The Labtec WebCam Plus is an affordable webcam that delivers acceptable video quality. If you're on a tight budget, this is a good choice for a first webcam.

The WebCam Plus captures live video at a maximum resolution of 352X288, which is lower than many typical webcams, at up to 30 frames per second. Video quality is what you would expect from the price. Images tend to be grainy with somewhat poor contrast. You'll get the best video quality in well-lit rooms and very poor video quality in average or poor lighting. You also will find the best results if you don't move around much, which may cramp your chatting style.

A snapshot button lets you capture a still image at any time. The still images, while marginally acceptable for posting on a website or e-mailing to friends and family, leave a lot to be desired. Stills are generally grainy and suffer from poor detail and contrast.

In addition to employing the WebCam Plus as a webcam, you can also use it for security purposes or to monitor an area of your home while you're away. As an added bonus, the package includes motion-detection software.

The WebCam Plus is lightweight, compact and easy to set up. The base is stable and will sit comfortably on a desktop or CRT display, but it's not a good fit for an LCD monitor. The WebCam Plus is compatible with most popular instant messaging applications, including Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, AIM and Windows Messenger, as well as other instant messaging software programs.

A budget-friendly price makes the Labtec WebCam Plus a reasonable choice for a starter webcam, as long as your expectations aren't too high.


Pros:  Budget price, easy to set up and use, includes motion-detection software
Cons:  Video quality is only fair, still image quality is poor, no pan or tilt options, no face tracking options, no built-in microphone

Warranty
2 years parts and labor