The Philips PCA-645VC USB Web Cam
Written: Jul 04 '00 (Updated Jun 06 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good live web cam image quality; USB
Cons: Incompatible w/CU-SeeMe; Mounting base does not hold cam very well; Very poor website support
The Bottom Line: If you want a Philips web cam, I hope they've fixed some glitches -- otherwise avoid the Philips PCA-645VC web cam!
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| CodeBaloo's Full Review: Philips PC Camera |
I purchased the Philips PCA-645VC USB webcam roughly two years ago to run on my Win98 system. A visit to the Philips website reveals that they have a new generation of web camera products, and this particular model is apparently no longer available. This is a good thing, because this web cam model has frustrated me from Day One.
This camera has several mentionable pluses:
» Being a USB device, it is hot-swappable, meaning you can plug it in or unplug it without having to reboot your computer. Depending upon the location of your USB port, this can make for a convenient on/off switch;
» Once the camera is operating correctly, the image quality is quite good, especially for a relatively inexpensive camera. The focus ring is large and easy to manipulate, so you can quickly optimize your picture;
» It has a fair-quality microphone built into the camera; and,
» It ships with software on CD that some folks might find useful in creating "videograms" to send via email.
However, I found some negatives which, had I known about, would have steered me more toward other comparably priced cameras.
» The separate base, designed to cradle the cam and hold it in the position you've chosen, does not hold the camera very securely. The weight of the camera's cord frequently moves the cam out of alignment.
» The camera was a current product on retail shelves, but the software that shipped with the camera did not work correctly. I eventually found the Philips website and saw that there was a new, full installation available for download -- not a small patch program or update, the whole darn install program!
» While the camera was running -- and only then -- my normally stable, smooth-running system suddenly began crashing at random intervals, even after updating all of my other drivers. The Philips website had no information on this.
» I installed WhitePines Cu-SeeMe 3.12 only to find that this cam was not compatible without yet another large download of a third-party application called SoftCam....and that unless I paid to register SoftCam, the gaudy SoftCam logo was pasted continuously on my image as I transmitted video. The Philips website support had nothing on this problem either.
If I had it to do all over again, I would not have bought this camera. The frustration it generated far outweighed the slight advantage it had over it's chief competitors, the Logitech QuickCams, in image quality.
Again, there is a new line of Philips cameras on the shelves. The USB camera looks identical, perhaps only the model number has changed to reflect the new year. Or, Philips may have remedied these concerns with this most recent product line. Be prepared, however, for an Excedrin-sized headache if they have not.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
CodeBaloo
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Member: Mike Morgan
Location: New Mexico, USA
Reviews written: 31
Trusted by: 63 members
About Me:
An intelligent, opinionated, compassionate, argumentative ENTP. In short, just an all-around Swell Heckuva Guy.
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