14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft launched yesterday the next best thing in webcams, with the new LifeCam Studio, a webcam with high-definition video and a 1080p sensor, which is perfect for Windows Live Messenger 2011, with HD video calling and a 16:9 widescreen format.
This is Microsoft’s first 1080p sensor webcam and it was built to give a very sharp, high quality image, being over twice as large as the 720p HD sensors that are currently available on the market.
One of its major advantages is the great video quality in any lighting conditions, whether it's sunny, or the user's face is lit only by the light from the computer monitor.
Microsoft’s latest HD LifeCam will be used at its full potential this fall, when Windows Live Messenger will support HD video calling.
Michael Chang, group product manager for Windows Live Messenger said that “with Windows Live Messenger, customers can now have richer, more meaningful conversations by sharing photos, playing games and, of course, instant messaging all while video chatting in HD.
“We are thrilled to deliver HD widescreen video calls with Windows Live Messenger 2011, giving LifeCam users a more vivid and clear image for their video calls,” he adds.
Not only this new webcam delivers a high-quality video image, it also has an industrial design and ever piece of it serves a purpose.
LifeCam is the company's first to have a tripod thread, which is very useful for recording long videos from several angles.
Its 360-degree view range allows users to point the camera at themselves or at anything else around them, without having to turn around an entire laptop, and the extended hood just like for a high-end camera, protects the lens from stray light, thus avoiding washed-out colors.
This super webcam also has premium optics with its improved Auto Focus that keeps objects focused, regardless of their distance from the LifeCam, and a high-precision glass component for extreme clarity.
As for color quality, two technologies make sure that it always remains like the real thing, in any given circumstances.
The bright and colorful video stays this way in any lighting and the TrueColor Technology makes sure that the face is properly exposed, and the video remains smooth and detailed even in low light, thanks to the ClearFrame Technology.
And as in life everything comes with a price, the LifeCam Studio will be available later this month, exclusively in Best Buy stores, but for those who cannot wait any longer, it can already be bought on BestBuy.com, at $99.954.