14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft released the gold version of Windows Live Movie Maker to web on August 19, 2009, emphasizing support for high-definition video and optimizations for Windows 7 RTM. Now the Redmond company has also announced that, for the first time in the history of Microsoft Hardware, consumers will be able to enjoy the GD video advances in Windows 7 and Windows Live Movie Maker with a web camera that comes with support for widescreen video with a native 720p sensor. Of course, Windows 7 and Windows Live Movie Maker can go as high as 1080p for HD content, but LifeCam Cinema’s 720p is not to be overlooked, especially for a consumer device.
“When we started working on LifeCam Cinema almost a year ago, we were motivated by the fact that new computer displays were predominantly widescreen and top social networking sites were allowing widescreen video,” explained Stuart Milton, systems engineer for Microsoft Hardware. “LifeCam Cinema sets the stage for the next generation of webcam use: uploading widescreen videos with amazing quality to social networking sites and soon chatting live with friends and family in widescreen format.”
Microsoft is making no secret of the fact that it aims for LifeCam to be used by people who share video via YouTube or additional online video sharing sites, and through Facebook. In this regard, the promise from the company is that the web camera was designed to handle environmental light, especially low lighting conditions, with no impact on the frame rate, which should remain at 30fps.
PC users will be able to leverage the webcam in order to produce native 720p widescreen videos at 16:9 and take advantage of Auto Focus and the ClearFrame Technology. ClearFrame is set up to deliver increased performance when it comes down to image processing, smooth video independent of the resolution as well as enhanced noise reduction for sharp content. Because of the widescreen technology, LifeCam Cinema is capable of shooting video at a wide angle of capture, no less than 74 degrees.
In addition to LifeCam Cinema, Microsoft is also introducing the LifeChat LX-1000 headset. High-quality audio and a noise-canceling microphone are the main benefits of using the LifeChat LX-1000 headset, Microsoft noted.
LifeCam Cinema will hit the shelves this September and will cost $79.95. Also available next month will be LifeChat LX-1000, which will come with a price tag of $24.95. The Redmond company informed that pre-orders would go live on August 24th.