does everything I basically wanted. It also happens to be rather cute.A few points worth bearing in mind. It did take me a little while to set up and tweak to its optimum settings, though in fairness I'd refer to these as just 'teething troubles'. These could have been avoided had the instruction leaflet said a bit more - though a shortcoming of the instructions rather than the product - so don't let this put you off it. It took a while to work out how to affix it to my monitor and (as I have now done) one of my desktop speakers. But the fold-out base is very versatile and the cam's ball-and-socket attachment to the base makes it easy to adjust its orientation. Because the window behind me is very bright even with the curtains shut, but I am in shade, the cam did seem to struggle a bit coping with the contrast. But by adjusting the brightness, gamma, and sharpness settings within windows (fairly straightforward), and by experimenting with different cam locations on my worktop, I was able to get a result I'm very pleased with. Not only is the sound recording excellent, but even with the challenging lighting conditions, I can now clearly distinguish such details as the bright reflections in my eyes (making me look human again to whoever I'm talking to!), and features in the darker parts of the scene. For under 10 GB Pounds, a great buy. Highly recommended!

Nel saturo mercato delle webcam odierno, questo prodotto rappresenta un piccolo gioiello. Appartenente alla famiglia LifeCam, fa parte dei prodotti consumer di casa Microsoft. Pratica e robusta ha una base che può essere aperta a clip per ancorare il dispositivo tanto su un monitor tradizionale quanto su un notebook. Il corpo della telecamera si può muovere praticamente a piacere senza impensierire la giuntura con la base che pare solida e robusta. La lunghezza del cavo USB in dotazione è sufficientemente lungo per collegare senza problemi un PC posto alla base della superficie di lavoro. La webcam dispone di ottimi driver e su Windows 7 è riconosciuta in automatico, così come sui maggiori programmi di messaggistica. Il prodotto ha una buona ottica e un refresh rate che si dimostra valido anche all'aumento della risoluzione e nel software in dotazione sono inclusi una serie di piccoli effetti grafici "live" (ovvero si possono applicare immediatamente durante la conversazione). Nulla di ecclatante ma una feature piacevole. Anche la fascia di prezzo scelta da Microsoft è centrata pienamente con un prodotto che non risulta troppo pagato per le caratteristiche di cui dispone. Nel complesso supera personalmente e di misura le caratteristiche minime che deve possedere una webcam moderna!

Bought this product for my mom so we can chat easily, and since she's having a mobile connection for her laptop, she didn't need an HD webcam. The image produced by this product is decent, had no issues with the sound as well, the only thing of why I'm rating it 4 stars is because of the lag in darker environment. Where my Macbook's image is fully clear and visible and more than 24fps this cam produces like 2fps with the auto balancing on. If I turn it off, I can't see a thing. Anyway it's a great cam for the price.

If you're looking to equip your parents with a webcam to make calls with them, this is for you. Mic and camera are somewhat average quality and this works without need to download any drivers, Skype recognizes it instantly.If you are paranoid, you can put the camera on it's face to cover the lens, so that hackers can't see you. Most of other webcams are oval shaped and won't allow you to trick hacksters this easily. That's why my parents love it...

The camera arrives, and you plug it in. Windows immediately fetches the driver for you, and within a few minutes you're up and running.The problem starts when you want to use the webcam. The video quality is terrible. It has an unbearably slow FPS rate, which lead to jerky movements on camera at all times. The camera gives a washed out effect in conditions where natural light is present.I would personally save my money, and buy a Chinese no name camera if you're looking for something on a budget. I've gone back to a high end Logitech, and am much happier.