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| YOU ARE HERE : Home > Categories > Computer Hardware > Webcams > Platinum Range : Max-I-Swann USB 2.0 Webcam with Audio | |
| ProdID: 595 - Platinum Range : Max-I-Swann USB 2.0 Webcam with AudioManufactured bySwann Communications | Product Score: 9.1 |
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Model: US140M SW-U-WC20 The Swann USB 2.0 Max-I-Swann webcam lets you meet face-to-face online with live video calls. Bring your Instant Messages to life by adding live vision to your MSN or Yahoo! Messenger, or set it up as a webcam and share your world with photos and video sent with your email as simply as you send text. What's more, USB 2.0 Max-I-Swann webcam allows you to take digital photos at the click of a button. It couldn't be easier to share your vision. Features • Video: Up to 640x480 pixels • Framerate: Up to 25 frames per second at VGA mode. • Stillshot: Up to 1280x960 pixels Minimum System Requirements • O/S: Win 98SE, 2000, XP • CPU: Pentium III, 800MHz equiv or higher • RAM: 128Mb or more • HDD: 100Mb spare or more • VideoRAM: 32Mb or more • CD-ROM drive • Spare USB port (1.1 or 2.0, 2.0 recommended) |
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I really liked this webcam, it was easy to install and to use, had a nice clear picture. I do prefer plug and play items, but installing it was not so bad. |
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I have only recently upgraded my machine to usb 2.0 with an add-in pci card running on my windows 2000 machine. I suspect the card may be slightly faulty since it kept resetting itself every few minutes and causinig much annoyance by always bleating at me that I had 'unplugged some device without stopping it first'. So I took this webcam to a friend who had a "native-usb 2" system and we started to install it there. It was so easy to install with the drivers on an auto-loading cd. It took the usual three reboots that windoze demands for any new hardware but everything went so smoothly that it still only took 10 minutes to set it all up. Since my mate already had a usb 1.1 webcam installed we were able to compare the performance difference quite easily. It was amazing the difference between them. His cam was a high-end logitech unit when he bought it for $190 about a year ago. It gave a somewhat yellow/red image, slightly foggy appearance, and the microphone was passable but only for voice-over-IP it was useless for voice recognition. We then flipped to this one and what a difference. My mate started hinting that he would love to have it if I didnt want it. Tough luck, after seeing it in action it was MINE!  The image was crisp and sharp, and a bit of fine tuning later it was colour correct as well. The microphone did a great job with only a slight dropout when doing voice recognition. It wont match a headset for clarity but it beat out any desk mounted microphone I have tried. Three very minor let downs which still didnt put me off: 1 - there is no flip-down visor to obscure the lens. With hackers able to activate the cam remotely when you are not expecting it, this should always be considered. However a small cardboard box cut to size fitted snuggly over the cam, stopping that issue dead in its tracks. 2 - The mircophone has a separate plug at the end of the cable. My hub is on top of my desk, but the mic jack is about 30cm further down. It required some butchering of the cables to make it work, so though I am not overly worried, you may not wish to grab the craft knife and say "Now zis vont hurt... much" as you start separating the cables. Perhaps Logitech had a good idea with their system of piping the mic thru the usb channel... although that could also explain the reduction in sound quality on their unit. 3 - There was nothing but drivers supplied with the cam. No cool security software, webcasting server, nothing. However, it is easy enough to find suitable software online so no big deal really. In the end, it came down to one little thing - style. The swann cam has it in spades, and the little desktop eyeballs dont. This is clearly a camera and not some cyberpunks wet dream of an electronic eyeball wired into their machine. Oh and I must mention the stand. Fold it one way and its a desktop stand, fold it another way and it is a meaty-as clamp that will happily fit over the thickest of lcd monitor casings. Very cool indeed. Swann wins hands down. |
| User Comments |
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Anonymous the camera would probably be ok if the manufacturer would just keep it's website up to date and help with driver support. I bought this unit as a two in a box item. it works ok on my laptop with xp home edition, but the driver would not run in my desktop with xp pro. i searched the swann sites for hours with an endless stream of broken links. I have advised my wife to throw it in the bin and buy a different brand |
| Printed at 07:50:22pm on Tuesday 15th July 2025 |
