Microsoft Lifecam VX-3000 struggles to be a Live cam (Microsoft Lifecam VX-3000)

Member Name: Craggybuk

Product:	Microsoft Lifecam VX-3000
Date:	05/08/09 (191 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good picture quality

Disadvantages: No end of trouble with Windows Live Messenger

===Introduction===

Since the late 90s at work, we have always used webcams to provide the photo identity for our ID cards. We have never had any preference to a particular make meaning we have tried 3Com, Creative and Logitech in the past. Now it was Microsoft's turn in the form of the Lifecam VX-3000. This camera was supposedly a middle of the range camera at its time of release, higher in spec than the VX-1000, but lower than the VX-6000.

===In the box===

Considering the size of this webcam and the fact there wasn't a user manual included in paper form, I found the box to be very bulky. In typical Microsoft fashion the box was big and bold and was definitely the brainchild of the Microsoft marketing department as a box half the size would surely have been sufficient. Along with the webcam was a quickstart guide and a CD containing the drivers, application software and a copy of MSN messenger. The quickstart guide was a single sheet basically showing you how to plug the camera in. I appreciate that somebody who had never bought a webcam before might find this useful, but in reality, once you've plugged any USB device into your PC/Laptop, you would know how to connect this webcam.

===Installation.===

Installation of the software is very simple. On inserting the disk, it will autorun and start the process going. You will then get prompted for what you would like to install, the choices are, driver only, driver and application software or full install.

For us, the driver software alone was sufficient as we would be capturing images with our own in-house software. For the home user, I would definitely suggest installing the Lifecams own application too as this allows you to snap your own photos and record video. Personally, I wouldn't entertain installing MSN from the CD. You can easily get MSN (now Windows Live Messenger) as a free download off the internet and the one that ships with the CD is now out of date anyway.

Once you have made your choice, its time to sit back and watch the Microsoft installer go about its business. I would advise against watching the progress bar during this installation as it cycles about 3 times. This is most disconcerting as it takes an absolute age to get to the end of the bar for the first time, there is no textual indication of what is going on either so you are left wondering just how long the install will take.

When the software has finally installed, you are prompted to plug the camera into a free USB port, this is where the diagrams on the quickstart guide may be useful to a total novice. The software will now detect the camera is plugged in and take you through a couple of screens to calibrate the screen display and the built in microphone settings.

===Using the camera to record video and still images===

The VX-3000 takes decent enough photos for sending to your friends. The webcam will take photos at 1.3 megapixels so the quality of these photos will not be as good as you would get from all dedicated cameras and most mobile phones on the market today. Using the application software that comes with the webcam, you will be able to add sceneries and props to your photos such as a lovely flowery garden or a divers mask which adds a bit of fun to the photos but this soon wears off.

Video footage is saved in the standard avi format, meaning it will play in applications such as Windows Media Player with the minimum of fuss. The video is captured in 640 x 480 resolution which looks fine in a small window but looks very distorted if you want to play the video in a full screen. If you have set the microphone up correctly, you can also record sound in your videos meaning that this could be a useful tool if you want to record a message for a friend or family member who you do not normally see.

===Using the camera with Instant Messaging===

In my experience most people who buy a webcam appear to buy them mainly to use with instant messaging (IM) software. Instant messaging software allows you to have real time conversations with people all around the world who use the same IM client. In recent years webcam and voice support have been added to these clients making them a great way to hold video and voice conferences with your friends. I have borrowed one of the works VX-3000 webcams on numerous occasions to use at home to chat to friends and family (normally my kids in the next room to be honest) and have had vastly different experiences with the 3 IM clients I have used it on.

MSN Messenger - As you would expect, the Microsoft webcam worked perfectly on the earlier versions of messenger. The picture was clear and voice content was crisp and easy to understand. There was the occasional freeze for a second or so but this seemed to be generic across the board and wasn't specific to the VX-3000.

Windows Live Messenger - Again, the camera performed very well on Windows Live Messenger, which to be honest was MSN messenger with bells on it. However, Microsoft in their wisdom, released an update to Live Messenger in the spring of 2009 which has given me all kinds of fun and games since then. More often than not, Live Messenger does not even detect the existence of the camera which I find annoying and frustrating. The only way I can get the camera to work when Live Messenger is in one of these moods it to click the camera icon with the camera unplugged and to then plug it in after the communications with the other person have already started.

'Yahoo Messenger - Video and voice streaming work perfectly from Yahoo Messenger. There is very little, if any lag, making for great conversations with friends and family alike. I find it amazing that the camera works better than in the Microsoft versions bearing in mind it is a Microsoft webcam.

===The Verdict===

This webcam does the job it was intended for without being spectacular. I wouldn't rave about it particularly but it is a very capable device. The VX-3000 retails for around £25 so it is reasonably priced and compares well with other similarly priced webcams. It is probably the highest quality camera we have used over our years of producing ID badges. If you wanted this camera for Windows Live Messenger, I would consider purchasing a different brand as it is not worth the hassle trying to get it to work every time you want to use it. All other cameras I have tried with Live Messenger have worked first time. If Microsoft can sort out this problem then the VX-3000 is an attractive buy.

Summary: Great webcam if you dont use Windows Live Messenger

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