Where are USB 2.0 cameras? You’ve already seen a flock of USB 2.0 Hi-Speed storage devices, yet no USB 2.0 digital video camera has made it to the market. Intel and 3Com, whose USB 1.1 webcams received a truckload of awards, scrapped their consumer electronics division. And there are still no words from other small profile companies. Enter Orange Micro.
Orange Micro.’s iBot 2 (the first iBot is a FireWire camera) is the first desktop video camera to take advantage of USB 2.0 Hi-Speed interface. iBot 2 will able to stream uncompressed at 30fps 640x480 resolution, a far cry from current USB 1.1 webcams, which compress video at the expense of quality. In addition, USB 2.0 should be able to accommodate multiple camera connections without frame drop problems.
Designwise, although both iBot cameras look similarly, iBot (FireWire) uses a 1/2” Sony CCD lens whereas iBot 2 has a 1/3” CMOS lens. iBot 2 will retail for $99, $30 less expensive than the FireWire iBot. The same package will also ship with a 2-port USB 2.0 PCI card. Should you have a laptop, you can also exchange the card for a $20 coupon against an OrangeUSB 2.0 CardBus.
Slated to ship in early May, the new iBot 2 will get a new USB 2.0 driver release capable of handling Hi-Speed isochronous transfer (required for USB 2.0 cameras). One last thing, this camera is intended only for PC users who have Windows 98 SE, ME, 2000 or XP, and a 400Mhz processor or faster. You also get ArcSoft VideoImpression, PhotoImpression, iVisit, and Apple QuickTime on the CD as well.
Where to buy Orange iBot 2?
User Review(s)
"Friendly Eye" This web cam works well in fluorescent lighting. Have tried others and had poor video quality. I've used it to record video for student presentations and it makes good movies also. I like the foot, as it makes a stable base, and the 2.0 connection makes for good iVisit work. From D.Smith, March 23, 2005
"Garbage" Whatever you do, do not buy this product. It has caused me so much trouble from the day I baught it. Two words, false advertising! Does not work on msn 6.1 any longer, yahoo, or netmeeting at times. I recommend buying a different type that keeps true to what it advertises! From Peter, January 09, 2004
"Run away!" This model has so many bugs in it, you'll need to hire an exterminator. Not windows 2k or xp friendly. I even called the company and they didn't know how to fix it. Guy told me sometimes 1 frame per 30 sec in netmeeting was normal!
Buy something else! From Jon, July 26, 2003
"Cam performs well" This cam's performance is superb on the following systems:
Shuttle's SS51 (Mini Cube P4) onboard USB2
DELL Dimension 8250 P4 onboard USB2
Tested with supplied iBot software, Netmeeting, Logitech's IM Video and ICUii. Video Frame capture is incredible,
Good quality pic. No issues with either test system. From Dan, May 21, 2003
"Support for AMCAP and XP are abysmal" Image freezes every few seconds. Have installed DirectX9, adjusted resolution, refresh rate, and memory (per MS KnowledgeBase)and it now takes a little longer to freeze.
It was knocked on the floor and the 'eye' broke. Did not affect operation or performance. Is not cute any more.
No mic...wish it had integral mic...but what I really wish is that the image didn't freeze. From Susan Fuller, May 18, 2003
"Works Great on W2KSP3 & ChillCam 2,5c" I have used ChillCam for years and was impressed to see that the Orange iBot 2 was a supported camera. I run Win2K with the SP3 update, and have no problems at all. Only quirk with Chillcam is that I have to toggle the Preview option everytime I start it, in order to see what I'm sending out. A minor thing really. Only gaff on Orange's part is that friends have found that the XP support sucks. They returned their iBots for a competitor's camera... From SchleppingSquid.net, January 04, 2003
"Update: USB2 performance" This is an update to my previous review.
I got a new system to test with:
Duron 1.0 GHz
MSI KT3 Ultra2 (onboard USB 2)
Windows XP SP1
With this setup, the video capture is MUCH improved. At 640x480, capture proceeds at around 25 fps. Note that you MUST install the updated USB 2 drivers for Windows XP which come with Service Pack 1, otherwise it won't really work at all.
So it looks like the Adaptec card/drivers really don't perform up to par.
From Jason, November 23, 2002
"I can't get drivers installed on Win98 SE. 3 days trying!" I am so bloody frustrated! I had trouble before Xmas present-2001, but realized that it was was harder because I had HP printer v1315 with a camera memory card reader on it, for easy installation of photos' (Excellent product- The Printer by the way!) Anyway, I have tried for 2 days to get the drivers installed & even with your instructions, it keeps saying there are NONE installed! THe FIREWIRE CARD IS FINE! It is working properly & has been tested, so it is not that! The other software etc., installed fine of the CD-ROm. My CD ROM is fine; at least everything else has installed without a hitch! What is one to do? Throw it away & buy another? I had a Vi-CAM before, but because of the printer using the printer port, (OLD version of camera from 1996) I can't use the camera now, although it is excellent as far as a camera goes! Anyway, I need to use USB port, or buy something else! Please, please e-mail me with a solution before I pull all my hair out. I have even cried tears over this, because of the frustration! I can't give this product a high rating-SORRY; not right now. Nothing is wrong with my PC. Only thing, possibly the CD, but why did everything else like Net-Meeting, Adobe ver.5 & the manual install, just fine? Something is not right, here!
Sincerely,
Norma
PLEASE HELP!
e-mail address: parror.crow@insightbb.com From Norma M. Parr-Crow, November 09, 2002
"Doesn't work with W2K SP3" Installation could be better. I didn't know it won't work with SP3 on a W2K box. It causes my W2K to blue screen,
KERNEL EXCEPTION. Talked to tech support and they said they know about the problem, and that their product has a problem with SP3. Promised to
have an update by 27Sep02. Asked them to mention it on their webiste to save other poor users from blue screening. I tried it on a system w/o SP3 and it works, at least the amcap.exe worked. The installation program likes to set it up as a Sony camera, which works but the image is very dark. I had to reinstall the drivers maually using the device wizard to choose Orange IBot. Also the s/w that comes on the CD, (Ulead) doesn't know about Orange IBot. I looked at the .ini file and it had 4 camera names in it 3 Kodak's, and a generic. I hope they update their config files.
Otherwise it is a nice camera.
pathma From pathma, September 25, 2002
"Good...could be better" System specs:
AMD Duron 800
EpoX 8KTA3 KT133A motherboard
Windows 98SE
Adaptec USB2Connect 3100LP (Driver Revision 3.0)
IBM Deskstar 75GXP 45 GB
iBot2 Driver Revision 2.1.02
Good (goodness scale of 1-10):
(9)Setup was straightforward. The drivers also include amcap for video capture. In Windows 98 or 2000, you're probably better off using something like VirtualDub. In WinXP, you're stuck with amcap.
(8)This is the first webcam I've used, so pardon if this is common. However, the focus knob on the front of the camera was straightforward to use and allows a large range of distances to be used.
(8)The driver options provide pretty decent control over the picture, including settings for Brightness, Contrast, Hue, Saturation, and Sharpness, as well as having a Backlight Comp option. Also available is an Exposure setting with an Automatic checkbox. Available resolutions are 640x480, 320x240, and 160x120.
Bad (badness scale of 1-10):
(7)The Orange Micro website claims 640x480 at 30 frames per second. I have been able to push that amount onto the HD with my PCI WinTV. However, this camera is unable to perform this well. The most I could push was 320x240 at 19 fps, or 640x480 at 11.3 fps. 640x480@11.3 indicates that there should be ample bandwidth to push 320x240@30, so I will assume this is either a hardware or driver limitation in the iBot2. This is still about 100 megabits per second, so it is definitely an imporvement over USB 1.1 cams, but there's plenty of room for improvement.
Average frame capture rate was determined using VirtualDub's capture information panel. Uncompressed output was generated with 30.00 fps selected in the driver. Average was sort of eyeballed, but generally does not stray more than 1 fps.
(5)The only color mode supported is RGB24. No YUV support at all. This could have cut down on the data rate a bit.
(3)The documentation is pretty skimpy. Included is a driver CD, an Orange Micro ad brochure, and a card explaining how to set the camera up. Support does appear to be available on the Orange Micro website.
(1)Once again, this is the first webcam I've used, but the 60 degree field of view provided is a bit narrower than I had expected. The camera must be at least 4 feet away to fit head and neck into the camera. The cable is 6 feet long, so this isn't as bad as expected.
Other notes:
I also tested this in a multi-processor Windows 2000 system with USB 1.1. When connected to USB 1.1, the only resolution available is 256x240. I did experience some blue screens when trying to adjust the brightness/contrast. When not blue-screening, this worked reasonably well.
I am pleased with the purchase of this camera, but am wondering how much better it could have been. As a still image capture device, it works as one would expect. As a full motion video capturing device, it performs fairly well, but not completely up to expectation. Many will probably be able to easily ignore these shortcomings, I'm probably being very picky. From Jason, September 17, 2002
We're currently upgrading our user review system; so we won't be accepting new reviews for now. iBot 2 Specs
Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP
Sensor technology
CMOS
Pixels
0.3 Megapixel
Lens type
manual focus
Field of view
60 degrees
Focus distance
--
Max. still capture resolution (DSC)
--
Max. video capture resolution (tethered mode)
640 x 480
Max. video capture resolution (untethered mode)
--
Flash?
n/a
Zoom?
n/a
Viewfinder
n/a
Photo capacity
--
Video capacity
--
Storage
--
Storage expansion type
--
Built-in microphone
--
Additional features
--
Software
--
Power source
Bus-powered
Warranty
Two years
Extras Lost a USB cable? Get a replacement USB cable.
Running out of USB ports? Get an extra USB hub.
You may need a new USB card to achieve Hi-Speed USB speeds.
Confirm with our USB 2.0 FAQ if you have Hi-Speed USB on your PC.
