Web cams cost anywhere from $30 to $130 (MSRP prices). The more expensive Web cams come with a built-in microphone and allow for a higher resolution on captured images. We evaluated several Web cams and chose the Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 (see Figure 1) as our example for this article due to a number of factors, including:

• Logitech is a well-known, quality manufacturer of Web cams.

• The QuickCam Pro 4000 has a built-in microphone.

• It comes with both a traditional base to mount the camera on a monitor and a special clip to mount the camera to a flat-panel display. (NOTE: Although it isn't obvious from the documentation, you can manually bend the clip to attach it to your flat-panel display.)

• It can capture 1.3MP (megapixel) still photos and provide up to 640 x 480 video resolution.

• It comes with bundled software that makes it easy to capture and store pictures and videos, as well as send video email. The video email feature is integrated with your email client's address book.

• It has received many positive reviews from consumers on various Web sites.

The Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 (manufacturer's part number 961239-0403; www.logitech.com) has an MSRP price of $99.95 and a street price of $65.


Step 1: Before Installation

Prior to installing any hardware and/or software on your computer, we recommend that you back up the data on your hard drive as a precautionary measure. This will enable you to quickly recover if the installation process harms your computing environment in some way. If you plan to install a Web cam that's similar to the QuickCam Pro 4000, you'll be installing one piece of hardware (the Web cam) and up to five software components/applications, such as:

• DirectX 9.0 (required, but may already be installed on your computer)—DirectX is a component of the Windows OS. According to Microsoft's site, DirectX consists of "a group of technologies designed to make Windows-based computers an ideal platform for running and displaying applications containing full-color graphics, video, 3D animation, and audio."

• Logitech QuickCam Pro 4000 software (required)—This software package installs the drivers for the QuickCam Pro 4000 device and provides a utility that lets you capture, save, and email still images and video.

• LEAD Technologies' Capture And Convert software (optional; $89; www.leadtools.com/utilities
/captureandconvert)—Capture And Convert produces higher-quality compressed videos than the Logitech QuickCam 4000 software, but you'll only need it if you want to send higher-quality videos as email attachments.

• Camarades software (optional; free; www.ww.com)—Camarades helps you create your own Web cam home page where others can see images captured by your Web cam.

• ConquerCam software (optional; $10; www.theill.com/conquercam)—This software lets you easily upload images from your Web cam directly to your Web site.

Step 2: Install DirectX 9.0

A version of DirectX is probably already installed on your computer, but it may not be the latest version. To determine which DirectX version you have on your computer, open the Start menu, click Run, type dxdiag in the field, and click OK. You'll see a window display telling you which DirectX version is installed. (See Figure 2.) (NOTE: Even though the Logitech QuickCam software states that DirectX 9.0 is required to run the software, we found that it worked fine with DirectX 8.1.)

DirectX is like some other Windows components (for example, Windows Media Player) in that you won't be able to uninstall it once it's installed or updated. Therefore, it's critical that you make a hard drive backup prior to installing DirectX 9.0, just in case the installation causes some type of problem. In addition, you can create a Restore Point using System Restore, found in Windows Me and Windows XP, but this isn't as foolproof as creating a backup of the data on your hard drive.

To download and install DirectX 9.0, go to www.microsoft.com/downloads and click DirectX 9.0c End-User Runtime. After you've installed DirectX 9.0, restart your computer and then check your applications to make sure they're still functioning properly.


Step 3: Install Web Cam Software & Hardware

Before you can connect the QuickCam Pro 4000 to your computer, you'll need to install its software, but don't use the CD-ROM that came with QuickCam Pro 4000 package. There's no telling how long your Web cam sat on a shelf somewhere in the supply chain before you purchased it, and it's an almost sure bet that there's a newer version of the software available. The most recent software version for Logitech Web cams is available at www.logitech.com/index.cfm/downloads/categories/US/EN,CRID=1794. In our case, the QuickCam Pro 4000 came with QuickCam 8.0 software, but a later version, QuickCam 8.3, was available on Logitech's Web site (at the time of this writing).

After you download the most recent version of the Web cam's software, double-click the Desktop icon to install the software. However, don't plug the Web cam's USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable into the USB port until you're instructed to do so.

While installing the software, we suggest that you choose the Complete installation option. (See Figure 3.) When you finish installing the software, click Finish and your system will restart automatically. (See Figure 4.)

After your system restarts, a window will appear to assist you in connecting your Logitech Web cam to your computer. (See Figure 5.) (NOTE: You can connect your camera directly to a USB port on your computer or to a USB hub that is connected to your computer.) The software will then guide you through a video and audio test to make sure your camera can play video and audio. (See Figures 6 and 7.)

Step 4: Use The Web Cam Software

To use the QuickCam software, double-click the Logitech QuickCam icon placed on your Desktop when you installed the software. Doing so will open the user interface. (See Figure 8.)

To capture still pictures, click QuickCapture. If you plan to capture a still image or video and then immediately send it as an email attachment, click Video E-Mail.

Let's walk through the process of capturing a video and sending a video email. When you click Video E-Mail, a window lets you either create a new video by clicking QuickCapture or choose an existing video by clicking Open My Logitech Pictures. (See Figure 9.) First, let's create a new video. Click QuickCapture and Record A Video to create a new video. (See Figure 10.) When you finish recording the video, click the Close button (see Figure 11), and the software will automatically play a preview of the video. To send the video, click the envelope icon. (See Figure 12.) The Logitech software will then compress the video into a file small enough to send as an email attachment and create a new email message with the video file attached. (See Figure 13.) All you need to do is address the message, change the Subject line, and add text to the message body.

We also should let you know that the Logitech software comes with a face-tracking feature that automatically zooms in and out while you are capturing your video. We found this feature to be annoying (we couldn't even tell what caused it to zoom in or out), so we turned it off.

As easy as the Logitech software is to use, we have three main gripes with it. First, the software doesn't let you specify the location of saved images and videos. The software automatically stores these files in the My Logitech Pictures folder (which is stored on your system partition), and you cannot just drag and drop this folder elsewhere, such as to a data partition. We view these images as data and would rather save them on our data partition but found that we'd have to modify our Windows Registry just to change the location of this folder.

Second, the software doesn't let you name the image when you save it. You have to go into the My Logitech Pictures folder afterward and rename the file if you want to give it a more descriptive name.

Third, the video compression algorithm used to create video email attachments produces very poor quality videos. There are no options to control the amount or type of compression, either. Our tests showed that the software compressed a 26MB file into a 1MB file, which is certainly small enough to send as an email attachment, but in doing so, the compression process reduced the image size, made the video quite grainy, and caused the audio and video to be out of sync.

So, if you require the ability to email higher-quality videos, you'll need to use another application for this. We evaluated several file conversion/compression applications and concluded that LEAD Technologies' Capture And Convert software was the best value in this market.

Step 5: Install & Use LEAD Capture And Convert

As the name implies, LEAD Capture And Convert has two components: one that captures still images and videos and one that converts them into different file formats, including several compressed file formats.

At first glance, it appears that LEAD Capture And Convert could completely replace the Logitech software. Unfortunately, we were unable to make the LEAD Capture component capture as high a quality of video as the Logitech software. This is a darn shame because LEAD Capture actually lets you specify the location of saved images, too. A spokesperson from LEAD Technologies believes that the Logitech QuickCam 4000 camera driver may not be compatible with Microsoft DirectShow (which is what LEAD Capture is based on) and that this factor might be the reason we were unable to capture a high-quality video.

Fortunately, LEAD Convert shines when it comes to taking the video captured by the Logitech software and converting it into a high-quality compressed file that's still small enough to send as an email attachment. (By the way, we also suggested to LEAD Technologies that it market LEAD Convert as a separate product at a lower price because we believe that many users will only want the file conversion functionality.)

To download LEAD Capture And Convert, go to www.leadtools.com/utilities/captureandconvert. You have the option to try the software before you buy it. After you download the software, double-click the Desktop icon to install LEAD Capture And Convert and then double-click the LEAD Convert icon placed on your Desktop. The user interface is quite intuitive. (See Figure 14.) You simply drag the file(s) you want to convert from the Source Files pane on the left to the Conversion List pane on the right. This doesn't affect a source file, and LEAD Convert saves a converted file as a new file.

After you select the source file(s) you want to convert, select ASF (Windows Media Codecs) as the target format from the drop-down menu. (See Figure 15.) Click the Properties button next to the Format drop-down menu and, in the dialog box that opens, look below the ASF Options tab to choose one of the following options from the drop-down menu:

• Windows Media Video 8 for Local Area Network (256Kbps)

• Windows Media Video 8 for Local Area Network (384Kbps)

• Windows Media Video 8 for Local Area Network (768Kbps)

The higher the bit rate—256Kbps (kilobits per second), 384Kbps, or 768Kbps—the higher the quality of video and the larger the file you will have when the file is compressed. (See Figure 16.) Click Apply and OK. (NOTE: In our tests we were unable to notice any difference in quality between the lowest setting, 256Kbps, and the highest setting, 768Kbps, but if you're particular about video quality and have lots of space on your hard drive, use the highest setting.)

Under Resulting Files, browse to the location where you would like to store the compressed file(s) and click Start Converting. A window will show you the progress of the file conversion process. (See Figure 17.)

You'll notice that the compressed file(s) still provides a large, sharp image, and the audio and video is synchronized. In our tests LEAD Convert compressed a 26MB file, so it became a 1.7MB file using the lowest bit rate, a 2.5MB file using the middle bit rate, and a 3.08MB file using the highest bit rate. We view any file smaller than 5MB as being suitable for email if you and the recipient(s) have broadband connections.

Step 6: Upload Images To The Internet

What are you going to do with all of those Web cam images of your smiling face? Why, upload them to the Internet for everyone to see, of course!

There are two ways to accomplish this task. If you don't have your own Web site, you can join a free Web cam community, such as Camarades, that will give you your own Web cam home page. Alternatively, you can upload images to a page on your own Web site using software such as ConquerCam.

Installing and using Camarades' software. Camarades is a Web cam community that provides you with your own free Web cam home page. (A premium service is available for a very steep $22.95 per month, but we weren't able to justify this expense.)

To download Camarades' software, go to www.ww.com and click the Free And Easy To Use Webcam Software link. (Don't sign up unless you want to purchase the premium service.) Next, double-click the installation Desktop icon to install the software. The installation process will create a WebCam icon on your Desktop; double-click it to activate the software. Your beautiful face is now being broadcast over the Interne. (See Figure 18.) A new still image is uploaded every five seconds.

You can click the Edit Home Page button to change some of the default software settings and/or click the View Home Page button to see your actual Camarades Web cam home page. (See Figure 19.) Make a note of the URL of your Web cam home page and email the URL to anyone you want to view your Camarades Web cam home page.

Installing and using the ConquerCam application. Unless you are experienced at writing Java Scripts, you'll need an application to upload still images directly to your Web site. We evaluated several packages and selected ConquerCam because it's easy to use and costs only $10.

To download and install ConquerCam, go to www.theill.com/conquercam/download.asp. We downloaded the 2.7b3 beta version and had no problems with it. After downloading the software, double-click the installation Desktop icon to install it. Next, open ConquerCam by double-clicking the ConquerCam icon placed on your Desktop when you installed the software. (See Figure 20.)

The easiest way to implement ConquerCam is to use its Publish Location Wizard. Click Action/Publish Location Wizard to display its welcome dialog box. (See Figure 21.) Click Next and select Send Images To Your FTP Web Site. Click Next and type your FTP address, such as ftp.yourwebsitename.com, into the Hostname field. (See Figure 22.) Click Next and then enter the username and password you normally use to access and maintain your Web site.

Now comes the tricky part: Click Next to display the Enter Folder And Filename dialog box, type /html/ in the Directory field, but leave the entry in the Filename field as ccam.jpg. (See Figure 23.) This will be the image name that gets uploaded to your Web site. (By the way, if you don't type /html/ in the Directory field, your images may automatically upload to a private directory on your Web site that you don't have access to.)

Click Next and then click Try These Settings to verify that the upload procedure will work properly. Click Next again and enter a name for your location, such as Alan's Web Site Uploads. Click Finish.

To begin uploading images, click Action/Start Interval Upload. Remember: Images will be uploaded until you stop the interval upload, so take our advice and make sure you dress appropriately. The images are automatically updated in the /html/ directory on your Web site. (This directory will be automatically created if it doesn't already exist.)

Of course, it doesn't do you much good to upload the images to your Web site unless you create a Web page to display and automatically refresh these images. We're going to make it very easy for you to do this with a Java Script provided to us by ConquerCam's developer, Peter Theill. Simply create a new Web page and cut and paste the following code into the HTML view of your Web page:

<html>
<head>
<title>Web Cam Image</title>
<script language="JavaScript">
<!--
var DEFAULT_TIMELEFT = 30;
var timeLeft = DEFAULT_TIMELEFT;
function countDown() {

timeLeft--;
setTimeout("countDown()", 1000);
updateUICounter();
if (timeLeft <= 0) {
document.webcam.src = "ccam.jpg" + "?" + new Date().getTime();

timeLeft = DEFAULT_TIMELEFT;
}
}
function updateUICounter() {

msg = "Image will reload in " + timeLeft + " " +
((timeLeft != 1) ? "seconds" : "second") + "..."
if ((navigator.appName.indexOf("Internet Explorer") != -1) &&
(navigator.appVersion.indexOf("4.") != -1))
{
lblCounter.innerHTML = msg;
}
else

{

// on incapable browsers, we update statusbar instead of

// printing it below image

window.status = msg;

}

}

// -->

</script>

<style>
body, table, tr, td { font-family: Verdana,

Sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; }

a:hover { te

xt-decoration: underline; }

a { color: #CC3300; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; }

</style>

</head>

<body onLoad="countDown()">

<p><b><font face="Verdana">My </font><font face="Verdana" size="2">Web Cam Image</font></b></p>

<blockquote>

<p><font face="Verdana" size="2">The image below has been grabbed from my Web cam.

It updates automatically once in awhile. If it does not seem to update I may be

offline for the moment.</font></p>

</blockquote>

<table width="100%" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0">

<tr>

<td>&nbsp;</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td align="center"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1" bgcolor="#000000">

<tr>

<td><img name="webcam" id="webcam" border="0" src="ccam.jpg" width="320" height="240"></td>

</tr>

</table></td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td align="center">

<span id="lblCounter"></span></td>

</tr>

</table>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p align="right">

<font face="Verdana" size="1">This HTML document was included with <a target="_blank" href="http://www.conquercam.com/">ConquerCam</a>.

Modify it to suit your needs.</font></p>

</body>

</html>

The above code is designed to update the image being displayed every 30 seconds. You can easily change the time interval by changing this line in the code:

var DEFAULT_TIMELEFT = 30;

Next, save the Web page in the same directory as the Ccam.jpg file—that is, your /html/ directory. (See Figure 24.) Then, open your Web browser and go to that Web page to see your Web cam files in action. (See Figure 25.)

You may want to change some of ConquerCam's default settings. To do this, click View and Options. For example, you can change the quality of the image that's uploaded by clicking Image and JPG Quality. You also can enter captions for your images, change the upload image size, or change the upload interval. (NOTE: Make sure your upload interval is a few seconds less than the refresh rate in the above Java Script. For example, upload a new image every 25 seconds if your Web page is refreshed every 30 seconds.)

In addition, ConquerCam has a motion detection feature that enables you to use your Web cam as a security camera.

Step 7: Use Your Web Cam For Instant Messages

Finally, let's take a look at how to use your Web cam with an instant messaging application. We'll use AOL Instant Messenger as our example.

Open AOL Instant Messenger and then click the Video and Audio buttons. This will help you generate an invitation to your buddy to accept your video and audio. Even if your buddy doesn't have a Web cam, he'll be able to see and hear you.

What Are You Waiting For?

Go out and buy a Web cam today. It'll help you capture still images and video that you can share with your friends, relatives, and fellow Web surfers in a matter of minutes!

by Alan Luber