FCW.com reports today that Webcontent.gov wil be unveiled on September 29. This site will help federal agencies put up more uniform content and adhere to laws and best practices for information accessibility.

If you’re a remote worker, or even work remotely part-time, you can step up your video conference game by investing in a good webcam. Built-in cameras on laptops and desktops have improved in recent years, but you typically still get higher quality and more personalized controls with an external webcam. And if you plan on video chatting with friends across the country or game-streaming regularly, you’ll want the best webcam experience possible. But there’s a lot of junk out there, as is typical in an overcrowded space. In this buying guide, we'll dive into the best webcams that will help you look sharp, no matter where you're dialing in from.

Factors to consider before buying a webcam

Resolution and field of view

While some newer computers have 1080p webcams, most built-in cameras have a resolution of 720p, so you’ll want to look for an external webcam that has a higher resolution. FHD webcams will give you better video quality; ideally, you’re looking for something that can handle 1080p at 60fps or 30fps. If you’re considering a cheap 720p webcam, make sure to get one that supports at least 30fps (most will) or, even better, 60fps. However, if your primary concern is better picture quality during video calls, 1080p is the way to go.

Some webcams can shoot in 4K, but that’s overkill for most people. Not to mention most video conferencing services like Zoom, Google Meet and Skype don’t even support 4K video. When it comes to streaming, Twitch maxes out at 1080p video, but YouTube added 4K live streaming back in 2016. Ultimately, with 4K webcam shots having such limited use, most people can get by with a solid 1080p camera.

Field of view (FOV) controls how much can fit in the frame when you’re recording. Most webcams I tested had a default field of view of around 78 degrees, which captured me and enough of my background to prove that I really need to organize my home office. On cheaper webcams you’ll usually see narrower fields of view (around 60 degrees), and those aren’t necessarily bad. They won’t show as much of your background, but that also means you won’t be able to squeeze as many friends or family members into frame when you’re having Zoom birthday parties. On the flip side, more expensive webcams may let you adjust the field of view to be even wider than average, and some even offer features like digital zoom.

Autofocus and other “auto” features

Webcams with autofocus will keep the image quality sharp without much work on your part. You should be able to move around, step back and forth, and remain in focus the whole time. Some standalone webcam models let you manually adjust focus, too, if you have specific needs. Devices with fixed focus are less convenient, but they tend to be more affordable.

In the same vein is auto framing, a feature that some high-end webcams now offer. Similarly to Apple’s Center Stage feature, the camera automatically adjusts to keep you in the center of the frame even as you move around. This used to be a feature only available on the most premium webcams, but now you can find it on sub-$200 devices.

You’ll also see other “auto” features listed in webcam specs, most notably auto light correction. This will adjust the camera’s settings to make up for a dimly lit room. If you don’t have bright lights, or often take calls in places where you can’t control the lighting, this feature will be valuable. Alternatively, you might consider using your mirrorless camera as a high-quality webcam solution, taking all of the benefits and features with you (albeit in a cumbersome package).

Microphones

Most webcams have built-in microphones that, depending on your setup, might end up being closer to you than your computer’s own mics. Check to see if the model you’re considering has mono or stereo mics, as the latter is better. Some even use noise-reduction technology to keep your voice loud and clear. While audiophiles and streamers will want to invest in a standalone microphone, most others can get by using a webcam’s built-in mic.

Design

There aren’t a ton of fascinating breakthroughs when it comes to external webcam design. Most are round or rectangular devices that clip onto a monitor or your laptop screen. Some have the ability to swivel or screw onto a tripod stand and others can simply sit on your desk beside your computer. But unless you really like having people stare up your nose, the latter isn’t ideal. We recommend clipping your webcam to your monitor and ensuring that it’s at or slightly above eye level.

A few webcams go above and beyond by adding hardware extras like built-in lights and lens covers, too. The former can help you stand out in a dark room, while the latter makes it so hackers can’t view you through your webcam without your knowledge.

Price

Most external webcams that are just good enough to be a step up from your computer’s built-in camera cost between $60 and $150. If the webcam has the same resolution as the internal one on your laptop, you should look out for other specs like auto light correction, a wider field of view or an extra-long connecting cable that can provide a step-up in quality or ease of use.

Spending $150 or more means you might get advanced features that tend to be present in a pro webcam like 4K resolution, vertical and horizontal recording options, stereo mics, customizable video settings and more. But unless you’re spending hours on video calls each day or streaming multiple times each week, you can settle on a budget webcam and safely skip most of those high-end options.

How we test webcams

We primarily test webcams by putting them through as much real-world use as possible. We examine their design, how flexible they are and how easy they are to reposition, and make note of how heavy they are and if that affects their ability to stay put while sitting on top of a screen. We use each webcam for at least a week straight as our primary camera for all video chats, and we make sure to use the device in different lighting environments to test low-light performance. We also use any built-in microphones as our primary audio inputs on video calls as well. Finally, although most of these webcams are plug-and-play, we test out any proprietary software that’s intended to work with each webcam, tweaking things like field of view, video resolution and effects, and using any special features like Show Mode on Logitech webcams.

Best webcams for 2024

Others webcams we tested

Logitech C920s Pro HD

Our previous top pick, the Logitech C920s Pro HD webcam remains a solid option for those with less than $100 to spend and really only need a basic 1080p camera to upgrade their setup, or something affordable to make them look better on those inevitable Zoom calls. It has a 78-degree field of view, decent microphones and handy privacy shutter built in. The Brio 500 took the top spot away from this model thanks to its advanced light correction, auto-framing and Show Mode.

Washington – OSHA’s current rule on silica is based on obsolete analytical data, and exposure at the current permissible exposure limit results in “significant risks of death” from cancer and other diseases, the agency said during a Jan. 14 webchat that discussed proposed updates to the rule.

Halifax, Nova Scotia — Nearly half of employees working remotely are experiencing higher levels of exhaustion caused by a combination of more virtual meetings and pressure to be on camera for them, results of a recent survey show.

Mauna Loa summit webcams have been down for several months due to wind damage at the radio telemetry site. On November 7, 2024, HVO staff visited the site and performed a partial fix that brought the webcams back online.

WebCE Receives Five 2023 SILA Award Nominations

WebCE Wins Bronze Stevie Award for Customer Service Department of the Year

The 2023 Texas Consilium Business Excellence Award celebrates businesses and leaders in Texas who exemplify excellence.

The Texas Consilium Award Honors Excellence in Texas Businesses

Introducing a new, convenient way to earn an Arizona Insurance Adjuster License online without taking a state licensing exam

New U.S. Virgin Islands Insurance CE Requirements Can be Satisfied Through WebCE

WebCE's Revolutionary New AI Study Aid Offers Instant, Personalized Support

WebCE Wins Third Consecutive Customer Service Award Commends Recent Efforts

The Tech Center offers space for cross-team collaborative work and a view of the Arkansas River with downtown Tulsa in the distance.

velocityconf: Free webcast w/ @jon lives http://t.co/TxL60Oagos 'Michelin Starred Cooking with Chef at Etsy' starting NOW. #velocityconf #devops

velocityconf: Help your dev + ops teams be cross-functional and more successful. http://t.co/1mqGK3zh0U Free webcast 5/22 w/ @lnxchk

velocityconf: Free webcast from our friends at @citrix 5/29 http://t.co/IOeY4U0wUP Learn to consolidate 40 load balancers and ADCs into single platform

Last week President Obama held a press conference and took questions from a virtual audience in a video webcast.

According to an article written by Chris Lefkow on Yahoo, 67,000 watched the webcast live. The White House website was open for questions for 36 hours before the press conference. 3,607,837 votes were cast for 104,129 submitted questions.

The President answered seven of those questions. One of them was about the legalization of marijuana. Some groups banded together and used the opportunity of this process to submit a high number of questions about that topic, and the despite the fact that vetters tried to avoid that issue, President Obama weighed in with a firm no.

My point has nothing to do with the politics of marijuana.

If I can be so bold as to be self-referential, my first post on this blog was to equate the power of webcasting technology to that of the printing press. The printing press broke the monopoly of a relative few (for example, monks) who had the ability to publish the written word and decide which books were worthy of reproduction and distribution (most often, the bible). The printing press made publishing accessible to the masses.

Regardless of one's politics regarding the issue, I think everyone would agree that those who favor legalizing marijuana are not in the "main stream" or among the more influential interest groups in this country. Yet the President of the United States specifically addressed their question.

The Washington DC press corps is not going to ask that question - rightly or wrongly. But the webcast by-passed the traditional media filter and brought the concerns of this group of people to the attention of our country's chief executive.

How does that translate to the corporate world? Well, what is the value of getting real feedback from the rank and file? What corporation would not benefit from taking their executives out of the bubble on the 40th floor and exposing them to the concerns of the people at the sharp end of the spear?

What is the value of a corporate culture? Most companies do a poor job of communicating and maintaining a corporate culture from the top down. But the best companies leverage webcasting to enable communications from the bottom up and include that feedback in the corporate culture.

There are perhaps a few hundred journalists with access to the President. These journalists are the only way 300,000,000 Americans can hold their leadership accountable between elections. That is, until last Thursday when webcasting allowed the people to submit questions to their President and their President decided to answer them.

President Obama's recent press conference on March 26 was available for online viewing.

According to an article written by Chris Lefkow on Yahoo, 67,000 watched the webcast live. Of course, millions if not tens of millions watched the press conference live on broadcast television so what is the big deal about another 60,000 or so watching on the web?

I wrote about the democratizing effect of using the internet to bypass the Washington press corps and taking questions from the people in my last post.

But there is at least one more point of interest. The Obama press conference exemplifies how video can be used to great effect in the enterprise.

The internet will never supplant television's ability to broadcast to tens of millions of people. Why pay for the bandwidth to replicate the scale and quality of a broadcast platform that already works very well?

But the internet does scale rather well to the needs of the enterprise: an audience of tens of thousands. And there are several "internet television" services that are emerging to deliver video across the corporate network to the employees.

But this begs the question: why should a corporation or organization invest in a network able to deliver video across its enterprise and then settle for pre-recorded video with no interactivity?

It was not the video feed that made the Obama press conference so noteworthy. It was the 104,129 questions that were submitted by the American people. Enterprise video is much more effective when it is combined with interactive rich media features like live questions and answers, live polling, surveys, testing and certification, synchronized PowerPoint, whiteboarding, registration and reporting, etc. Choosing to merely deliver the video - live or on-demand - is choosing to ignore the strengths of webcasting and get the least bang for your buck.

Why invest in servers and hubs and routers and content engines and then settle for a video platform that does not enable interactivity?

According to research done by Steve Vander Haar that he shared in a recent webcast, 68% of executives polled believe streaming video has measurable value only when it is combined with a registration system that enables reporting about who watched.

Registration and reporting adds accountability to internal communications and adds measurable results and lead generation to external communications. Internet television gives that capability away when it simply loops pre-recorded video in a window on one's website.

President Obama's press conference is a template for the effective use of internet video in the enterprise. Just as the televised Nixon vs. Kennedy debate serves as the defining example for understanding the difference between television and radio in politics, I believe this press conference will be regarded similarly for its effect on politics and on business communications.

There are plenty of corporations out there who are already doing a great job with rich media. Some of them are my clients. But the nature of corporate communications is that much of the content is for an internal audience, so there is not an obvious opportunity for organizations to learn from the successes of others. But the Obama press conference lays the formula bare for all to see.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is hosting a webcast at 1 pm EDT today, Friday August 7.

Use the hashtag #HCRQ to ask a question via Twitter or email hhsstudio@hhs.gov.

As the article appeared in TechCrunch...

IVT, a company that produces enterprise-friendly webcasting software, has raised $5.5 million in Series B funding from Syncom Venture Partners with Barshop Ventures, Monitor Ventures and Tudor Ventures participating in the investment round. IVT raised $3 million in Series A funding in 2006.
IVT’s SaaS offering not only helps power webcasts, but also converts multimedia files, such as slideshows, into viewable videos for the web. IVT also offers a YouTube-like hosting and social media site for companies to disseminate videos and webcasts. And the startup has a number of prominent companies that use its webcasting software including Oracle, Dow Chemical, IBM and NEC.

IVT, Inc. has moved its industry-leading MediaPlatform webcasting software platform to the cloud. With MediaPlatform increasingly being used in large-scale webcasts by media producers, as well as Fortune 500 clients, the company is elevating its delivery capacity through a partnership with a tier-1 cloud infrastructure provider.

“Our mission has always been to deliver the best quality of service and enable our clients to produce webcasts at literally any audience size without concern for infrastructure,” said Jim McGovern, Chief Executive Officer of IVT. “Now that cloud-based platforms are gaining widespread acceptance across the IT world, we can give our clients the benefit of switching capacity on and off when required.”

This is not the first time IVT has been ahead of the technology curve in the webcasting industry. The company pioneered the concept of offering webcasting software on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) basis with MediaPlatform. With MediaPlatform in the cloud, IVT enables its clients to benefit from what is rapidly emerging as the new paradigm for corporate computing.

In the cloud, MediaPlatform’s web services architecture can more readily serve diverse client needs by integrating with a range of enterprise systems, both cloud-based and on-premises.
The cloud, an approach to computing that places servers and infrastructure in remote, abstracted datacenters, is ideal for webcasting, which is known for unpredictable spikes in system load. By working with a tier-1 cloud infrastructure provider, IVT gains virtually unlimited capacity and world-class security, reliability, redundancy, failover, and load management.

IVT will continue to support the numerous on-premises installations of its software, including major deployments at global enterprises. IVT prides itself on offering its clients the choice between hosted and on-premises options.

MediaPlatform Debuts WebCaster, a Fusion of Performance and UsabilityNew Addition to Webcasting Software Lineup Leverages Cloud Platform for Productivity and Connectivity NEW YORK - STREAMING MEDIA EAST - May 11, 2010 -

MediaPlatform, Inc. (formerly IVT) today unveiled its latest product offering, MediaPlatform WebCaster, cloud-based webcasting software that packs leading edge event management, event customization, and production capabilities into a simple user experience. WebCaster has been built to serve the needs of demanding webcast production professionals as well as non-technical users

"WebCaster is a heavyweight performer with a flyweight price and impact on corporate IT," said Jim McGovern, Chief Executive Officer of MediaPlatform. "Our team has worked hard for over a year to exceed client expectations in virtually every aspect of the webcasting experience."

WebCaster offers a unique mix of best-in-class features, ranging from an intuitive, browser-based user interface and sophisticated reporting to multiple remote presenters and flexible producing teams. WebCaster also offers rich templates with options to customize, total operating system and browser independence, telephony to Flash® Audio input, and iPhone support.
"We went into the development process with a goal of enabling presentations from 'anywhere to anyone,'" said Greg Pulier, Founder and CTO of MediaPlatform, and head of WebCaster's development. "For every feature we considered, our constant question was, 'Will this provide the best possible experience for users at every step of the webcasting process? I am very proud of the work everyone has contributed to this outstanding offering."

With WebCaster, MediaPlatform is further establishing itself as the preferred provider for digital media producers. As the business of producing webcasts for lead generation, training, and conferences continues to expand, MediaPlatform is serving a growing number of top tier digital media production firms. WebCaster is designed to provide producers with a webcasting toolset they can rely upon as they build their production businesses. WebCaster is the newest addition to MediaPlatform's growing portfolio of media production and management offerings.

It complements the company's high-end webcasting product, now known as IVT MediaPlatform, as well as PrimeTime, MediaPlatform's video portal.About MediaPlatform, Inc. MediaPlatform, Inc. (formerly IVT) delivers best-in-class webcasting and media management technology to global enterprises and digital media producers. MediaPlatform's webcasting software enables high-impact presentations for lead generation, corporate communications and training. The company offers organizations the ability to take advantage of scalable cloud-based computing, as well as on-premises deployment, to present and manage rich media. With media management tools built on its platform, the company helps clients derive long term archive value from their investment in media content.

You can see the archive of my discussion with the editors of Simply-communicate about the difference between Web Conferencing and Webcasting by going to their site:

http://www.simply-communicate.com/

They also link to the MediaPlatform White Paper that discusses the same topic.

MediaPlatform WebCaster and Adobe's Flash Media Enterprise Server 4 with Hybrid Flash Multicasting bring a game changing solution to the challenge of delivering video to the enterprise without requiring a seven figure hardware investment for multicasting.

Up to now, solutions for managing streaming video bandwidth issues required networks of expensive hardware, ranging from Enterprise Content Delivery Networks to WAN Acceleration devices. And all of these solutions dictated Windows Media as your video format. Hybrid Flash Multicasting offers a better way; it works seamlessly with traditional IP multicast networks AND it also provides a Peer Assist multicast solution for the parts of your network that are not IP multicast enabled.

Hybrid Flash Multicasting is an outstanding solution because it:

1) allows corporations to continue leveraging the hardware investments they have made and utilize traditional IP Multicasting with Flash instead of Windows Media.

2) allows corporations to reach bandwidth-challenged locations that are not on the multicast WAN or new locations whose networks are not multicast-enabled with a relatively low cost Peer Assist solution (because it does not require new routers and configuration of switches, etc.).

This solution solves the challenge of allowing video to reach 100% of your desktops without requiring a million dollar investment in a new eCDN. And unlike other peering solutions, there is no proprietary agent that has to be propagated to every desktop. All your employees' computers need is the latest Flash player.

Here is how MediaPlatform fits into the equation:

Our WebCaster software is the only streaming video solution that integrates the multicast-enabled Flash player, as well as leveraging Flash's ability to create a cross platform viewing experience, switch between multiple live and pre-recorded video sources, switch bit rates and codecs on the fly, support mobile devices, support H.264 and VP6 to create higher quality video at lower bandwidths, etc. With our software you can take advantage of Flash to upgrade your streaming communications to a more functional format that will work behind the firewall and to the public internet, will work on any browser and operating system, and can deliver content to mobile devices.

One thing ive found myself doing lately now that im sorta 'well fuck that twitter shit' is i am rambling on a LOT more when i type stuff. This can be viewed as a good or bad thing. Maybe for me it's not a bad thing. It's a bit like working in a 4 panel comic format. You can do a lot with a four panel setup, almost the first entire chapter of MT is all 4 panel. It has its own kinda pacing, setup, delivery, variables, etc. But there are things i can...

[permalink]

EPOS Vision 1 4K Webcam - is elegant and seamlessly complements any setup. With its outstanding 4K video quality, wide-angle view, mic reception and HDR support, is it the most premium 4K Webcam in the market? Let's find out!

Chris bought recording gear off an Instagram ad, our thoughts on WebC, CodePen upgrades Yarn, thoughts on the commercial value of open source, Automattic releases an app to install WordPress locally, IBM buys Hashicorp, income tax software, and a hack for getting Safari to respect background colors used in a pseudo selector.

A groundwater expert uses a webcam to find out the yield from borewells and identify problems. By

Join us on June 12 as we take an in-depth look at video marketing strategy

Join us on June 12 as we take an in-depth look at video marketing strategy

Based on the OECD-UNODC-World Bank Anti-Corruption Ethics and Compliance Handbook, this webcast organised by KPMG offered an opportunity for attendees to learn about and understand the value of anti-corruption and ethics compliance best practices and how to use them to enhance their programmes.

Bribery in international business undermines good governance and economic development, perpetuates poverty and distorts international competition.

OECD Deputy Secretary-General Doug Frantz and EUIPO Executive Director António Campinos will launch the joint report “Trade in Counterfeit and Pirated Goods: Mapping the Economic Impact” at 12:00 CET on Monday 18 April at the OECD Conference Centre in Paris.

Carla Dove is an Ornithologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. In this Feb. 12 Webcast join her in analyzing the remains of […]

The post Webcast w/ bird detective, Carla Dove appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Explore.org has affixed several high-definition cameras to locations in Churchill, Manitoba, the 'Polar Bear Capital of the World.'

This colony of bees is rebuilding in a hollow log in Germany after the hive collapsed earlier this year.

Four astronauts are spending 12 days underwater to prepare new methods for working in outer space. And they're Tweeting about it.

Before you make a choice about any webcam equipment, it helps to decide exactly how you want to use the technology.

This article explains what features you should consider when buying software to control your spy webcam. Learn more about webcam surveillance software now.

WebCE is excited to announce a new interactive training program, EXCEED, is joining its family of education products.