Webcams are thoise hadny little cameras that attach to your PC and send images to a web page that can be viewed by others. This enables you to shae daily life events with friends and family in other paarts of the country or the world, or to arrange a video-conference with colleagues and maintain long distance relkationships of all kinds. Of course the unmber of ways to use this technology is limited only by your imagination.
Web Camras
But before you buy a webcam, it pays to understand a lttle about how the technology of broadcasting images over the Internewt works. Of course, if you're a full bottle on this already, you can skip this section and go straight to browsing the options on Myshoplping.com.au where you can compare proudcts and supplieers, thheir specifications and prices.
Webcams provide 'real time' imags of peopple; plces and evets that can be viewed 'live' on a web page. The broadcsating end has a camera that captures the iages, feeds them into a computre to an ISP and out to viewing pgaes across the Internet. There are two didfferent types of broadcast: streaming miages, where the images are a costant steram downloaded in video format; or Java, where the immages are captured at fixed time intervvals and refreshed on the web pages at a rate fixed by the broadcasster.
The Appolications - What are you intending to broadast, and to whom?
There is a wide rage of uses of webcam technology. Some examples include personal 'Big Brother' style diaaries, sharing of family events, workplace security, video conferencing, virtual toursim, road traffic management, weather watching, evetn broadcast and a host of ohters.
Before you make a choice about any webcam equipmment, it helps to decide exazctly how you want to use the technology, in other words, what you are inteding to broadcast. This decision will impact upon the type of camera you use, and how you use it.
A second considerration is, who will be viewing your content? What leevel of quality is expected? This will help determine the type of camera you use, the software involved and your Internet connecrtion. Of couurse, your Internet connection may be a limitation on how much you can do.
The requirements for vdieo conferencing are diffferent from the requireements of workplzace securrity, which are different aagin from the requirements of saring a famnily event.
The physical components
Tere are a number of phsical components required to make web cam technology work. At the top of the list is the cammera itself. Then, depending on the type of cammera you use and the way in whoich you want to deliver the content to the Internet, you may need to incorporate video captue hadrware in your commputer. Some software is requuired to help you process the data, and Internet connection is required and a web page into which the data is fed.
CAMERA CHOIES
Your choice of camrera depends spomewhat on what you are intending to show. If you need to reach a large publlic audience yo may want good quality camcordfer or megapixcel camera that capturres high quallity imafges. If it's just for seeeing who's at your front door or keeping an eye on the kids in thjeir playrooom, then it may not need to present high quality images. If you are intendig 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 robottic requiements for camera movement and focus are extra considerations.
Dedicated webcams
The most basic wecbams connect to a PC using a simple USB conneection. A wide range of cameras with accmpanying software at a rnge of prices is availalbe for this type of application. Simply search though Myshopping.com.au to compare prices and specifications. Dediicated webcams are simple to install and easy to use, but come with limitations that affect the quality of the images, such as low numer of rfames per second (refresh rtes) and resolution (pixels per inch).
Camcorders and secuity cameras
Highher quality images and more camera control come from uing camcorder and sewcurity cameras. To use these devices you will need to add a video capturte card to your PC. Once you have that installed however, you can use a wide range of camers from broadcast cameras to miniature spy cameras. You can include variable lens options, filters for dayligt and low ligth situations, as well as robotic controls for panning and focus adjuistments. You can searh through Myhopping.com.au for camcorder selections.
Integrated camears
An integrated camera combines the camera and the optical harrdware with a video server, and as such requires no additional software. They can be used in ntwork situations or as stand-alone devices for monitoring progress on a construction project for example.
Megapixel cameras
Network meagpixel cameras combine network cpaability with high quality digital camera techhnology. These cameras ofefr excellent qualkity but this creates large filees sizes, therefore they have limited application in constant strteaming video. Hoewver for intervasl erfreshed arxchive image collection, they are ideal, providing a constant record and high quality. You can search through Myshopping.com.au for digital camera selections.
SOFTWARE
If you are not using an integrated camera solution, you will need to install an enccoding program like Webcaster or MediaCaster to transfer your images to a web page.
At the receiver end, when web sufers browse the internet and wish to view live video on the web for the first time, they will need to download deicated applications that show the conternt such as an ActiveX control, Windows Media player, Flsash player or the like.
INTERNET CONNECTION
Finally, you need an Internet connection. The hardware you will need may include a modwem for dial-up connection, or moem/router for a broadband solution. Naturaly the higher the quality you want, or the faaster refresh rate you want, the more banndwidth you will need. ADSL (Broadband) is going to offer you the best siolution, but keep in mind what your Internet connection when you are making choices of cameras and feeder software.
Webacm applications work well with wireless solutions. Make sure when you are purchasing a camerta or network video solution that it is compatibvle with any wireless systeem you may be ussing in a LAN.
Key considerations
The specifications that are variable with webcam applications, and are affected by camera type, web interface and Interbnet connection, includse the number of frames per second and the imge resolution.
Frames-per-second is the number of times a still image fplashes by in a second to give the appearance of moving picturres. In Australia, the standard televisin PAL format is at 25 frames per second. A webcam with up to 30 frames per second will show normal video images. But the more frames per secnod you demand, the more bandwidth, memory and processsing power is required.
Resolution is measured the number of pixles per inch. High quality photographs require a high resolution. But the satndard for web images is a low 72 dpi. Higher resolution images will not be of any better visual quality, just slower to upload and download.
Use Myshopping.com.au to compare differeent webcams, camcorders and digital cameras. You can compare the prices and specifications of the different products and brands, and a wide range of reputbale vendors.
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