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  1. Member
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    Aug 2008
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    I have a logitech quickcam 9000. I did not realize until recently that I could capture the output of that camera with some program other than what it came with.

    I would really appreciate any suggestions you have on a capturing program that will actually get the full 30fps and 640x480 resolution with decent video quality. I've always been unhappy with the quality from the bundled logitech software.

    Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thank you.
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  2. Member edDV's Avatar
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    For what purpose?

    This webcam is basic quality no matter what you do. The lens won't resolve full 640x480 although it can generate a large bitmap..
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  3. Member
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    I guess I don't quite understand the terminology perhaps. According to the documentation for the camera it says it can do 640x480 at 30fps. It's hard to put in to words what I'm expecting out of it.

    I realize that it will be limited in quality due to the compression algorithm involved. It appears that the built in software encrypts into a .WMV format and the results are so-so at best.

    I'm using this for creating videos for my guitar students, and in general they will either turn into videos for youtube or to be hosted on my own website. I've not looking for HD quality, I just want it to be as good as the hardware will allow.

    I'm assuming that the software is what translates the information from the webcam and converts into .wmv, .mp4, or .mp2 or whatever format, and maybe that is incorrect.

    I hope this helps others to help me. I'd really appreciate any feedback you have on the subject. I'm new to video in general, though I'm an old hack in the audio world. At this point I'm still getting up to speed on the various compression algorithms and their strengths and weaknesses.
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  4. Member
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    edDv's response also prompts me to ask if there is a better webcam for my purposes? I was just amazed that there was one that even claimed to do 640x480 at 30fps. But I bought it many months ago and maybe something better has come along.
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  5. Member
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    Getting good video from a cheap Logitech webcam is like expecting a man with cataracts to have decent vision. The method of capturing the video is the least of your problems, as you'll have very little quality to lose in the first place.
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  6. Member edDV's Avatar
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    Why arn't you using at least a used DV camcorder which is approx 4x better? Capture over IEEE-1394 and you will be staggered even with a $300 new ($80 used) DV camcorder. Webcams are for 320x240 chat groups.

    Why is the camcorder better? First the lens, then the sensor, then the compression. DV camcorders output at 25Mb/s and don't need to compress to 1/25th of that.
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  7. Member
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    I have 2 DV camcorders... that's not really the point. I'm not trying to get DV quality from that camcorder, I'm trying to get the best that is possible given the hardware that I am working with, in this case the Logitech.

    There are other factors having to do with convenience that make a DV cam impractical.

    So with that said, what would you guys recommend as far as software to get the best possible quality from my cheap little logitech quickcam 900?
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  8. Member edDV's Avatar
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    I suggest you try your question in the Logitech user forums. Those people have experience with these webcams.
    http://forums.logitech.com/

    Webcams are designed for capturing faces for chat programs. The lens is a bit wide for general use. Logitech doesn't offer their compression specs or manuals online so it is difficult to comment on software compatibility beyond Skype, Windows Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and AIM recommended on their web site.
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  9. Member
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    Make sure you have a lot of light illuminating what the web cam is pointed at. My Creative web cam does 640x480 and they claim that it will capture at 30 frames per second. However, what happens in reality is it throttles back the number of frames per second depending on the available light. It takes perfect laboratory conditions to get 30 frames per second.

    It's all about advertising and over stating the practical capabilities of the device.
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  10. I haven't tried this but it has quite a few features and a few basic video enhancement features...
    http://www.download.com/RGS-AvaCam/3000-2348_4-10781953.html?tag=mncol
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