Philips SPC1330NC

With every tuppenny-ha'penny laptop and netbook coming with a built-in web cam, and laptops taking an ever larger chunk of the computer market, it’s probably fair to say business ain't want it used to be when it comes to flogging external webcams. So has Philips' new SPC1330NC Webcam Pro got what it takes to make it a worthwhile …

[Anonymous Coward]

Doing the maths...

Let's see - 2Mpix, 90fps, (assumed) 16-bit color depth, (assumed) no in-camera compression - that would generate almost 3Gbits/second. USB3.0 killer app? :-)

[Anonymous Coward]

Next time...

Try to get someone who doesn't look like a slightly special needs armed robber to appear in the pictures. Just a thought.

[Alex Wright]

Does it work with Linux or Mac?

Well?

Or is it another load of Windows only crap.

[Steven Raith]

@Alex Wright

Learn to read:

"While Philips makes no mention of Mac or Linux support – the software bundle is Windows only – the SPC1330 worked out of the box with Skype on both a MacBook Pro and an old Advent laptop running Ubuntu. Certainly, the MacBook's iSight camera performed better than the Dell's, but it was still left in the dust by the SPC1330."

Honestly, I don't know why some people bother.

Still, good image quality, and as my old Philips camera doesn't work on NT6 or above, I might have to have a shufty.

Steven R

[Al Taylor]

@ Next time...

I resemble that remark!

Alex - last para. bud. Yes it worked just fine with Skype on a Linux netbook and on a MacBook Pro.

[Henry]

@Next time...

You sir are a genius.

I laughed so much I think a little bit of wee came out.

[Anonymous Coward]

Cheers

Didn't mean any harm by it but the guy DOES look a bit special...

And I can't work out if "I resemble that remark!" is supposed to say 'resent' or if it's an attempt at a pun?

[Simon Harris]

@Next time, @Cheers...

I think the 'Wanted dead or alive' poster effect says it all really.

[Anonymous Coward]

A PS3 Eye competitor

Might be good for use with large FTIR touch screen setups.

For example MS surface.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Next time

I think you're all being a little harsh. I was going to say angry infant.

Clam.

[Mike Holden]

Digital zoom

Since when is digital zoom a feature of the lens?

[Geoff Stevens]

Great to see GNU/Linux testing...

...but if the reviewer could be encouraged to open a terminal shell, type 'lsusb' and report the chip in the device? Then non Ubuntu users would know whether or not the device is likely yot work with other distros.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Geoff Stevens

Or they could, y'know, go and get a girlfriend instead.

[Anonymous Coward]

Specifications

So, the specs are 90fps but not, 8mp but not, and HD quality, but not.

Why the hell do they bother with the specs? Here, then - I'm going to sell a camera with 52 megapixels, 10,000 frames per second, and 256 bits per pixel color depth. Except not. What do I win?

Assholes.

[Kevin McMurtrie]

And a bottle of snake oil

Unless you took still images of a picture of a painting, I don't see the "consistently fine performance." A 75% rating is generous for a product that's ugly, takes bad pictures, and has false specifications all over the front of the box. I would have returned it for a refund.