Audio-Video or Video-Audio?
Webcams have become a commodity. Cheap ones are available everywhere- not quite 7-11, but nearly anywhere else. Built into laptops and netbooks, even some monitors, they’re everywhere. But what if you want something a little better- would you want better audio, or superior video? That’s the crux of our review pair today.
Blue Microphones have a whole lot of very cool retro looking USB-powered condenser microphones. They are the creators of the extremely popular Snowball, which was initially designed with musicians in mind. Blue Microphones realized that there was a much greater demand for high-quality microphones, as well as high-quality web cameras. There are many people who rely on applications like Skype or iChat for a reliable way to get in touch with loved ones over long distances. Certainly the best way to close long distances between you and your dad, best friend or deployed-to-the-ends-of-the-Earth boyfriend is to be able to see them and talk to them at the same time. With that in mind, the Eyeball was born, a cross-platform Mac/PC webcam.
This mic, which has the same condenser capsule as the Snowflake, has a webcam that broadcasts in HD. The attention to detail is what makes this webcam/mic cool, with a design that makes you feel like you could be a host of a radio show in 1943. The camera can be retracted when not in use, and it’s plug-and-play, which means you won’t have to spend time downloading or installing drivers. The Eyeball is compatible with Google Chat, Yahoo Messenger, iChat, AIM and Skype, among others. Basically any webchat client that accepts USB input and supports video is compatible, though this doesn’t include multi-service chat applications like Adium, Trillian or Pidgin.
We found that the mic is among the best we’ve ever tried on any webcam, and the video is pretty much on par with most webcams we’ve tried. The camera has normal limitations that you might expect in low light or quick movement situations. We didn’t have any problems with it freezing up or crashing, and felt that the audio quality well made up for the average video. The audio is crystal clear. There was no static or distortion of sound when we were within a reasonable distance from the mic. The Eyeball is designed for ease of use, for those of us who don’t use condenser microphones on a regular basis. People wishing for more control with their mic, such as the ability to define your sample rate or word length, should consider something like the Snowball. The Eyeball will run around $140 from Amazon or in retail stores like Guitar Center.
If you’re more focused on video than sound we suggest you look to the Logitech Webcam Pro 9000. This webcam uses Carl Zeiss optics and has the amazing ability to focus regardless of how fast we moved, or how much we tried to confuse it. Some of us looked pretty ridiculous trying to replicate Daft Bodies (no, that’s not us, that’s the original video), but it was all in the name of research, right? (Now we just hope our version never sees the light of day on YouTube.) Low light wasn’t even that much of a problem; we just couldn’t go very far away from our monitor. This 2MP cam broadcasts in widescreen 720p resolution, and takes snapshots at 8MP.
The Webcam Pro 9000 is PC compatible, and will work with XP, Vista or Windows 7. (Mac users don’t fear, there is a model for you as well, the Logitech QuickCam Pro) This cam does have a microphone on it, and while we didn’t have any problems with the mic, it didn’t change our lives either. We were far more impressed with the video capability of this fantastic cam. The Logitech Webcam Pro 9000 retails for under $100, and can be found widely in stores like Target or Wal-Mart, as well as online directly from Logitech or through Amazon.
