Microsoft LifeCam Cinema Webcam Review

High Definition. Those two words are the very soul of what's driving consumer electronics and pushing broadband Internet, and Microsoft's sleek LifeCam Cinema is no exception. As one of the first webcams to boast an magnificent 1280x720 resolution with a price that doesn't break the bank, it won't be long before we're able to marvel at the next Star Wars Kid with each and every one of his clogged pores clearly visible. Now that's entertainment! But to get back to the webcam side of business, we put Microsoft's latest gizmo to the test and found the results to be quite resounding. Find out why after the break.

Excellent picture
Sharp and compact aluminum body
Mounting hardware can stand on a desk or sit on top of LCDs, CRTs or laptop displays
Adjustable pitch and yaw
Competitively priced

Current drivers (1/9/10) don't support 720p at 30fps
High-pitched whine likely linked to camera's exposure level recorded by on-board mic
No motion-triggered recording

Dual-purpose Mount
To date, just about every consumer webcam brought to market has had one thing in common - they're all goofy looking. If a webcam wasn't modeled after a sideways pepper shaker or a billiard ball, you could at least be certain that it'd be as square as Bill O'Reilly's mandible. Thankfully with the LifeCam Cinema, Microsoft's design team has taken a different approach to this all-too-familiar market, drawing their inspiration from sleek bullet cameras or perhaps the Apple iSight. I'm not just talking about copying the form factor here, either. This webcam is made out of aluminum.

Accented only by bits of silver here and there along with some text to remind you that you're staring at a Microsoft Webcam which happens to support High Definition 720p at 30fps, the small webcam exudes professionalism. That classic black and silver motif just never gets old. Indeed, the only candy-colored bit on the LifeCam Cinema is its recording LED in - you guessed it - electric blue.

Here, you see the MS LifeCam Cinema can be mounted atop a LCD monitor or a notebook screen; its nifty mount can double as its own stand on a desk.

I found the mounting solution for the LifeCam Cinema to be most versatile, easily able to adapt to any environment for both desktop and mobile users. A small clip hooks to the front of your monitor while a flexible metal insert in the rubber backing allows you to loosely clamp the webcam onto a flat panel or lie it on top of a CRT. Unlike the similar mounts found on Logitech's now-discontinued QuickCam Ultra Vision and Fusion, the backing can also bend forward enough to properly brace itself against a thin laptop display, or even act as its own stand on a desk.

Though the new mounting kit certainly prevents shaking, it won't be as secure as the spring-loaded mounts found on the latest webcams from Logitech and Creative. Even so, this is more than made up for by the LifeCam Cinema's uncanny ability to not only adjust the pitch of the camera, but the yaw as well. As an added bonus, the 6' USB cable has an integrated cable management clip to keep things tidy.

LifeCam Software
Microsoft's LifeCam software has received a generous face lift sometime in the three years since I last reviewed a Microsoft webcam. Now themed to the likes of Windows Media Player 11, LifeCam 3.0's new interface is both intuitive and clutter-free. A large window showcases the camera's video feed on top of three simple buttons for capturing videos, still photos, and audio recordings. Directly underneath is a filmstrip gallery filled with previous recordings and a shortcut that points straight to the folder where they're stored in the active user's profile. Unfortunately, this folder cannot be reassigned to a different location.

Here's third generation LifeCam interface; I've altered the screenshot so the text in settings are more legible.

Installing the LifeCam software also provides access to the LifeCam dashboard, a handy way of fine-tuning the basic webcam controls including microphone volume, image flicker, and ClearFrame noise reduction. It also houses a shortcut to the classic webcam properties panel for tweaking everything else the LifeCam Cinema has to offer including the white balance, exposure and focus levels to name a few.

Another bonus to be had when installing the LifeCam software is the plethora of video effects to add a some much-needed distraction to your teleconferencing sessions or get a few laughs out of the kids. A small but healthy array of lens effects, 3D rendered accessories, and color filters are available to choose from, but what you see is what you get; Microsoft has yet to host a gallery of downloadable effects. At least the included filters allow me to express the extent of my profound love for chili in a still format!

As for the 3D accessories, well, they're hit and miss. That is to say, roughly half the time they miss my head and can't tell which direction I'm facing, sometimes rendering a few inches or so off-center at a skewed angle. To be fair, Logitech's own 3D effects often face similar challenges, but then again Logitech had the good sense to include a Calibrate feature in their drivers. For me at least, the problem seems to be a result of my dorm room's overhead lighting coupled with the shiny affliction that is my military haircut.

All-in-all, I think the new LifeCam software holds up well on its own. It's stable, easy to use, and well laid out. Still, there are three things I'd like to see in a future driver release: 1) Allow me to change the output folder. 2) Present an option to change the active microphone. 3) Implement motion-triggered security recordings with timestamps. Logitech and Creative both feature motion triggers in their webcam drivers, why can't Microsoft?