Learn About Webcams

What is it?

It is an input device that captures images or videos, then sends them to your computer. They usually come with a built-in microphone. Webcams can be built in monitors, laptops and all in one PCs.

How does it work?

Webcam works by doing the following (over simplified) steps:

1. Capture image or video
2. Send data to computer

Look for

• Picture Quality

  Check the picture produced by the webcam

• Video Quality

  Check the video produced by the webcam

• FPS

  Check the video's FPS (Frames per second) produced by the webcam

• Resolution

  Check the resolution of images and video

• Low light

  Check the low light performance of images and video

• Autofocus

  Check the autofocus performance of the webcam

• Field of View

  Check how wide is the field of view, the wider, the more people can be viewed at the same time

• Sound Quality

  Check the sounds produced by the built-in Mic

• Compatibility

  Check compatibility with your computer ports and OS

• Noise Cancelling

  Check how the built-in Mic can cancel background noises

• Mounting and Adjustability

  Check how easy it is to mount and adjust the webcam

• Placement

  Make sure it is placed in the proper location

Avoid

• High Resolutions Conferencing

  High resolutions cameras are not always better for conferencing

  Webcams are usually used for web video conferencing, which is severely bandwidth constrained. High resolutions (4K) require more bandwidth which makes it not suitable for web video conferencing. As a result, if your bandwidth is not enough for your high resolution webcam (4K), it will revert to a lower resolution (720p) to accommodate your bandwidth.