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Webcams aren't good enough

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Re: Webcams aren't good enough

#441

Post by rootusrootus »

bborud wrote: post #372

I wish webcam manufacturers would focus on sensors and optics instead of rubbing lipstick all over low quality hardware with an undeniable porcine quality. Fixing it with AI is nonsense. Fashionable nonsense but still nonsense. I have spent lots of money on various webcams. Including cameras that promise “AI”. The truth is not even my $1000 “AI” webcam gets close to my aging iPhone 7. As a video conferencing camera i…

Totally with you on the microphones. I use a really decent mic for video calls now, and everyone says I sound like an NPR announcer. This is a good thing. It's really draining to try and listen to people who have awful sound quality when they're talking. I wish everyone would invest in a decent mic. Just a basic podcast mic is a million times better than using your earpods or something similar.

Re: Webcams aren't good enough

#442

Post by drdec »

kylecordes wrote: post #351
adrusi wrote: post #344

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Smartphone cameras are small and far better sensors than what you get in webcams. They rely on software to produce images of the quality we're used to seeing, especially with less-than-ideal lighting, but the lenses and sensor are still far better than the Logitech C920. A webcam doesn't need the latest and greatest video hardware. Give it a camera module from a midrange 2017 smartphone and use the latest image proce…

This is the answer. Camera and processor from a several-year-old smart phone, which is now quite cheap. Sell it for $500. So far no one has, there must be a reason no one can.

> So far no one has, there must be a reason no one can.

I am reminded of the story of two economists walking down the street. One spots a $20 bill on the sidewalk points it out to the other, who says "Don't be ridiculous, if there really were a $20 bill on the ground someone would have picked it up by now."

Re: Webcams aren't good enough

#443

Post by Arn_Thor »

I have been testing various solutions for semi-professional-looking interviews with remote staff and concluded that a dedicated microphone plus the rear-facing camera of whatever smartphone they have at home is by far the best bang for the buck solution. webcams are too terrible and mirrorless/dslr cameras are too expensive and complicated to set up and use.

Re: Webcams aren't good enough

#444

Post by codyogden »

klinquist wrote: post #337
wilg wrote: post #242

I have the Opal C1. It's trying to be better than a normal webcam. I'm not in love with it but might work for you: https://opalcamera.com/

What don't you love about it? (I've got one on order)

All of the primary reasons I purchased are great. Only a couple snags: the cord was way too short if you don't have a compatible port on the back of your desktop monitor, and the camera gets warm and stays warm. Too warm.

The software runs constantly in the background. The camera runs warm when it's in use (I expected this), but it also stays warm and "doing something" despite not being active when I put my Mac to sleep (screens off). Unless I unplug it, the C1 stays warm as if it's engaged and running. I reached out to their team, and they said "just unplug it when you're not using it." Being forced to unplug it kind of defeats the purpose of having a high quality desktop camera set up.

Opal's team promised a fix for this in a software update, but I've had it for three months and have received zero software updates (though I noticed they have done alpha test releases). None of these have come to GA to the point that the subreddit routinely asks if the company is still going.

Overall, I really like the camera. Howe ver, Opal as a company certainly has reason to get more active and deliver quality if they expect us to start paying a subscription for the software.

Re: Webcams aren't good enough

#445

Post by hackernewds »

bborud wrote: post #372

I wish webcam manufacturers would focus on sensors and optics instead of rubbing lipstick all over low quality hardware with an undeniable porcine quality. Fixing it with AI is nonsense. Fashionable nonsense but still nonsense. I have spent lots of money on various webcams. Including cameras that promise “AI”. The truth is not even my $1000 “AI” webcam gets close to my aging iPhone 7. As a video conferencing camera i…

Is there any way to use an old iphone as a webcam setup? imagine additionally could do Home control etc

Re: Webcams aren't good enough

#447

Post by dmix »

rlei wrote: post #171

I'm the cofounder at Lumina - we're building a modern webcam designed to solve some of these problems. There's really been a lack of innovation in the entire home office space, with the webcam being particularly bad. It sucks that a decade-old product (Logitech C920) is still the bestselling product today -- that would be like if Apple stopped releasing new phones after the iPhone 4S (launched 2012), and it remained…

Could you use Bluetooth or something wireless from a webcam like Lumina? Or is the datarate too low?

Re: Webcams aren't good enough

#448

Post by rowanG077 »

rlei wrote: post #171

I'm the cofounder at Lumina - we're building a modern webcam designed to solve some of these problems. There's really been a lack of innovation in the entire home office space, with the webcam being particularly bad. It sucks that a decade-old product (Logitech C920) is still the bestselling product today -- that would be like if Apple stopped releasing new phones after the iPhone 4S (launched 2012), and it remained…

If you can do enough in pure software why are you developing hardware at all? Why not make your product a software offering working with any webcam? Or OEM an existing webcam with your software?

Re: Webcams aren't good enough

#449

Post by loeg »

hackernewds wrote: post #445
bborud wrote: post #372

I wish webcam manufacturers would focus on sensors and optics instead of rubbing lipstick all over low quality hardware with an undeniable porcine quality. Fixing it with AI is nonsense. Fashionable nonsense but still nonsense. I have spent lots of money on various webcams. Including cameras that promise “AI”. The truth is not even my $1000 “AI” webcam gets close to my aging iPhone 7. As a video conferencing camera i…

Is there any way to use an old iphone as a webcam setup? imagine additionally could do Home control etc

That’s the marketing pitch of the article.

Re: Webcams aren't good enough

#450

Post by loeg »

mattacular wrote: post #446

The webcam in the MacBook Pro seems to be way better than most. Complementing that is an extremely good mic. Arguably these are two of the truly "professional" touches in their line as of late.

The webcam and mic in the 2019 MBP I have are decidedly mediocre. Maybe they’ve improved recently?
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