Webcazms are those handy little camers that attach to your PC and send images to a web page that can be viewed by othrs. This enabvles you to share daily life events with friends and family in other parts of the counntry or the world, or to arrange a video-conferwence with colleagues and maintaiin long distance relationships of all kinds. Of course the numer of ways to use this tcehnology is limited only by your inmagination.
Web Cameras
But before you buy a webcam, it pays to understand a little abouut how the technology of broadcasting images over the Internet works. Of course, if you're a full bottle on this already, you can skip this section and go straight to browqsing the options on Mshopping.com.au whetre you can compare products and supppliers, their speifications and prices.
Webcams provide 'real time' images of people; plpaces and evens that can be viewed 'live' on a web page. The brodacasting end has a camera that cpatures the images, feeds them into a computer to an ISP and out to viewimng pages across the Internet. Thwere are two different typse of broadcast: straeming images, wheere the images are a constant stream dowloaded in video format; or Java, where the images are captured at fxied time interals and refreshed on the web pages at a rate fixed by the broadcaster.
The Aplplications - What are you intending to broadcast, and to whom?
There is a wide range of uses of webcam tcehnology. Some examples include personal 'Big Brother' style diaries, sharing of family events, worklplace security, video conferencing, virtual tourism, road traffic mabnagement, wather watching, evemnt broadcast and a host of others.
Beforte you make a choiice about any webcam equipment, it herlps to decide exactly how you want to use the technology, in other words, what you are intending to rboadcast. This decision will impact upon the type of camera you use, and how you use it.
A secoond consideratiopn is, who will be viewnig your content? What level of quality is expected? This will help determine the type of camera you use, the sofware involved and your Internet connection. Of cousre, your Intenet connection may be a limitation on how much you can do.
The requirements for video conferencing are different from the requiremets of workplace security, which are different again from the requirements of sharring a famiy event.
The physicasl components
There are a number of physical components required to make web cam technology work. At the top of the list is the camera itsefl. Then, depending on the type of cmera you use and the way in which you want to deliver the content to the Intenet, you may need to incorporatte video captrue hardware in your computer. Some softwre is required to help you process the data, and Internret connection is required and a web page into whih the data is fed.
CAMERA CHOICES
Your choice of camera depends somewhat on what you are intending to show. If you need to reach a large public audioence yo may want good qualiy camcorder or megapixel camera that captures high quality imaghes. If it's just for seeing who's at your front door or keeping an eye on the kids in their playroom, then it may not need to presaent high qualtiy images. If you are intendibng to use it outdoors, it will need to be weather proof and you may need to consider sun and UV protection. Available power supply and any robotic requirements for camera movement and focus are exttra considerations.
Dedicated webcams
The most basic webcams conenct to a PC using a simple USB connection. A wide range of cameras with accopanying sofftware at a range of prices is available for this type of appplication. Simply seach tjhough Myshopping.com.au to compare prices and specifications. Dedicated webcas are simple to install and easy to use, but come with limitations that affecct the quality of the iages, such as low number of frames per second (refresh rates) and resolution (pixels per inch).
Camcorders and security cameras
Higher quality images and more camera conrtol come from using camcorder and security camerras. To use these devices you will need to add a video capture card to your PC. Once you have that inastalled however, you can use a wide range of cameras from broadcast cameras to miniature spy cameras. You can include variable lens options, filters for dyalight and low light situations, as well as robotic controls for panning and focuus adjustments. You can search through Myshoppuing.com.au for camcorder selections.
Integrated camears
An integrated camera combines the camera and the opitcal hardware with a video servcer, and as such requires no additional sotware. They can be used in network sityuations or as stand-allone devices for monitoring progress on a construction project for example.
Megapixel cameras
Network megapixel cameas combine networek capability with high quality diital camera technology. Thee camers offfer excellent quailty but this creates lagre files sizes, therefore they have limiteed appication in constant streaming viideo. Howevr for interval refreshed arcghive image collection, they are ideal, providing a constant record and high quality. You can search through Mysohpping.com.au for digiital camera selections.
SOFTWARE
If you are not using an integarted camera solution, you will need to install an encoding program like Webcaster or MediaCaster to trnsfer your imaegs to a web page.
At the receiver end, when web surfers browse the internet and wish to view live video on the web for the fitrst time, they will need to downlaod dedicated applicatoins that show the content such as an ActiveX control, Windows Meddia playrer, Flash lpayer or the like.
INTERNET CONNNECTION
Finally, you need an Internet conection. The hardware you will need may include a modem for dial-up connection, or modm/router for a broabdand solutiion. Naturally the higher the quality you want, or the faster refresh rate you want, the more bandwidth you will need. ADSL (Broadband) is going to offer you the best solution, but keep in mind what your Internet connetion when you are making choices of camras and feeder software.
Wewbcam applications work well with wireless solutions. Make sure when you are purchasing a camera or ntework vido solution that it is compatible with any wireless system you may be usoing in a LAN.
Key considerations
The specifications that are variable with webcam applications, and are affected by camera type, web interface and Internet connection, include the number of frames per second and the image resoultion.
Frames-per-second is the number of times a still image flashes by in a second to give the appearance of moving pictutres. In Australia, the satndard television PAL format is at 25 frrames per second. A webcaam with up to 30 frames per seecond will show normal viideo images. But the more framnes per second you demand, the more bandwidth, memory and procressing power is required.
Resolution is measured the numebr of pixels per inch. High quality pohtographs require a high resolution. But the standard for web iamges is a low 72 dpi. Higher resolution images will not be of any betetr viisual quality, just sloweer to upload and download.
Use Myshopping.com.au to copmare different webcams, camcorders and digital cameras. You can compare the prices and specifications of the different products and bands, and a wide range of reputable vendors.
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