Expert Review
Creative WebCam Live! Ultra

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Stores Selling: 19
$39.00 - $106.00


Expert Rating:  3  (what's this?)

Expert Review

Creative WebCam Live! Ultra

Date Published: 6/20/06

The WebCam Live! Ultra is a respectable (although not inexpensive) choice for individuals buying their first webcam. Image quality is only average, but it's as good as the quality you will get from most budget-price webcams.

The WebCam Live! Ultra has a tripod base that fits well over an LCD or notebook display, but it isn't especially stable on top of a CRT or other flat surface. The base isn't entirely flat, and the camera's top-heavy design makes it susceptible to tipping over. Set-up is easy, and the bundled software is simple to install.

This webcam doesn't have a built-in microphone, but it does come with a hands-free headset. Many individuals find that a headset is more comfortable because it provides additional freedom of movement, but this is a purely personal choice.

The WebCam Live! Ultra can capture live video at a resolution of 640X480, at up to 30 frames per second, and store it in the AVI format. Image quality is reasonably good, except in low-light situations, which is a common problem with low- and mid-price webcams. The camera can capture still images at a resolution of 1,024X768 (software enhanced). Still image quality is also reasonably good, but it can't compare to a dedicated digital camera.

There are no automatic pan or tilt features, but the WebCam Live! Ultra has a 4X zoom lens. The 76-degree wide-angle offers reasonable freedom of movement. The manual focus ring moves smoothly and is easy to adjust.

The package includes a generous software bundle. Creative WebCam Center lets you use the WebCam Live! Ultra for remote monitoring or motion-detection tasks, as well as time-lapse video captures. ArcSoft VideoImpression is a basic video creation and editing program, while ArcSoft PhotoImpression provides basic photo editing and printing tools. ArcSoft Multimedia E-Mail lets you create digital postcards from your favorite images and then share them via e-mail. ArcSoft Collage Creator can turn your favorite images into a multimedia collage, complete with text and clip art. The WebCam Live! Ultra is also compatible with most popular instant messaging applications.

Pros: Easy to set up and use, impressive software bundle
Cons: no pan or tilt features, base works better on LCD and notebook displays than CRTs or other flat surfaces



Warranty
1 year, limited



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Compare prices on Creative Technology Live Ultra Web Cam for Notebooks
Creative Technology Live Ultra Web Cam for Notebooks
Video conference with friends and family from a cafe, the airport, or even throughout the home. Designed to flawlessly sync your active lifestyle with video, pictures and sound, WebCam Live! Ultra for Notebooks, captures high resolution video and images even in low lighting. An external headset and ...
> Price range: $39.00 - $106.00

 

 

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Magic Debugger

release: 8.4.3-qa1
content_id: 263640
type: review
category: l4-cp-web-cams

brws title: Consumer Guide: Creative WebCam Live! Ultra Review

meta d: Creative's WebCam Live! Ultra is a good choice for anyone shopping for their first webcam. Read the review at Consumer Guide.

url: http://shopproducts.howstuffworks.com/Logitech-C250-Web-Cam/productId=88081836