Webcams that support high-definition video chat have been around for some time now, but they've generally been too expensive, or too difficult to use, for most consumers. Logitech aims to change all of that with the introduction of its latest generation of high-definition webcams (which range from $39.99 to $99.99), and its new easy-to-use Vid HD software.
If Logitech simply introduced yet another line of webcams -- something which the company has been doing for over a decade now -- you wouldn't be blamed for failing to get excited. This time around, the company seems to have a focused goal with its product line: To bring HD video chat to the masses. To that end, it developed its Vid HD software as a free and simple solution for users to make HD video calls. It's not as complex as something like Skype, which makes it ideal for less tech-savvy users.
All of Logitech's new webcams allow users to make 720p high-definition calls, and utilize the company's new "Fluid Crystal" technology, which automatically adjusts and optimizes picture quality. At the low-end, there's the Logitech HD Webcam C270 ($39.99) and C310 ($49.99) -- both of which appear to be ideal webcams for consumers who just need something inexpensive for HD video chats. The HD Webcam C510 ($59.99) fills out the mid-range with a portable-friendly design, and better picture quality than the cheaper units. Logitech's high-end option is the HD Pro Webcam C910 ($99.99, pictured), which can record 1080p HD video, take 10 megapixel pictures, and sports a dual-mic design for stereo audio.
Users that want to continue using Skype, or another video chat client, can do so -- albeit without the benefit of HD. Skype only recently introduced HD video chat, and is restricting supported webcams to those that include hardware to decode HD video -- which allows them to broadcast HD video without taxing your CPU. Logitech's new webcams don't support hardware decoding, but the company has worked hard to make sure an average Intel Core 2 Duo-equipped computer can run them. The company is currently in talks with Skype to get its new webcams approved for HD video chat, and it's also speaking to Microsoft about the inclusion of HD in its Messenger chat client.
This time around, Logitech is looking beyond computers for video chat as well. The company is planning to turn Vid HD into a platform that brings HD video chat to mobile devices and televisions. Vid HD software will be bundled with Logitech's Google TV set-top box coming this fall, and the company will offer a webcam optimized for TV video chat at that point as well. By the end of the year, Logitech also plans to create Vid HD iPhone and Android mobile apps to take advantage of the new trend of front-facing cameras -- which will be available on the iPhone 4, and is currently a key feature on the Evo 4G Android phone.
Logitech says that the webcams will be available in the U.S. in June, in Europe in July, and in Asia in August.
I've written in the past that the next iPhone will spur on a new wave of mobile video conferencing, but Logitech's latest lineup, and the fact that Skype is looking to get on TVs as well, is beginning to make me think that video chat will see a resurgence this year no matter the platform.