Log in ....Tribune--On Hardware

Monday, December 18, 2000		On Hardware

THE IT revolution can also be called a digital revolution, as all technologies in the world are headed towards becoming digital. Ranging from gadgets of daily use like Television and PC monitors to high-end specialised technologies — digital is one common technology found everywhere. Adding the digital wonder to the world of computer today are digital and Web cameras, which are fast becoming a craze in the computer world. For computer users in the West, the digital cameras are becoming a must. According to a recent survey, digital cameras are used in 5.4 million U.S. homes, while 12.7 million households plan to buy a digital camera by in the near future. The popularity of these digital cameras has resulted into higher picture quality, price drops.

When the CD ROM was introduced, it was initially treated as an accessory. Similarly, digital cameras ,initially accepted as accessories, are now fast becoming an integral component of all PCs. Most operating systems now, including the latest editions of the Windows are digital camera ready. By using these cameras you can take photographs on floppies instead of the film rolls and can also manipulate them at home on a PC instead of a photo lab. Using photo-editing software, the output of the digital cameras can be modified with mind-boggling value additions and special effects, which were otherwise very difficult in the normal dark room photography.

The use of digital images on the web has given the digital camera a unique place in the computing world. There are two types of digital cameras — the web camera, generally used for video conferencing and the digital camera, which takes still and motion pictures without using film rolls. Pictures taken by these cameras can directly be pasted on the net, eliminating the need for scanning hard prints. The digital camera stores the images in the form of JPEG format, which are the most common file format for storing the pictures. It not only saves the space by being small in size but they also give excellent picture quality. Currently these cameras are available in the resolution of up to 3 million pixels per image.

The Web cameras or PC cameras are attached directly to your computer through the USB port as plug and play and they are normally placed on the top of your computer monitor. The PC Cameras are much cheaper than the digital cameras that take pictures on floppies or memory cards. There are some cameras in the market that can act both as a Web camera and as a normal digital camera. Web cameras are cheaper and a more economical solution to all kind of video related requirements like taking pictures, video conferencing, video mails and any other thing, which may involve a computer and a video. Normally, people use it for the purpose of video conferencing and it can even be used for conducting meetings or even appearing in a distant interview over the net.

No elaborate set-up is required for using a digital camera, allowing people on both sides to see each other in a videoconference. Using this hardware, you can even create your own movie and can also share it with others over the net. Following are the major uses of the Web camera.

1) Email Postcards: With Christmas and New Year round the corner, you will need greeting cards. Use your PC camera to make your email Postcard. You can send it immediately and directly to a persons e-mail account. In an e-mail post card you can combine your pictures, voice, text and also the music etc.

2) Shoot your own movies: Shooting your own movie could be a fun. Digitise your special occasions in life and cherish them for rest of your life. Though, using a PC camera may not give you a very good quality, but at least it gives you fairly good opportunity to use your creativity.

3) Video phone calls: Now distances have lost their meaning with PC camera bringing to your desktop, live-coverage of a distance place. You can make a videophone call, wherein you can chat with the other person as if you are sitting face to face. You cannot only see the live video, but can also hear the real-time voice. There are special software, which can be used for making videophone calls.

4) Web cam: Using a PC camera or a Web camera, you can also run a site with a live web camera. These online web camera sites are especially very useful for educational and training purposes. It can also be used for watching the operations in a factory or in a work place.

There are a variety of PC cameras available in the market today; all you need to do is choose the correct Web camera for you. The following steps can help you in selecting the appropriate Web camera 1. Try to get the highest frame-per-second rate, highest resolution web camera available. 2. Compare lens types and focus controls. 3. Consider camera sizes and mounting options. Most cameras will sit on top of a monitor, but not all rotate both horizontally and vertically. 4. Compare bundled software and the manufacturers’ limited warranties. 5. Check for additional features, such as a zoom or telephoto lens, video still-capture quality and a built-in microphone. One very important point to be keep in mind for choosing your web camera is that you must select the PC Camera which connects through a USB port as the USB ports have higher speed than either the serial port or the parallel port. Moreover, the real plug and play experience can be obtained from USB port only. Thus the USB port availability in your computer as well as its compatibility with the Web camera is very critical for good performance.

However, in lieu of a Web camera, you can also use the normal digital camera or a camcorder, as most of these gadgets can double up as a Web camera, however, they are expensive alternatives to the normal PC / Web camera. If the PC camera is to be used on the Internet, then the speed of your Internet connection and the stability is very critical. If you do not get good connectivity or steady connection, then no matter how good your camera is, the results are unlikely to be good. You must therefore evaluate the speed of your current computer and modem before planning on a PC / digital camera.