# Recommend me a webcam **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 16, 2003, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-webcam/207720 "2003-10-16T03:03:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-webcam/207720/1 "2003-10-16T03:03:47Z")
I want to get **EvilCam®** up and running soon, and I’ll have some cash to spend, so it’s time for me to shop for a cam. I find the specs I get on web sites a bit confusing - or at least, I have to really go over them closely to see if the cam will do what I want. Basically I want a webcam that will broadcast. The cheap ones will take stills and record a few seconds of video, sure, but that’s not what I need. Suggestions? I don’t want to spend too much, either. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-webcam/207720/2 "2003-10-16T07:05:03Z")
I’d look more at bundled software if I were you. Most webcams do the same thing (heck, you can get two different brands with basically the same hardware inside actually). I think you’re gonna want to make sure that the webcam comes with the proper software to do this kind of thing, 'cause I don’t think either 'doze or Mac stuff does streaming video for you by themselves. (Alternately you could buy that kind of software eparately). ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-webcam/207720/3 "2003-10-16T10:13:19Z")
Yeah, I figured out that it was all in the software. Just looking for suggestions on a cheap package. In terms of software, I should be looking for a cam that’s bundled with broadcasting SW? And said SW will broadcast to some IP address that I’ll give out to my lucky viewers? ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-webcam/207720/4 "2003-10-16T12:16:58Z")
X10? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-webcam/207720/5 "2003-10-16T15:54:11Z")
The Logitech Quickcam Pro 4000 is pretty good, but I was not happy with the low-light performance. There is also some webcams coming out now that use USB 2. I don’t know if the extra bandwidth is used or not though. Sorry, not much help. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-webcam/207720/6 "2003-10-16T21:47:24Z")
Yep, they all need quite a lot of light, what can you expect? Some get all the power for their system & light from a USB port. But if you can get a cheap camcorder on ebay & a video in gizmo or video card, you can have prefect crisp, detailed video. ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-webcam/207720/7 "2003-10-17T09:58:03Z")
[Here’s](http://www.compusmart.com/product.asp?CatalogID=0&SupplierPartID=112775) the one I think I’m going to buy. I reserved one online and will pick it up this weekend. It seems to have the features I want, including video broadcasting software, webcam software, and video IM software. It’s certainly not the best out there, but it’ll do. I hope. In terms of lighting, we just got a funky new directional lamp for the **computer desk of evil®**. That’ll help. ---
**Author:** ![scott\_evil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@scott\_evil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scott_evil)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-webcam/207720/8 "2003-10-17T10:03:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by World Eater \* > \*\*X10? > > 😃 \*\* OK, how did you know where I work? An X10 (or any video capture card) with a camcorder would provide fantastic live video capture would be fantastic. I’d just need excellent webcam software (MediaExport encodes for streaming, but doesn’t actually stream) and a blazingly fast system to broadcast it at full frame rate. Since I don’t have an X10 (and believe me, I can’t just “borrow one” from work), a camcorder, or a super fast system, that solution ain’t gonna happen. 😉 Psst. It won’t be called the X10 much longer. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-webcam/207720/9 "2003-10-17T22:58:48Z")
I just got back from a tech expo - the presentation on OSX was really good. Apparently Apple have a streaming media server built in to Quicktime. I can’t recall if this was part of the stuff they open-sourced or not (and thus might be available in someone else’s Win32 software), but it’s something you might wanna look for. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-webcam/207720/10 "2003-11-11T14:16:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scott evil \* > \*\*OK, how did you know where I work? > > An X10 (or any video capture card) with a camcorder would provide fantastic live video capture would be fantastic. I’d just need excellent webcam software (MediaExport encodes for streaming, but doesn’t actually stream) and a blazingly fast system to broadcast it at full frame rate. Since I don’t have an X10 (and believe me, I can’t just “borrow one” from work), a camcorder, or a super fast system, that solution ain’t gonna happen. 😉 > > Psst. It won’t be called the X10 much longer. \*\* Lucky guess Scott. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-webcam/207720/11 "2003-11-11T15:18:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by scott evil \* > \*\*Since I don’t have an X10 (and believe me, I can’t just “borrow one” from work), a camcorder, or a super fast system, that solution ain’t gonna happen. 😉 > > Psst. It won’t be called the X10 much longer. \*\* So, um (how do I say this?) how does it feel to work for the most annoying internet company? I really REALLY liked X10 and their products, and even spent quite a bit of money with them before the whole pop-under-watch-the-scantily-clad-burglars-cavort-around-your-house schtick.