Webcams: Features explained
Sound
Good sound and a good lens are vital
Ideally a webcam should come with a separate headset with microphone attached, great for one-to-one chats, and an integrated microphone for group or family chats.
One of our Best Buys has a directional audio function to eliminate any sound not coming from directly in front of the webcam.
Vision
The computer is often in a dingy backroom so it’s important that your webcam has a good lens, to focus well in a range of lighting conditions and a high frame rate for smooth, fluid, video.
Sadly, it'll make no difference to the quality of video you receive but at least the person to whom you're talking will be able to see you clearly.
A wide-angled lens (more than about 45 degrees) increases the versatility of a camera so you can fit lots more in the video frame at the same time; useful for family or group chats. This is a feature you tend to have to pay for; it’s the more expensive cameras on test that have the widest angles.
Face tracking
Most cameras had a ‘face tracking’ feature which uses a digital zoom, motorised side-to-side and up-and-down movement, or both, to try and keep your head in the centre of the frame.
In reality, zooming and panning is quite a distraction, especially if the camera is trying to follow a child or animal.
This feature comes into its own when it’s set to detect movement, such as a home intrusion while you're out. Webcams with this feature can email you a snapshot, record whatever is going on, or broadcast it to another desktop computer or laptop over an instant messenger service.