Product Description

This full-featured webcam, with ClearFrame image-processing technology, delivers smooth, detailed video and crystal-clear audio.

Product Details

• Color: Black
• Brand: Microsoft
• Model: H5D-00001
• Platform: Windows
• Format: CD
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 8.00" h x 2.53" w x 7.50" l, .87 pounds

Features

• 720p HD Widescreen Video
• Auto Focus
• High-precision glass element lens
• ClearFrame Technology for smooth, detailed video
• Digital, noise-canceling microphone o

From the Manufacturer
Share every detail with friends and family with the Microsoft LifeCam Cinema. This full-featured webcam, with ClearFrame image-processing technology, delivers smooth, detailed 16:9 video in full 720p HD quality and crystal-clear audio. Optimized for Windows Live and Windows 7, the LifeCam Cinema also works with Yahoo Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger and Skype for video calls and messaging.

Product Features:

720p HD Widescreen Video 720p sensor captures true HD quality video at up to 30 frames per second.		World-class Optics With Auto Focus and high-precision glass element lens.		Clear, High-quality Video ClearFrame Technology provides smooth, detailed video.
Crystal-clear Audio Digital, noise-cancelling microphone helps improve speech quality.		Aluminum Body		Flexible Stand Fits any notebook and desktop PCs.

HD Done Right:

An HD webcam can mean the difference between a good experience and a great one. With cinematic 16:9 widescreen 720p video, crystal-clear images with Auto Focus and smooth and clear video with ClearFrame Technology, you won’t find another High Definition video experience like LifeCam Cinema.

	720p HD Widescreen Video With virtually all new computer displays shipping in widescreen and social networking sites now accepting uploaded widescreen video, LifeCam Cinema offers true 720p widescreen video capture at up to 30 frames per second. Which means you’ll be able to create higher quality widescreen webcam videos without having to worry about jerky frame speeds.
	Sharp Close-ups The auto-focus feature on the LifeCam Cinema works just like the auto-focus feature on your digital camera to keep your video sharp no matter how close an object is to the LifeCam. Perfect for showing small objects—such as a ring or a business card—up close. And Auto Focus is built right into the camera, so there’s never a need to adjust the focus by hand.
	Smooth Video ClearFrame is an innovative technology that provides smooth, detailed video at any resolution— even in low-light conditions. ClearFrame improves video quality in two ways: ClearFrame features an image processing technology that helps to efficiently send the information from the webcam to your computer, reducing the “ghosting” effect. Video noise reduction software reduces image graininess—especially in low light—to keep your video sharp and clear.

How to Make a Video Call:

With a simple calling interface and integration with Microsoft LifeCams, you'll find that video calling is the next best thing to being there. It's easy, it's free, and you can get started today. All you need is a PC, an Internet connection, an ISP, a webcam, and a friend. Then follow the steps below to make a video call.

Step 1 Buy and install a LifeCam. Don't have one? Start shopping.		Step 2 Sign in to your Windows Live™ Messenger account or other messenger service that supports video calls.		Step 3 Once you are signed in you can either choose a contact on the Instant Messenger window, or press the video call button on your webcam. Then click the Video link to start a video call.

Find a Webcam That's Right for You:

Best: Better: Good:
Webcam	LifeCam Cinema	LifeCam Show	LifeCam VX-5500	LifeCam NX-3000	LifeCam VX-5000	LifeCam VX-2000
Video Sensor	720p HD	2.0 MP	VGA	VGA	VGA	VGA
Photo Size	8 MP	8 MP	1.3 MP	1.3 MP	1.3 MP	1.3 MP
Focus Type - Always Focused means that no fine tuning is needed as the webcam is always in focus from a depth of 21" to 60"	Auto Focus	Always Focused	Always Focused	Always Focused	Always Focused	Fixed Focus
Digital Zoom - delivers realistic, up-close-and-personal video, so you can see the contours of every smile	5x	5x	3x	3x	3x	3x
Wide-Angle Lens - the 71 degree wide angle lens ensures no one gets left out of the pictures	Yes	Yes
Built-In Microphone - a built-in unidirectional microphone cancels out acoustic noise and echo for crystal-clear audio	Digital, Noise-Cancelling	Noise-Cancelling	Noise-Cancelling	Noise-Cancelling	Noise-Cancelling	Noise-Cancelling
Fits Laptops or PCs	Both	Both	Both	Laptops only	Both	Both

LifeCam Cinema System Requirements:

Windows® 7/Windows Vista®/Windows XP (with Service Pack 2 or higher) Intel Dual-Core 1.6 GHz or higher and 1 GB of RAM (recommended: Intel Dual-Core 3.0 GHz or higher and 2 GB of RAM) 1.5 GB free space CD-ROM USB 2.0

Recommended Accessories:

Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 Headset		Microsoft LifeChat LX-2000 Headset		Microsoft LifeChat LX-1000 Headset

Customer Reviews

Excellent Hardware, Lackluster Software
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1EN44PBAXWTNV Summary: It's a great product, but the software is lacking. It does require a lot of processing power to produce decent videos, so do everything you can to let the capture software have all of the processing power.

For reference, I was using an AMD Athlon 64 XP Dual Core 6400+ CPU with 4GB of RAM when recording this video. I am running the software on a Windows XP 32-bit machine.

This video was recorded with minimal software interference, but I'm also happy with the quality of the processing for low-light conditions. In this case, I was looking to get the best motion performance, so I turned off all of the auto features in order to get the best picture with the light I was using.

As you will hear in the video, the built-in microphone isn't terrible, but it does have a pretty high noise floor. That is fine if you're using Skype, but lousy if you are trying to record higher quality videos. In this video, I used the Audio-Technica AT2020 USB Condenser USB Microphone (except for the built-in mic demo).

All in all, it's a great webcam for producing online videos. If you don't have external software, or don't have a top of the line computer, there may be a webcam that does what you need without so much hassle. For high quality stuff, this may well be the best hardware on the market.

A great alternative to Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000
I'm a big Skype user and have used the QuickCam Pro 9000 for quite some time. While Skype doesn't recognize this Microsoft cam as an "HQ" cam (or at least not yet, if ever), I have found that this cam excels as compared to the QuickCam Pro 9000 in three ways:

1. This cam produces much richer colors. Some may say it borderlines oversaturated or "technicolor" but I really enjoy the brilliance of the colors
2. Low light conditions keep rich and bright color. I find with the QuickCam it loses contrast to brighten up the picture.
3. Launch time. I find with the Quickcam Pro 9000 the "ramp up/turn on" time is undesirably long when receiving an auto answer Skype call. This cam is ready to go immediately.

As far as focusing goes, both the QickCam Pro 9000 and this cam aren't great at it in dark lighting conditions.

The widescreen view is a really nice change from the normal 4:3 perspective. It really helps show your surroundings more and give a better feel to where you are.

Installation was easy, and the cam itself seems far smaller than I was expecting.

Under some conditions Skype callers on the receiving end prefer this video over the HQ Skype capable Quickcam Pro 9000. In some cases they prefer the Quickcam.

I saw that some people mentioned the high hardware requirements so I wanted to let you know what I'm using it on:

Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit
Core i7 2.66
3 GB memory

I'm not going to outright say that this is a better webcam than the QuickCam Pro 9000 but it definitely gives it a run for it's money, and offers a few unique features that the QuickCam Pro 9000 does not, all in a smaller more attractive cam size & style.

---update--

After several months of use, I have found that I'm using this cam more than the Logitech Quick Cam 9000. They're both equal in stature in my mind, but this one is better at low light use. I often Skype at night when the room is comfortably dim, so this has become my preferred camera. Even though it's not listed as an HQ cam for Skype, it still provides better overall performance for the way I use it.

Good in very low light
I like the Lifecam Cinema webcam because it is the best webcam in very low light. With only the computer and TV on at night, the Lifecam Cinema webcam produces a viewable video for chat. In this same light settings, the Quickcam Pro9000s video is all black.

In better light conditions, the Lifecam cinema will produce a good video with good color.

This camera will focus as close as 1 inch. Good to play around with as a microscope, but a hassle everytime it does an autofocus. I turn off autofocus most of the time.

People mentioned that this camera takes a powerful CPU. It only uses a lot of CPU power when you turn on the video effects, such as modifing the eyes, nose, face, and others.