Amazon.co.uk Review
Video conferencing has long been touted as one of the primary uses for a WebCam, but there have been several restricting factors that have prevented it from being an enjoyable experience. The
Pyro 1394 WebCam by ADS Technologies addresses some of these restrictions.
This cross-platform WebCam for both Windows and Mac OS has a distinctive futuristic appearance with its clear plastic casing and visible circuitry, but it is not just aesthetics that set this camera apart. It utilises the new high-speed connection standard; FireWire, otherwise known as IEEE 1394. The benefit of this is that the internal bandwidth available no longer is an issue, so the Pyro WebCam can achieve 30fps at full VGA resolution (640x480) with zero compression to the video stream. For this to be a reality in terms of live video conferencing, a broadband connection will be essential.
This said, there are benefits to the Pyro WebCam, even if on a standard dial-up connection. The image quality is excellent, so that when using the camera for other purposes, or at lower resolutions it does a good job. The bundled software gives you all the tools you need. For Mac users, included is Smith Micro's Video Link Pro (H.323 compliant), ArcSoft PhotoFantasy and ArcSoft VideoImpression while PC users get NetMeeting, Media Player 7 and Media Encoder 7 from Microsoft, Ulead Photo Explorer 6, TeVeo Live 2.1, plus PC versions of the aforementioned ArcSoft software. If your computer hardware already has a FireWire connection, then the Pyro 1394 WebCam is an excellent choice, though for PC users without it, the additional cost of obtaining a plug in FireWire controller makes this an expensive option. --Jason Weston
Manufacturer's Description
FireWire technology offers the best image quality over the Internet. Unlike USB cameras that compress the video stream, the PYRO 1394 Web Cam has ZERO compression & utilizes a high-quality Sony. CCD so you can make the best possible impression.
