The right webcam for the job

A webcam lets you turn your IMs, e-mails, and calls into face-to-face conversations—no matter where your friends and family are. But which webcam is right for you? We’ll help you focus in on the right one for your needs.

Seeing the smile on your grandson’s face or the glitter off your daughter’s engagement ring is so much better than a phone call. And a webcam can really make these experiences possible, even when you’re separated by thousands of miles. But getting the right webcam is more than just a matter of finding the one with the most megapixels.

At Logitech, we’re not just trying to dazzle you with more megapixels. Megapixels are only part of the picture. Image quality—especially when it comes to making a video call—depends on at least five things: the webcam lens and sensor, your computer, your Internet connection, and the video-calling program.

Power and connections

Most computers sold today have no problem handling a video call. But if your computer is a little bit older or you’re not using a fast connection, you might run into difficulty. To get good clarity and smoothness, your computer needs to meet the minimum requirements to support a video call.

We recommend that your computer have a dual-core CPU with 1 GB of RAM and that you’re using a broadband connection of 256 kbps or higher. (Most broadband connections are at least twice as fast as 256 kbps.)

Vid—Putting it all together

What is Vid? Unlike other instant messaging programs, we created Vid specifically for clear, simple video calling. There’s no text chat. No strangers calling you. No smiley faces made of parentheses. Just real smiling faces.

You need every element of the “image pipeline,” as our engineers call it, to have a great video call. When it’s time for you to make a call, Vid puts it all together.