Product Description

The HUE webcam for Windows and Mac has a brilliant high def resolution picture capture - great sound through internal USB microphone - easy installation - compatible with Skype, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and iChat (requires Mac OS X v10.4.9 or higher).

Its innovative & versatile design allows limitless positioning options - users can leave webcam in its base or remove it and plug it directly into a laptop USB for optimal mobility.

Produce live videos and email them to associates, family and friends - chat in real-time around the globe over Skype, MSN, Yahoo or iChat completely FREE - the HD webcam can do it all, superb video quality and superior sound.

Webcam features

- 10 x zoom
- Snapshot photo
- Record video and sound directly to computer
- Full 360° rotation
- Special background effects
- Special lens effects
- Built in USB microphone
- USB 2.0 output compatible with 2.0 and 1.1
- UVC compatible


System requirements

- Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 OR Mac OS 10.4.3 or above OR Linux
- 128 MB RAM (256 MB RAM recommended)
- Available 1.1 or 2.0 USB port


Package Contents

- HD Webcam
- Camera Base
- 6 ft USB to USB Mini cable
- Install CD with full manual

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #831 in Consumer Electronics
• Colour: Red
• Brand: Huehd

Features

• Unique & innovative "plug and play" UVC webcam with a built-in USB microphone - brilliant High Definition picture quality for Skype, MSN, Yahoo and iChat.
• Flexibility - simply connect the Hue webcam to your computer's USB port and it will be ready to use. May be used without the USB base and can be plugged directly into your computer or notebook.
• Compatible with Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit), Vista, XP and Mac OSX (v10.4.3 or higher).
• Make FREE phone/video calls using Skype, MSN, Yahoo and iChat - record your own videos, animations to post on YouTube.
• Selected by Time Magazine as a "Best Invention", featured on front cover of O Magazine and on ABC's Good Morning America.

Customer Reviews

An excellent webcam
My review is for the Hue webcam running on an Apple G5 Powermac running OSX Leopard.

Setup was straightforward. I ran the application which comes bundled on the CD install and moments later the drivers were installed and the camera fully detectable by the system. The bundled WebCam monitor software lets you record and compress videos to share with friends. Skype detected the camera and built in microphone immediately. I have also successfully used the microphone feature with Ventrilo and iChat. This is how I expect things to work - no fiddling with software or settings!

The resolution on the camera is very good, almost unsettlingly so. I can even clearly see my pores if I set it to the maximum sharpness. You can change the video options in the bundled software and there's a manual focus around the lens itself to fine tune if required.

My favourite thing about this webcam though is the flexibility. A lot of cameras require fixing to the desk or monitor, or are limited to a few different positions. This Hue however is limited only to my imagination. Depending on what I'm doing I can use it in the dock it came with or disconnect it to plug the camera directly into my monitor's USB port, freeing up some desktop space (and helping to find the perfect angle!). The posable design allows you to effortlessly adjust the height and direction.

Innovative design but without sacrificing ease of use or functionality - this webcam is exactly what I needed!

Great webcam
I have never owned a webcam before but purchased this on the basis of reviews. I was not to be disappointed.
The camera was bought as gift and was to be used with skype on a laptop with Vista.
Setup was very easy and took less than 5 minutes.
The picture quality from the camera was excellent, even in less than ideal light conditions.
Sound quality from the built in microphone was also good- loud and very clear.
Skype recognised the camera straight away and the results using the camera for a video call were impressive.
Build quality of the camera also seemed fairly good and robust.
Well worth £25.

Very good for the price
I am generally pleased with this product. I use it for video calls on Skype, and also for producing Youtube videos.

Some reviewers reported audio feedback which made their Skype sessions insufferable. I have not experienced any such problems despite having the cam in front of my speakers and I suspect that these reviewers have an older version of Skype installed which pre-dates the call quality and feedback reduction improvements. For reference, I am using the manufacturer's driver version 5.7.19.121, and version 4.0.0.206 of Skype.

The only problems I have had with this item are as follows:
- Dead pixel. There is one dead pixel on the sensor which is annoyingly right in centre frame and appears as a white dot on video, which leaves a faint trail when there is movement.
- Flexibility. A very minor issue, but the neck is not as flexible as you might hope. It does not like acute angles, and will topple over if it becomes unbalanced.
- Focusing. Can be tricky to focus accurately with the manual focus.
- Whine. When the microphone and video capture are used at the same time, I have noticed a whine in the audio playback. I think this is EM feedback in the microphone caused by the image sensor being powered up. The problem is not evident when using the microphone on its own.

Apart from that, the quality is great. It has great resolution and a whole raft of video effects which can be very fun. Installation is really easy too.

At this price, it's recommended for both Skypers and Youtubers.


** Update: 27/06/09 **

I contacted the manufacturer through their web site and reported the dead pixel. By the end of the day they had shipped a replacement head/neck to me at no charge, as well as prepaid packaging to send the old one back. What excellent service!
Shame the new camera head has three dead pixels as opposed to one, but they are in less prominent places. Also the neck is a lot more flexible and holds its position more happily.