Webcam Problem And Question Options

[Gitarrero]

Hi guys,

this is not going to be another "what webcam should I buy" thread, as I wanna buy a Logitech Quickcam 9000.

My question is: the integrated webcam in my Inspiron 1545 isn't that bad (tehoretically), but anytime I try to switch to a resolution higher than 800x600, the video gets really slow and will never match with my audio recording. So:
Will this also be a problem with a new and better cam? Is it a RAM-problem or some other computer-related thing? Cause if I can't record at higher resolutions with a better cam like the Logitech without slowing down the video, it's not much use buying a new one. What are your experiences?

Christian

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[Michael AC]

Hi guys,

this is not going to be another "what webcam should I buy" thread, as I wanna buy a Logitech Quickcam 9000.

My question is: the integrated webcam in my Inspiron 1545 isn't that bad (tehoretically), but anytime I try to switch to a resolution higher than 800x600, the video gets really slow and will never match with my audio recording. So:
Will this also be a problem with a new and better cam? Is it a RAM-problem or some other computer-related thing? Cause if I can't record at higher resolutions with a better cam like the Logitech without slowing down the video, it's not much use buying a new one. What are your experiences?

Christian

When I got the new Logitech C910 HD I found the same problem. What I did was turn off the Right Light and Right Sound settings. This increased my framerate to 29 bps and I can do 720p recordings.

I also am not using the built in recording software with the cam, but using the capture tool in Vegas as it seems to work more efficiently with memory.

Hope that helps.

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[dark dude]

Hey man!

An increase in resolution will mean more data will be available, i.e. there'll be a greater load on the processor - what resolution are you trying to record at?

What software are you using to record? Also, we're talking about live FPS here rather than rendered FPS? What do you use to render your videos?

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[Gitarrero]

I'm using Dell webcam central, the software that came with the laptop. I guess we are talking about live fps, cause when I hit record and start playing I see how the video lags...and even when I save it and open it in Windows Movie Maker which I use to add the music to the video it still lags. As of now, I record at 800x600 and I wanna go way higher. But it really seems like my processor won't allow more, so I guess I can save the money for a new webcam. I mean, what else (besides buying a high end machine) can I do to increase my video quality? Just check my videos, I think they pretty much suck when it comes to graphic quality.

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[dark dude]

To be honest man, I wouldn't change a thing. I had a look at your 2 last videos and the quality was good enough to see what you were playing, and how you were playing it

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[Ivan Milenkovic]

External webcam will be better solution no doubt, specially if your integrated one cannot push more than 800x600.

Well, lots of people have been using Logitech 9000 with good success. I can vouch for another Logitech webcam, Logitech C310 HD



This is an entry level model, it really costed me very little, it puts out a clear 720p picture, very good looking. I'm very satisfied. Yes there are some problems when capturing with automatic options, but if you turn them off, get a proper lightning and use external caputre application, you can create semi-pro results. Lots of people don't realize this, but lightning is as important as the cam. You need at least 1.5KW of light power in order to create decent results with webcams.

You can also manually adjust the brigtness and exposure in order to compensate darker shot. Like I said, this camera does the job, and it's worth the money invested. Be aware that Logitech capturing application may increase CPU usage with auto settings on 720p HQ capture mode, but if you use external capturing software, it works no problem.

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[Adrian Figallo]

i think you may save a little bit more and get a real cam to record video, i mean, the results are not going to be much better than what you have now, but that's just my humble opinion

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[Gabriel Leopardi]

I had a similar problem with my notebook's camera and I got the logitech 9000. I haven't had problems anymore.

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[Todd Simpson]

Some great replies Web Cam you mentioned is a great choice as web cams go but will still be dependent on your computer as it's just a sensor and USB cable. So the faster your computer, the better your frame rate and the higher the resolution. Adrian brings up a good point too, you can get better quality and frame rates with an external HD Handy Cam. If you record to an HD Camera (via SD Card) instead of directly to your machine via usb, you avoid the problems of overburdening the machine and get gauranteed frame rates. But it is much more expensive. So maybe get a web cam to use while you save up for a nice HD Handycam?

Also, it may be time to look at a new computer. A nice laptop with an i5 proccessor (quad cores) is a good place to start looking. I love my laptop, but for for recording HD Video and quality audio, (and for teaching vid chats) I have to switch to my big Tower computer. It's just got a lot more horsepower. Laptop and desktop are Quad Processor machines, but laptop is i5 chip and Desktop is Qaud Xeon chips (Server grade chips used by Apple in the tower machines) so even though both have 4 processor cores, the desktop is about twice as fast. I can record full HD 1920x1080 without dropping frames while recording audio at the same time.

Todd

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This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Sep 23 2011, 05:02 AM