WEBCAMERAS, ebcams, interfaces and cameras you can use on the web, all you need to know for help and advice on selecting the right camera for YOU

Well whatever webcam software your using and for what ever purpose..........your going to need
a webcam, a capture device or an IP camera of some description. "Whats the difference?" i
hear you ask. Well read on and then check out the camera reviews and live pictures sections.

OK a webcam is a small camera that usually plugs directly into a USB port of your PC. They
can vary in performance and cost quite dramatically. Things to look for are Resolution which
will affect picture quality and size, the maximum FPS (frames per second) that the camera can
provide to the software, its low light performance or LUX level (lower number = better response)
and whether it has a built in microphone or a separate one (could be important for webchat).

A Capture Device can be a PCI card that fits inside the PC or a USB device that plugs in to a
spare USB port. Either of these accept standard video signals from other sources such as
CCTV cameras and videos and some also have S-Video inputs as well. You need to check on
the maximum FPS one of these can deliver. With USB devices you are best to use individual
units rather than multiple input ones as they are easier for the software to see. With PCI cards
you can have up to 16 camera inputs but make sure you read the FPS ratings correctly
because the maximum frame rate is usually given with one camera connected and this figure
must be divided across the maximum number connected. For example a 4 way PCI card may
provide 25 FPS for 1 x camera 7 FPS for 2 x cameras and 1 FPS for 4 x cameras. Some PCI
and USB interfaces are also multimedia devices and incorporate TV and satellite decoders
such as the Hauppage USB and the Dazzle card so you can have surveillance and
entertainment into the bargain.

An IP camera has a built in webserver.........so you dont need a PC to use it on the internet.
Again you need to look for camera performance in FPS, resolution etc. They are generally far
more expensive than ordinary webcams or capture devices. You can use Active Webcam to
great effect with IP cameras. As you can mix and match with this software.....you could have
your webcams connected to your office PC and your AXIS or D-LINK IP cameras connected to
it over your LAN and view them all remotely off one IP address. Check out the reviews on a
couple of IP or Network camera's to see if they fit the bill for your needs.