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Filed under: *VIDEO* •Cameras •compression •Hardware •Production •Software •

Skype’s certified HD webcams: a first look

As I explained in the related article Skype goes HD, Skype software now supports full-raster HD 720p (1280x720) for Windows computers, and I expect the same support for Mac computers very soon. So far, Skype has certified HD webcams from two different manufacturers. All of these certified models use onboard H.264 hardware encoding to alleviate CPU cycles and bandwidth, and are expected to be available in early 2010. In this article, you’ll see the their photos, prices, and published specs. Each manufacturer has chosen to emphasize different types specifications, as you will read.

So far, Skype has certified HD webcams from faceVision and In Store Solutions. I have already contacted both manufacturers to write reviews about their offerings, and will do so as soon as they cooperate.

faceVision’s FVTouchCam N1 webcam

Here are the FVTouchCam N1 published specs so far:

• Dimensions:100(W)x45(D)x60(H)mm
• Weight: 90g
• Interface: USB 2.0
• Cable: 150cm
• Power supply: 5V (USB bus power)
• 1G4P+IR, VCM auto-focus
• Depth of focus: 10cm ~ infinity
• Aperture: F/2.0
• Field of view: 78.1°
• Effective pixel:1280x800 (maximum)
• Output image size: HD 1280x720, WVGA, VGA, CIF, QVGA, QCIF
• Framerate: 22fps at HD (1280x720) with H.264/30fps at WVGA (768x 480) with YUV
• Unidirectional dual microphones: Frequency 100-12000Hz/Sensitivity -47dB ±4dB/SNR >60dB

In Store Solutions’ two HD models

In Store Solutions announced two different HD models:  the US$120 FREETALK TALK-7170 HD PRO, and the US$140 TALK-7181 HD PRO PLUS. In Store Solutions is actually the same company that runs the online Skype Shop.

The FREETALK TALK-7170 HD PRO comes with two built-in microphones, while the HD PRO PLUS has four. According to the manufacturer, the four built-in cardioid microphones enable a four-meter (±13 feet) audio pickup, which, together with Skype’s beamforming algorithm, promises to deliver crystal clear voice quality and help improve echo canceling.

Both webcams should be be available as of March 2010.

Published specifications for both the TALK-7170 and the TALK-7181 include:

• 5 megapixel HD sensor
• High performance optical lens
• 24-bit true color depth
• Auto Exposure and auto white balance
• Manual focus capability
• HD video encoding at resolutions up to 1280x720 at 30 frames per second in H.264 format (Hopefully they mean 29.97!)

Initial conclusions

From the published specs, it seems as if the FREETALK models from In Store Solutions will be more appropriate for remote TV guests via Skype since it is the only one that promises ±30 fps. Then again, for talking heads applications, that may not matter so much. Regarding audio, for general use using onboard microphones, in theory the TALK-7181 should be better. However, for pro use, it will likely be desirable to use an independent, pro mic. When I review them, we’ll all know for sure. I’ll certainly include clips with both audio and video. I’ll test the audio with the onboard microphone (or microphone array), as well as test how feasible it is to maintain lip sync with an independent, professional microphone.

Related article

See also the related article HD goes Skype.

Allan Tépper’s articles and seminars

Get a full index of Allan Tépper’s articles and upcoming seminars at AllanTepper.com. Listen to his podcast TecnoTur, together with Tanya Castañeda, Rubén Abruña, and Liliana Marín, free via iTunes or at

TecnoTur.us.

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Interesting. I wonder if they will support HD video conferencing.

Posted by DanConklin  on  01/26  at  04:04 PM

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How does this differ from the “hiqh quality” service and webcams from Logitech that Skype has offered for some time now.
https://support.skype.com/faq/FA1435/Where-can-I-get-High-Quality-video-software

Personally, I’d take higher resolution, clearer 15 fps over smoother, lower resolution images. But I haven’t yet seen a setting in Skype to allow me to do that.

Posted by IEBA  on  01/27  at  09:13 AM

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IEBA,

I am not Skype, but it appears to me that neither of the currently available (1-27-10) HD webcams has onboard hardware-based H.264 encoding (or Logitech doesn’t mention it). Apparently, that’s a pre-requisite to be certified for HD by Skype, which makes sense, since it does not depend at all on the computer’s CPU to to the encoding.

In addition, only starting with the ßeta Skype released at CES earlier this month is there a version that supports 1280x720 (720p).

Allan Tépper

Posted by Allan Tépper  on  01/27  at  07:39 PM

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