# Logitech take another stab at the videophone **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 4, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logitech-take-another-stab-at-the-videophone/630438 "2012-08-04T17:38:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logitech-take-another-stab-at-the-videophone/630438/1 "2012-08-04T17:38:47Z")
[This](http://www.logitech.com/en-gb/webcam-communications/webcams/tvcam-hd) looks really cool, but I’m wondering if it’s going to fall flat on its face because of the problem of upstream bandwidth. It requires 1 Mbps each way, and that’s pushing it for a lot of people. The usual uplink speed hereabouts is 512K or less. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logitech-take-another-stab-at-the-videophone/630438/2 "2012-08-04T17:41:36Z")
Is it different then just normal Skype? When I got my last flat screen TV, that camera (or a similar one) was mentioned in the manual and I have a Skype app on my TV. As far as I could tell it was just a way to use Skype on your TV instead of on your computer. If that’s the case, I don’t see a problem, unless it’s higher res, but it might automatically throttle it down if there’s a problem. ETA, now that I think about it the camera in my manual works with just the HDMI since my TV already has the network connection and it was a Panasonic camera. This one will work with any TV that has the appropriate video connection (HDMI). But they looked similar. Why are they so wide? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logitech-take-another-stab-at-the-videophone/630438/3 "2012-08-04T17:58:27Z")
NO MORE GODDAM VIDEOPHONES FOR THE LOVE OF PETE! Companies have been wanking around with the concept of videophones since the _1920s._ Seriously. It’s an idea whose time _never fucking arrived._ Skype is about useful as videophones get because it’s not hardware, it’s software. I assume Logitech’s concept is based on hardware. Trying yet again to make hardware for this particular application makes even less sense than trying to market autogyros or hat-blocking equipment. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logitech-take-another-stab-at-the-videophone/630438/4 "2012-08-04T18:02:46Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > NO MORE GODDAM VIDEOPHONES FOR THE LOVE OF PETE! > > Companies have been wanking around with the concept of videophones since the _1920s._ Seriously. It’s an idea whose time _never fucking arrived._ > > Skype is about useful as videophones get because it’s not hardware, it’s software. I assume Logitech’s concept is based on hardware. Trying yet again to make hardware for this particular application makes even less sense than trying to market autogyros or hat-blocking equipment. It IS Skype, it’s just a piece of hardware to allow you to use Skype on your TV. Remember when webcams were a Big Deal and everyone had them clipped on to their laptops or of resting on top of their monitors because they weren’t built in yet. That’s all this is, except it’s for your TV and I assume it has the Skype software on upgradable firmware. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logitech-take-another-stab-at-the-videophone/630438/5 "2012-08-04T18:23:58Z")
Yes, it’s a completely integrated solution. For me it really wins on ease of use. I can see my parents using this. Sure you could do the same with a HTPC and webcam, but this is a plug and play solution. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logitech-take-another-stab-at-the-videophone/630438/6 "2012-08-04T18:38:30Z")
At 179 GBP, it seems like a little too much. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/logitech-take-another-stab-at-the-videophone/630438/7 "2012-08-04T18:38:51Z")
Ok, cool, whatev. Just as long as it’s not [this](http://thedabbler.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/The-picture-phone.jpg), or [this](http://gadgets.boingboing.net/gimages/1939-picturephone.jpg). Although [this](http://www.tvhistory.tv/1930-Bell-TV-cover.JPG) might be kinda cool, for those of us in the autogyro-and-felt-hat crowd.