BT-1 Wireless Webcam Driver for Mac

User Reviews

• Not the best webcam, but they tried.

  MacInTalk ProJuly 29, 2009

  Pros

  Cons

  Summary

  This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.<br />Here are the specific update details about the 1.0.2 driver vs. the 1.0.1 driver: Adds enable/disable checkbox setting. Fixes a crash when accessing camera settings in aMSN and Modul8 software. Now for a few words about the product itself: If you have a laptop with a fixed camera, then this might be something worth considering. However there are a few very notable limitations that reduce the usefulness of this hardware: * You cannot use this product while it is charging or plugged in via USB. This means you get only 4 hours at most of usage time before you MUST stop using the camera for an hour or so. * There is no way to leave the camera in a low power state while not in use or selected a video source. If you don't actively use the camera for a while, it turns itself off completely and you need to manually turn on the unit again before you can use it. This makes using it for things like security impossible unless you leave a program open with an active connection to the unit at all times. Don't forget, you get at most 4 hours of video before you need to disconnect and recharge. * The included tripod for some odd reason was intentionally designed with one leg shorter than the other two when fully extended, meaning you can't raise the camera up very high without angling it. * This is a bluetooth camera, so it has certain limitations because of that... like the fact that it only gets 15 frames per second maximum and the fact that you have only a very limited range you can use this camera in. In addition, there is a lag while the video is transfered to your machine, so it is always a few seconds behind realtime. * It is a fixed-focus camera. This isn't unusual on a webcam, but for the price I expected more. * It has very poor low-light performance. This isn't unexpected, but don't think you can use this in a poorly-lit environment. * Absolutely no PC support. I'd love to be able to use the unit under bootcamp. * Did I mention the price? $150 is a lot to pay for this rather limited hardware. On the plus side: * Ecamm is a very good company and they stand behind their products. I've always really appreciated that they don't treat paying customers like criminals, unlike most software companies. * The unit is small and unobtrusive, makes no noise and has no annoying front-facing power indicator like most units. This makes it a good choice when traveling. * It is one of the only Mac-compatible bluetooth cameras. All-in-all this is a product that has very limited usefulness. If you want a wireless camera, you may be better off with a camera that supports wifi. If not, save your money and get a standard USB 2 or Firewire camera, you'll be much happier with it. However, if you have a laptop and travel a lot and need to be able to point your web cam somewhere other than directly at your face, this might be something to consider.

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