Product face-offs
Creative Labs Live! Cam Video IM Pro 2
| Video capture resolution | CMOS, 800 x 600 Pixels |
| Photo resolution | 1.3 MPixels avec interpolation |
| Zoom / Face tracking | Oui / Oui |
| Connectors | USb 1.1 et 2.0 |
| Audio | Micro intégré |
Sound quality and effects
The IM Pro 2 has an internal microphone with noise reduction and a lapel microphone. We verified this and the voice of the person on the other end is indeed recognizable. Moreover, you don’t have the impression that the voice is coming from deep inside a cave, a phenomenon with some webcams, particularly older models. Audio effects are also available. You can easily go from the voice of an ‘’old’’ person, to an automated one or even toggle between a male and female voice.
Pierre-Jean Alzieu
Test date: 2008-03-06
Test date: 2008-03-06
Released a little while ago, this webcam is a second generation Live! Cam IM Pro. With a launch price of around 50€, it is found in the mid-range; however, it can be found today for less than 30 Euros. The manufacturer announced it as a webcam that could improve internet conversations. We found its main advantage to be the UVC Plug and Play compatibility. This means that all you have to do is connect the device to your computer in order to speak with your friends via instant messaging without having to install a driver. It’s very practical!
Ergonomics and design
The first good point is that it easily attaches to all types of screens and even laptops. Moreover, the base allows 360° turning and a 45° incline. In terms of design, there is the same round lines found on the first version of this webcam. Nevertheless, it also keeps the rather medium quality plastic body and a manual focus. Finally, note the gain in compactness which means it can be easily added to almost any desk top.
Reactivity and image quality
If you look at images with automatic settings in a room with contrasted colors, you can immediately see that this webcam slightly overexposes which means a noticeable reduction in reactivity. It’s therefore preferable to manually adjust exposure in exchange for an image which is a bit darker. At night, the sensor will automatically set sensitivity adding noise and reducing quality. As for reactivity, there is a satisfactory image rate compared to the average and compared to the Hercules Dualpix HD Webcam, results are similar. Finally, we did notice a shimmering in dark tones once again due to a lack of contrast.
Ergonomics and design
The first good point is that it easily attaches to all types of screens and even laptops. Moreover, the base allows 360° turning and a 45° incline. In terms of design, there is the same round lines found on the first version of this webcam. Nevertheless, it also keeps the rather medium quality plastic body and a manual focus. Finally, note the gain in compactness which means it can be easily added to almost any desk top.
Reactivity and image quality
If you look at images with automatic settings in a room with contrasted colors, you can immediately see that this webcam slightly overexposes which means a noticeable reduction in reactivity. It’s therefore preferable to manually adjust exposure in exchange for an image which is a bit darker. At night, the sensor will automatically set sensitivity adding noise and reducing quality. As for reactivity, there is a satisfactory image rate compared to the average and compared to the Hercules Dualpix HD Webcam, results are similar. Finally, we did notice a shimmering in dark tones once again due to a lack of contrast.
- Attractive design
- Audio and video effects
- No driver installation required
- Manual focus
- Overexposes on default settings
You can improve quality via a few manual adjustments. This product doesn’t work miracles, especially at night, although overall rendering is satisfactory. If you spend a lot of time in front of your webcam, look elsewhere. For more infrequent use it will do the job.
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