A Pristine Picture (Sogatel USB 2.0 High Definition Hue Skype)

Member Name: DocDan3

Product:	Sogatel USB 2.0 High Definition Hue Skype
Date:	26/06/09 (233 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good Quality, Variety of Colours, Modern Look, Can Be Positioned, Easy To Use & Setup

Disadvantages: Webcam Sometimes Not Recognised On Skype

My computer did not come with an in built microphone or webcam so I decided to buy my own. I wanted a good quality one, which worked with my Mac for use with Skype. This webcam was a fantastic buy and works really well. It works with both PCs and Macs so is universally compatible. Available in a variety of colours including red, black, blue, green and pink, I decided to buy the red one. The variable colour contrasts nicely with the shiny black colour on the rest of the product.

I ordered my webcam off amazon.co.uk, and it currently can be bought for just £19.85, which is a superb price for such a fantastic item. Considering the RRP is £69.95, you are getting a 72% discount and a quality product. My webcam arrived in Amazon packaging within a white box. Inside was the webcam in two parts along with the USB cable that connects the webcam to your computer. By using the USB port, this webcam is sure to connect to any computer as all computers have USB ports. You also get an instruction manual to help you easily set it up along with an installation disc. After installing the product on my Mac, a 'WebCam Monitor' application was available on my desktop. When I open this, I can view the webcam and take pictures from then on with different camera effects too.

The webcam was extremely easy to set up and is almost self-explanatory to use. It consists of a 2 tone dome shape base, which has a red light to show that it is plugged into your computer and ready for use. The USB webcam plugs into this base, which leads up to the camera and microphone. The long and windy stick, which is shiny black enables you to position the webcam exactly how you like. The head consists of the high definition 10x optical zoom camera with the microphone input holes just below. You can record video and sound directly to your computer using this webcam and make use of the special lens and backgroung effects.

The webcam has a red light beneath, which comes on when the webcam is recording. This lets you know when to smile! The webcam receives all its power through your computer so does not need to be plugged in externally to a wall socket. The ability to rotate the camera 360° with the bendy wire is excellent. There is a 6 foot wire, which plugs into the back of the base and connects the webcam to a USB port in your computer. This is very lengthy so you need not to worry about where to place your webcam and whether or not it will reach your computer.

There isn't much more to say as the product is so simple and easy to use and of great quality. The product also seems well built with a mixture of plastic and some metal. The webcam has a very modern and sleek look with its bendy wire so it can be positioned however you like. The red colour on mine is very shiny, which makes it sheen in the light and stand out. There is a chrome button on the back of the webcam, which is used to take snapshots. All videos and photos are saved directly to your computer and can be formatted or uploaded to the internet from there.

Overall, this webcam is of brilliant quality and is everything you will need. It functions perfectly with Skype - the only problem I have is sometimes trying to get the webcam part working but this may be a problem with Skype rather than the webcam. The webcam is well built and available in a variety of colours at a very low price. The camera is of good quality and the sound is great too. I have been told that the sound is very sensitive, which is excellent, as you will definitely be heard. If it is too predominant, you can adjust the sensitivity in your computer's settings.

Thanks for reading,

Dan ©

Summary: A brilliant webcam with an in built microphone for use with both PCs and Macs

Processing/Quality:
Reliability:
Ease of use:
Picture quality:
Variety of features: