Video Reviews

While this is a decent Analog camcorder, don't expect much from the USB streaming feature. The maximum frame rate over USB is 320x240, which is half the minimum recommended for creating a DVD out of a home movie. If you want to get the video from your tapes onto a computer or DVD, expect to purchase a separate video capture device or card.

To make matters worse, the bundled software doesn't let you capture more than thirteen minutes of video at a time before it crashes and claims the drive is out of disk space. regardless of how much disk space you really have avaliable. This happens even when recording to NTFS volumes, which do not have the 4 gig file size limit of Fat32.

Most third party programs will also have issues using the camcorder's USB streaming features. The drivers create an eclectic audio device that many video capture programs can't see, so you'll have to use a separate audio cable unless you like the idea of not having any sound. Roxio's products are among the many that can't find use audio driver.

In short, it's a decent camcorder, assuming you compare it to other devices as though the USB streaming feature didn't exist, because for all practical purposes, they doesn't.

This overall is a great camcorder. I used it for a year and had very little trouble with it. I've made a list of good and bad things about this camcorder that will hopefully help you in your decision.

First the good stuff

1.It has a nice big LCD screen for easy viewing when recording

2.There are plenty of different features for recording in different lights

3.It has OK sound and picture quality

4.It is good for families, groups, teachers or anyone else who just needs a good quality camera for a cheap price that they can use to to record family outings exc...

Now for the bad stuff.

1. The size of the camera is a little big. it is hard to hold for long periods of time and somewhat heavy (if you have a tripod and you use it this shouldn't be too much of a problem).

2. the battery life could be better (only about 50-60 minuets with the LCD screen).

3. the sound is a bit metallic, and the picture doesn't show reds or yellows well.

4.if you have the need to edit your recordings it will be very hard and somewhat expensive with this camera. If you want to edit, I would definitely recommend a digital camcorder instead because it will be much easier for you to edit your videos (this was my big mistake and I had to sell it for a Sony digital).

If this review has helped you or if you want to ask me any technical questions, e-mail me at dave_lancer@hotmail.com

This is my first camcorder of any kind. i have used other types, VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, but this is probably the best that i have used. It's easy to learn the basics with and takes really great videos. The USB streaming capability is really easy to use and works great. Pixela seems to pixilate(spelling?) the movies, but it's nothing that really hurts and it's that severe. The NightShot is great, the lamp is really good, and the camera has a few little effects for the pictures. No big complaints except a remote would be nice for playback, and a colored viewfinder. But with a 3" color LCD screen, the chance that someone will use the viewfinder is small. i recomend this camera to anyone who doesn't want to spend a lot on a good quality camera.

Mr.
I bought a Camera two years ago JVC DVF31 that I have used so far without problem. One month ago it began to have a problem that doesn't already allow me neither to reproduce a tape. When putting a tape in the videocamera it leaves me a legend: "different formated type! ". At the beginning this problem began to make it intermittently and it was solved taking out and putting again the same tape into the camera.
Now already it makes it permanently and it doesn't allow me to use it.
In the JVC official service of Argentina they answered me almost without to revise it that the problem is the motherboard and an the cost of repair [was a lot of money]!!!!!
This legend that appears in the finder "different formated type! " it cannot be for another cause? Help me.
I don't want to leave this camera like old museum piece and to think that it was a very bad purchase.
Excuse my not well written English.

This is my first and only camcorder. I wanted to get good quality still shots, which is one reason I went with the JVC. From what I read it had the best suite of software. I had no problem installing the software and getting the camera connected to the computer with the provided serial cable.

Capturing pictures is easy and fairly quick. (If you would like to see some sample pictures, go to www.pipeline.com/~vtfcu/car.htm). The tape does not start in the same spot after a frame capture, I find this annoying.

The playback controls on the camera do not allow slow motion play. The remote does, but it is at their preset speed. If you have your computer connected, you can also advance one frame at a time. This is necessary to get the exact frame you want to capture on the PC. The camcorder will only play back in slow mode for 2 minutes (I assume to protect the tape).

The camcorder has to be turned off when going from play to record. I find this makes it difficult to queue the tape to the exact spot for recording.

It seems the tape does not disengage when in one of the record modes. In other words, the tape is engaged when monitoring or leaving the camera on and ready to record. I don't know why this would be if you can only watch in slow mode for a short period of time. But it also seems to stay in pause mode for a long time, so maybe the head is not wearing away the tape when in pause during playback or record.

The snapshot mode is not what I expected. When the snapshot button is pressed, the tape continues to run and record the same picture for about 5 seconds then taping continues as normal. I was very impressed with the ability to focus up close. It even focused on the lint on the UV filter attached to the camera.

I'm not too sure about the sound volume yet. The quality seems quite good.

First, the 1-hour battery supplied will last only 20 - 25 min, if you are using a lot of zooming or built-in light. So, if you don't want to be interrupted by "battery low" messages, purchase 2-hour battery (BNV214U), which is compatible with the supplied AC adapter/charger. Still the better investment will be buying 8-hour battery, the only two problems: it's very expensive. . . and needs a special charger.

They included the editing cable to capture your video on computer, however, it connects to COM1 port, which might be already in use (by your mouse). Besides this, the COM ports are the slowest ports on computer systems, so the quality of editing process is questionable.

If you hope to do a lot of editing, purchase a video capture card with all cables supplied (Pyro ProDV will do fine, Pinnacle DV200, 500 are also cool, but much more expensive).

Unfortunately, JVC doesn't supply any tapes with this GRDVF-31 unit, which means you should purchase them yourself, especially if you wish to test your camcorder immidiately after shooting.

The technical manuals are not very good (and surely the worst I've ever seen). All text is printed, using almost the same typefaces and sizes, so it's very hard to extract information you need quickly and switch between general instructions and technical details. It's also very poorly organized (description of all dials and buttons on your camera is at the end of the book!)

The reason I gave this camera five stars is that all problems stated above are easy to solve. Just purchase additional batteries, tapes and capture card, and you have pro-style video studio right at your apartment for the lowest and most reasonable price ever.

The issue surrounding ATI and its drivers seems to be getting worse, I used the 7000 running 98SE and get occasional 'twitches' and lockups, annoying but in general not too much of an issue. I recently 'upgraded' to XP and the problems really took off. The system won't run for more than a few minutes before it locks (monitor drops to standby, but system appears to still be running) sometimes its resets itself and other times just stops....... Windows XP has a useful feature that identifies system problems for you, and every time it is due to the ATI driver. I have downloaded and installed every available driver I can find, to no avail. I updated the motherboard drivers even flashed my bios, still no joy.
It seems that the card itself is OK but the drivers are rubbish. If you get it to work then you are lucky, the vast majority seem to have problems. Unfortunately most people don't realise what is causing the trouble.

I say simply this, until ATI improve their drivers, the radeon series of graphics cards is an area to avoid. I base this statement on the fact that I replaced the card with a similar spec version from Nvidia (geforce mmx400 64mb) and it runs perfectly with no more lockups !!!

I am not alone in this opinion of ATI ... go see bulletin boards all over the internet !!!

I have a Dell 2300 and installed it myself. If you have a built in on-board video card (intel graphics card) you have to disable it and uninstall the driver to get it to work.

People who did not like the Radeon 7000, did not know how to install it. Here is the down and dirty for the novice computer users.
BEFORE you do this next step, install the software that come with the Radeon 7000. Then you are ready to uninstall the old graphics card & driver.
Click Start:
Click Contol panel, then System Properties, then click on hardware. You will see "driver signing" and "device manager". Uninstall the intel driver & disable the Install graphics chip in these places. Then reboot your computer and plug your monitor into your new card.

The Graphics are great...

...There is only one place that you can get really caught in with XP and integrated graphics: the manual for the video card states that before you physically install the card, uninstall the old drivers. After you put in the Radeon 7000, you will then install the drivers. Well, XP will automatically install the old drivers for the integrated card, and you can do s**t about that, so when you are done with installing the new drivers, it will ask if you want to restart the computer now or later. Do LATER. Then re-uninstall the old drivers and DISABLE the old card. Now restart and you're set.

Good parts: installation was easy, im not a computer-type just an avg young person. Has many cool features, TV-out,dual moniter etc.

Bad parts: my computer is 5 years old with a really crummy vid card, and i play a lot of online games with it. They usually run 20 or 30 frames per second, which is barable but i could do better. so i went to comp usa and the guy told me to get this one because it was plenty fast. I installed evrything properly but even after tweaking and adjusting to the max all i could get was 12 fps. This card was so useless i exchanged it for a PNY technologys Verto geforce 4 ti 4400 card, which rocks btw....rocks hard.

Whatever you have read in the previous reviews is right. Installing this card is a bit tricky, but once you get it all right, it is defintely worth the effort and the money you put into this card. It took me 6 hours to get this card and the software working. I have included some very important points I noted while installing is card. Please take note of them so that you can install the card in a much shorter time.

(BTW, I have a custom build PIII 800MHz PC with 320 MB memory, Win 2K and a good old AGP 2X/4X ATI Rage Mobility card previously installed.)

1. First of all, NEVER forget to remove the previous display drivers !! Use the uninstall program that came bundled with the software for the previous display driver (EASIEST method). In my case, I had no uninstall software to remove the previous display driver. So, I used regedit to clear the registry entries for that driver and used the safe mode to remove the DLL files corresponding to that driver (NOT recommended except for a last ditch effort).

Remove the previous card (hardware) and install this card ONLY AFTER thoroughly removing the display drivers of the previous card.

2. When you reboot the system (in NORMAL mode) after hardware installation, Windows will display a "New Hardware Found" message. Allow it to install the Windows standard VGA driver (it will only display the 640 x 480 mode). Check the display properties to make sure it displays something like "standard VGA" or something related. (If it still shows the name of the previous display driver, go back and try removing the previous driver, until you get Windows to use the standard VGA driver).

3. If you have the software for the motherboard drivers, re-install the one for the AGP. (one of the recommendations on the ATI website, in case you get a blank or garbled screen after you install the new drivers).

4. In my case, the software that came on the CD never worked !! I ended up getting either a garbled screen, or the computer hangs at a blank screen. So, I went to the ATI website, downloaded the latest drivers, and viola !! everything worked perfect !! (Note: for some people, the CD-version of the display driver seem to work fine. Try the internet version if you have trouble getting the CD-version to work).

Everything else from here is a no-brainer. I installed all the accompanying software from the CDs (of course, all software EXCEPT for the CD-version of the display driver: choose custom setup during installation). I connected the cable TV co-ax to the CATV input and I got TV on my computer ! Better yet, you can preview all the channels (in the form of thumbnails) and click on one of them to watch it (how cool can this be !).

The remote worked just fine, though I still keep thinking that it an unnessary excess. Make sure that the USB receiver for the remote is taped to a wall or some open space to get better reception, instead of just letting it lay beside the metal enclosure of your computer.

I played the trial version of Age of Mythology, and I was impressed by the 3D acceleration features of this card. I am yet to try other games though.

Overall, this card is awesome !! If you somehow get through the process of installing it and getting it to work, you'll be definetely in for a surprise.

Have used this video card for about 4 months now. It is very fast. Even by the standards of a gamer. Delivers steady picture on my 22" Viewsonic CRT @ a 100 mhz refresh rate, 1600x1200, 32 bit color. As I typesetter/desktop publisher who spends 8-10 hours a day staring at my screen, this works so well. I can't give it 5 stars for performance, because many cards are faster. If I could give it 5 stars for value I would because ... this card is about the best you can get for the price.

STANLEY RIGHTFULLY CLAIMS THE ENTICING ELEVEN-FOOT STANDOUT.

"WITHIN A FEW TRIES, YOU WILL PROVE IT TO YOURSELF!"

If you ever work alone, the FAT MAX Tape Measure will make you feel similar to somebody who improved from the results of their manager's Movement Study. Less movement throughout the day equals more energy for our kids and a few less Motrin. Seriously, the excellent standout really does reduce the effort and time used fumbling for anchor points, redundant measurements and confidence checks when you are solo. I calculated a 6% reduction of tape measure handling time on a two hour job while I had the coffee drinkers maintain my data.

(>>>I am NOT an employee of this company or ANY related company, nor have I been solicited or compensated in ANY way for this review! It would be nice though!!!<<<)

This is the tape to get if you only want one, one very good one. It's wide, easy to read, ergonomic, durable, attractive, locks easy and retracts fast without the common "loose snake" and tape flip problems.

It's IDEALLY suited for residential exterior work and would feel very at home on almost any commercial job site.

-IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED-
(1) The black rubber grip gets very hot
in the sun.
(2) A better snubber to dampen high-speed
blade retraction.

I HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEBODY!!!

"I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!"

Thank you Stanley . The Fat Max is truly one of a kind . No other tape compares in standout. This thing is quite beefy. It's great to be able to measure a fourteen foot room by yourself . Many times you can't get a straight shot on the floor.Or maybe there is nothing to hook it on. The Fat Max is perfect for such a situation. The top and bottom hook feature is a nice bonus. It really helps out in measuring ceilings or fascia boards or whatever you want to from below. It is however not perfect. I can't seem to reproduce the claimed 11'+ standout. It's also very bulky and heavy. It doesn't slip in and out of tool bags very easily. It might contribute to carpenters crack if you wear it on your pant pockets. So mine is usually on the shelf in my trailer waiting for the rare situation when I actually need it. Tape fighting, etc. Would I buy it again ? Probably. Do I wish they made a longer one ? Absolutely.

Absolutely a must have for do-it-yourselfers. Getting critical measurements by yourself can be a chore if you need to reach a long way. I recently did some remodeling in my kitchen, and this fat baby was indespensible. The top hook feature was a great addition as well. I was able to reach out much further than with any other tape I have used before. As an added bonus, the rugged construction of the fat max holds up to the most severe jobsite abuse. I've had mine since they first hit the stores around October of last year, and it has held up just fine through every rainy day, early morning concrete pour, and sling-the-tape-against-a-concrete-wall temper tantrum. (Nobody's perfect) One small drawback: the 1-1/4" width creates quite a curvature from the top to the bottom of the tape, making short measurements a bit of a trick. You have to take care to hold the tape at an angle so as to put either the top or the bottom of the tape flat against the work surface. This is a minor consideration though, and doesn't detract from it's overall function or usefulness.

In terms of its wireless functionality, the cordless controller is flawless. There is no lag or any other indication that you are not actually wired to the Xbox.

Unfortunately, that quality isn't matched by the controller itself. Although only a bit larger than the S Controller, the cordless controller is much heavier. This is in large part due to the four AA batteries it requires, but it becomes noticeable as you play for a while. For marathon gaming sessions, this is not the controller of choice.

The controller also has some functionality issues. The digital pad is imprecise; frequently you hit left and get left-up, for example. The analog sticks have a little drift in them, too, pulling toward the left even after you center them--this is not a terribly big deal unless you tend to actually release the stick (and the sticks on Microsoft's S Controller tend to pull up in my experience, so it's rather a wash there).

I got this controller so I wouldn't be sitting on the floor playing games and wouldn't have extension cords strung all the way to the couch. For that purpose, it's fine, even with its shortcomings. But the product leaves me with the nagging feeling that it could and should have been a lot better.

This cordless controller is absolutely top of the line, except for the joysticks. As other reviewers have mentioned, if you play games on a regular basis, then the pad on the left joystick will wear off in a few months (the right one will probably wear off too, but I hardly ever use it). Also, Logitech put a green plastic covering just under the joystick pads, ostensibly to keep dust and dirt from getting inside the controller. That's a great idea, but the first thing to go on my joystick was the green plastic. The plastic under the left joystick broke and the little pieces that I was unable to pick out sometimes interfered with the joystick movement. This problem really isn't any big deal, however, because it didn't take long for the pieces to fall out.

I haven't noticed any problem with re-centering. I also have never experienced a lag problem.

Except for the joystick issues, which are really more of an annoyance than anything else, the Logitech cordless is a great product.

This is the first wireless controller that I have tried. I have not noted any of the drift problems that have been mentioned. It has been used by me and by my 7 year old. We have been using it for about two weeks. We have not run into any trouble. We love it!!

I did not buy Microsoft Photo Viewer. I may or may not. Not sure. Have been reading reviews. I have been comparing it to a similar product, Iomega's FotoShow which used to be very, very pricey. FotoShow can also be hooked up to the TV for viewing images. While I like the simplicity of the Photo Viewer, it is basically a floppy drive using diskettes. I think you get more bang for the buck with the Iomega FotoShow which can read/copy Flash and Smartcards used in most digital cameras, direct image edit from the interface, larger storage capacity as it uses 250 mb zip disks, can zoom and pan, can also serve as a zip drive with usb connectivity. Now that is alot of versatility, as opposed to Microsoft's over-priced diskette drive. No wonder they provide the software as a free download. However, diskettes are cheaper, but you can't get much on them. I really don't want to have to store my images on a whole bunch of 3 1/2 inch diskettes. Still, for those needing things basic and easily used, i.e. older folks in the family who do not have computers and are a bit computer phobic, the Microsoft TV Image Viewer is a great product. As for me, my requirements are a bit more. I need a large central storage place so I can get the photos off the hard drive. I also want to take larger slide shows (not just 40 images) on the road for presentation. And I like being able to use the FotoShow as a separate zip drive. I think I just convinced myself to go with the Iomega FotoShow! Each product is a great idea and fit different needs. I think both products also take PowerPoint presentations. And both gadgets are completely portable for hook up to any TV.

Setting up the set-top box was easy. I installed the CDROM software and made my first floppy album. Carried it over to the TV, popped it in, pressed the remote control, and a contact sheet appeared on the screen. From there it works like a slide projector, just press Forward or Backwards to see the photos.

I like this product. Making floppy disk albums is incredibly fast and easy, and floppy disks are cheap. I ignored the software's suggestion to limit the number of images to 20 for best quality, never the less with 40 images on one floppy disk the photos looked very good on my 27 inch RCA TV.

The PC software also lets you e-mail a completed album to a friend. Presumably if they also have a TV PhotoViewer then they can download the e-mail to a floppy disk and see the photos on their own TV.

Got a digital camera? Got grandparents without a computer? Got a bigscreen TV? Like slideshows but hate dealing with the projector? This might be for you. It's pretty cheap now (...), which makes it a great gift for those relatives who don't have a computer--just mail them dirt-cheap floppy disks of photos and they can see them on their TV, with a handy remote control to boot! It's quite nifty, and while the resolution isn't 2- or 3-megapixel, GET OVER IT, it's a *tv*. TV's are 640x480 devices at best, so that's all the resolution you need. In fact, the pictures look AMAZINGLY good on tv (Sony wega 36")!!

It's not for everyone, but if you want to have the livingroom TV cycle vacation pictures during a party, and/or show pix to a lot of people at once, it's really nifty. I also liked that while of course you DO need a RCA video-in on your tv/vcr/whatever, you DON'T need a currently-free one... the device has an automatic video passthrough that works flawlessly, and is a huge convenience since I seem to have all of the MANY inputs on my a/v receiver full.

Cool product. Yeah, 1.44M floppies aren't huge, but they're dirt cheap, everyone can write to them, and you don't really need 650M of space for images destined for NTSC TV display. Nicely executed, good price, I like it!

i use this camera on win98 exclusively. you can't install it on an NT or win2000 machine (the software won't install, nor will the updated drivers); on win98, very easy to get working. you can use it with any popular videoconferencing program that you like. the included software is nice to organize photo albums or make video movies. you can also use software to create web pages, and even a web cam (download the new software from intel.com); the focus wheel is on top of the camera, which makes focusing hard if you aren't right next to it....the lens cover is nice if you want to close it and protect the lens. the base is pretty stable, and comes with a bit of sticky tape so you can firmly mount it. if you don't use the sticky tape, i recommend velcro for easy mobility to different angles, otherwise the weight of the usb cable will cause it to tip a bit if it's not firmly seated. there are two lense settings for indoor and outdoor, but i've never used the outdoor option. (it's really a setting for light balance); update your drivers from intel.com and you get the pan and zoom features, as well as fixes to some of the hue and colour balance options.

I compared this camera with the Creative Labs Web Cam 3. Intel Pc Camera shows a better and a superior image quality. The software is A+ plus, you can create videos, take photos or send cards through the internet. Dont forget the video conference capabilities (the package include two licences of Intel video phone software). But before you install this camera in your PC, go to tech customer support site to get the correct software ID number, (this is incorrectly labeled in the package). A special note; many friends are reporting configuration problems with pcs equiped with ATIs video cards or ATIs video software.

My dad left crap on my front steps, this was one of the items, it works great...

Great camera when I first got it, I felt like I had got something really good - so I should have, it cost me a whole load of cash.

Just after the warranty had expired, I find out the hard way that the whole line of Canon camcorders have a serious problem with the tape transport system causing the warning message "REMOVE THE CASSETTE" appearing in big red letters on the LCD. Camera will not function until expensive repairs have been carried out.(...)

Pros: Excellent image quality and color fidelity; 20X optical zoom; two-channel audio control; 1.7-megapixel still image capture; lightweight.

Cons: Too many controls per button; onboard microphone is omnidirectional; mediocre battery life with included cell.

Summary: An ok camera, just not what I expected. I own a Sony VX2000 and PD-150 we use in video production of homes for sale. We bought the GL2 because of the fact it was about a half pound lighter and a little smaller than the Sony cameras. The first problem is when you attache the small 3 watt Canon light, the drain on the battery is too great and shuts down the camer before the battery is one half way drained. Even with the biggest battery that Canon makes the battery life is short with their fill light. The second problem was when the telephoto zoom button failed after 70 minutes of use, making the auto zoom function useless. Now I must send the camera back to Canon only after 20 days of use. The mail order place would only take it back within 15 days. The third problem is the low light noise is a little worse on the camera when compared to the Sony VX2000 or Sony PD-150. It is not a big difference, but it is noticeable. I never had a reason to mail in a Sony camera for repairs, even after years of use. It's a dissapointment to have a new camera fail in so many ways

I own this camera, and it's my best friend. Well not really, but it's the most amazing camera I've ever had. You get what you pay for, and you get a lot from this camera.

This is however, NOT a camera that the general public should buy. It's far to expensive, and really wouldn't be worth it to someone who will be using this for filming say a birthday party. There are many features on this camera, which make it as wonderful as it is, but these features would likely be unused by someone new to video cameras. So if you are in this boat, save your money and get a different camera.

What's great about it? The image quality is better than anything I've seen before. With 3CCD, it's good. Unlike the XL-1S, the GL2 has a 2.5 inch color LCD. However, I rarely use this. It takes up more battery power, and you can't see it when there's sunlight. I love the audio controls, and how it's not only stereo microphone, but you can control the levels of your left and right audio, right there, on the camera. I love to convert analogue video into digitial video, and it's almost too easy using the GL2. It's great for getting your older stuff into a digital format, and being able to easily get it onto your computer.

What's bad about it? Really not a whole lot. The 1.7-megapixel photo mode is really uneeded. 1.7-megapixels really isn't that good. The included 8MB card for these pictures isn't enough. If you're going to want to take digital pictures, then get a digital still camera, and don't use the GL2 as a still camera.

But I can't stress enough that if you aren't going to use this for more professional projects, then you really shouldn't get this camera.

While it is true that the Philips PCVC740K ToUcam Pro webcam gives a great picture...even in low light... the Philips "VLOUNGE" software interface that comes bundled with it is horrible, Especially for capturing live video...the VRECORD application, previewed live video well...but when it came to recording, it would give me a USB bandwith error...even after I unplugged all other USB devices!!!! It also comes with some decent(but not exceptional) software applications including: Spotlife for live webcam use or creating live or still video on a website, (although its live video capture would let me record video, it gave me an error everytime I tried to record both video and audio together!) Reality Fusion's Gamecam software which lets you get inside games using your image to deflect balls etc, and a stripped down Ulead photo editor, PhotoExpress 2.0 LE.....

The camera itself, while delivering great image quality, in design is a bit awkward. Much lighter than Logitech Webcams, I found the oval shaped casing would often tip...and the tripod it comes with needs more weight on the back leg to keep it from slipping off the monitor (although it is probably perfect for laptop use). Still snapshots on this model can be taken by just saying CHEESE or by depressing the button on top of the camera. (Note: This webcam must be connected to computer via USB port to function...even for snapshots)

This camera is also suppose to deliver up to 60fps, that was one of the determining factors I had in choosing it over a Logitech or an Intel model...but that 60fps stat depends on your computer system and the number of USB devices...typically it still captures in the range of most other webcams...5-30fps BEWARE AMAZON CUSTOMERS: All of these Philips ToUcam models look similar!! If you buy/bought this webcam from Amazon, make sure it comes in a cardboard printed box (not on a plastic card like the lower end models) The ring around the lens of this Pro model is a yellow-orange color (The lower end model has a red/maroon color)............FYI

Good value for money. I plugged into my new XP machine, installed the required software and it works perfectly. Video mail option is not very effective. Inspite of several attempts, I get a very poor output. But the camera is really good and captures images at very low light. There are few add-on software that comes with the camera. Overall a good value for money, though one can expect a better results especially webcasting, and live streaming area.

I picked one of these up on an auction site after reading reviews (all touting this as "The best webcam out there"), and after owning it for a few months, I'm convinced you can't find a better hardware webcam anywhere. The resolution (640x480) is terrific, the clarity and focus top-notch, and low-light sensitivity is among the best.

My previous favorite, Vista Imaging's "ViCam" was sold to 3COM (rebranded as the "HomeConnect"), then quitely dropped. The ViCam/HomeConnect may be a slightly better unit, but not being available I found the ToUCam and have been delighted. This is my fifth, perhaps sixth webcam, and I'll buy another one; there's really no comparison to the rest.

The unit is attractive and compact, with minimal controls (one actually, a shutter button). The supplied USB (1.1 only) cable is slim and lengthy, and once the drivers are installed, it's plug & play. (One niceity: The ToUCam ships with a "cute" egg-shapped zippered carrying case that is tiny, but excellent for packing the unit with you). One nit: Due to its design, the camera (made to mount in its own "leg" stand) tilts downward at an awkward angle. This won't prove much of an issue if you use the default stand (they are detachable), however if you mount the camera on some other device (in my case, the "TrackerPod"), you'll find the ToUCam points down at roughly a 30 degree angle. So beware, and ensure any stand you plan to use it on allows you to tilt the camera back up, or you'll be webcaming your desktop.

Now, I mentioned that this is a great *hardware* product, and that suggests the bundled software isn't the best, and that's true. The included package is robust -- webcam imaging software, video email, video-active games, and of course, the requisite drivers. While usable, they don't provide much more, and updates from Philips are spotty and confusing to acquire and install. If you have PC software already that you're happy with (e.g., webcam32, trackercam, etc) then by all means pick up the 740K ToUCam, you won't be disappointed. But don't rely solely on the software package provided by Philips. I only wish this product were more widely available in the US, but with avenues like Amazon.com and auction sites, finding one shouldn't be too painful, and your search will be worth it.