Introducing HD Video Calling, Recording, and Sharing – for Anyone!

Posted on June 10, 2010 by Eric Kintz in Digital Home, PC Peripherals, Product Videos with 78 Comments on Introducing HD Video Calling, Recording, and Sharing – for Anyone!

We’re excited to take a major step today toward delivering on our promise to bring HD video to anyone – consumers and businesses – on any screen, by unveiling the first complete HD video-calling experience on the PC with our new family of HD webcams and Logitech Vid HD.

Watch this video from Tim Leehane, director of product marketing for webcams, as he shares all the cool features of our new HD webcams – including HD 1080p video capturing, one-click HD upload to Facebook and YouTube, and more:

As we’ve previously announced, Logitech Vid HD will be pre-installed on the Logitech companion box for Google TV (coming this fall), enabling TV-to-TV and TV-to-PC video calling. And we will also bring Vid to the smartphone by the end of the year.

We believe video calling can be as mainstream and easy as a phone call but to date there have been two major barriers for massive consumer adoption – quality and ubiquity! With our announcement today of HD video calling on the PC and with our plans for the TV, smartphone, and the meeting room, we truly believe we can deliver on the vision of HD video communications for anyone, anywhere!

Author

Eric Kintz

Senior Vice President and General Manager, Logitech for Business @EricKintz

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78 comments

  • The products look great and while the software is listed as working on Apple Macintosh computers. All the HD Webcams you show are listed as working with Microsoft Windows only?

    • Hi Greg,

      All of our windows-based webcams support MAC OS in UVC mode, but UVC mode does not support software. Features such as Logitech Video Effects, Logitech webcam software for capturing videos and photos and one touch upload to YouTube and Facebook are not supported.

      We also have a Mac optimized webcam that you might want to check out – it’s the QuickCam Vision Pro webcam.

      Best
      Eric

  • Create a “vid” plugin for Windows Media Center – it does not have to run inside Media Center, could just work like e.g. HULU desktop, but I would bring “vid” to a lot more TVs initially than just the Google box….

  • Do these camera support UVC (USB Video Class)? I know that the Webcam Pro 9000 does as I recently purchased it. I checked the product spec pages to compare and there isn’t any mention of UVC (including the Webcam Pro 9000 page.)

    Could Logitech identify whether any of the new HD cameras support UVC or not? Thanks.

    • Hi Ryan,

      We don’t officially support Linux :). This means you may get functionality but it may not be optimal.

      Best,
      Eric

  • The video you posted to YouTube is a paltry 360p, and starts with the opening line of “…and if you’re amazed by the quality of this video….”.

    And even in this blog post, you state “as he shares all the cool features of our new HD webcams – including HD 1080p video capturing, one-click HD upload to Facebook and YouTube, and more”. None of that is covered in the video at all. Am I watching something different?

    The only thing I’m amazed by, is how your marketing department could get it so epically wrong.

    Still not all bad, I remain hopeful for a good product as the Logitech line usually don’t disappoint. And, some of the other things you mention in your post, I’m on board with – mainly quality and ubiquity, the latter being the most important.

    • Hi Pieter,

      Logitech Vid HD is available for Mac OS X 10.5 or later, so you can definitely call a computer with one of these HD webcams from a Mac computer and view the camera.

      If you’re looking for a remote monitoring or security solution, you’ll want take a look at the Logitech Digial Video Security System: http://www.logitech.com/en-us/video_security_systems. This system will require a Windows PC to set it up, but the cameras can be viewed over the Internet using any web browser.

      Best,
      Eric

    • Hi Paul,

      With the exception of the HD Pro Webcam C910, which will be available starting in August, these new webcams are available now. Our webcams support USB 2.0, which should have more than enough bandwidth to support a great HD video experience. Since USB 3.0 is backward compatible, they will also work on any USB 3.0 port.

      Best,
      Eric

  • is video calling using “vid programe” safe…can any 3rd party can hack into it and watch the conversation???plz reply

    • Hi Vikash,

      We currently don’t encrypt Vid HD video calls; however, in order to “hack into it and watch the conversation,” they would first have to decode our proprietary transport protocols to be able to decipher the data. This would be extremely difficult to do.

      Best,
      Tim

  • will this fully work on MAC OS X version 10.6.4? i read you say that the webcam works fine just not the software so does that mean i can still record in hd it will just not have any effects that it could have?

    • Hi Andrew,

      Our webcams will work in standard UVC mode. This means that it depends on the capabilities of the software that you are using whether or not HD will be available. To record in HD, make sure you are using recording software that will support HD resolutions like QuickTime Pro.

      Best,
      Tim

  • ” All of our windows-based webcams support MAC OS in UVC mode, but UVC mode does not support software. Features such as Logitech Video Effects, Logitech webcam software for capturing videos and photos and one touch upload to YouTube and Facebook are not supported. “So why have you guys not written controls for the Mac? Don’t you think it’s about time?

    Why do we need to pay for a partially functional webcam? Come on! It’s WAY past time!
    Mac’s are people too! 🙂

    • Hi Evan,

      Thank you for your feedback. We agree that Mac users are an important part of the webcam population, so we appreciate the note and will take your request into consideration. In the meantime, you may want to check out the Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro, which is our premium webcam for Mac computers.

      Best,
      Tim

  • I would like to second the Windows Media Center plugin. It would be nice if it could pop up a non intrusive message when a call comes in asking if we wanted to take the call on the TV (with video or just audio) and then pause whatever is going on. After the call ends resume the movie or music, etc.

  • Hi I need to know can I connect this camera to my Acer Revo HTPC to my HDTV and chat through skype? is the resolution and microphone capacity good enough to chat through my TV?

    I hate being stuck to a laptop while chatting. I usually chat on weekends so I need to do my house chores while chatting. Is this camera successfull…. please advise…

    Thanks in advance..

    PS

  • HI,
    HOW IS THE RESOLUTION AND THE VOICE CLARITY IF I CONNECT THE WEBCAM TO MY 1080P HDTV VIA HTPC. IS THE MIC POWERFUL ENOUGH TO SEND MY VOICE FROM A DISTANCE OF 10 FEET ? IN OTHER WORDS CAN I HAVE WEBCHAT THROUGH MY TV INSTEAD OF SITTING NEXT TO A PC? PLEASE ADDVISE …THANKS

    • Hi Pritesh,

      Apologies in the delay in my response.

      The experience you get chatting on Skype will be related to several factors–the quality of the camera, the performance of your PC and the speed of your internet connection. The Acer Revo HTPC uses a lower power Intel Atom processor, so the PC itself is not powerful enough to achieve 720p during a video call. However, you should still be able to do great-looking VGA (640 x 480 pixels) video calls with no trouble. Our new HD cameras will still look great and should work great for VGA-quality video chats.

      The microphones on our webcams are designed for optimal performance when used from a distance of around 3ft–but they will still work at longer distances. As long as your room isn’t too big–and if you spend some time adjusting the microphone gain in both Skype and your Windows Audio control panel–you should be able to do a video chat in the environment you described. For this specific case, I would recommend the HD Pro Webcam C910, since it has two microphones and better audio performance.

      Enjoy!
      Tim

  • Tim you say that quicktime Pro supports HD recording. But it doesn’t! How can us Mac users record HDvideo? Is there any other software that supports this??

    • Hi David,

      I apologize–you are correct! QuickTime Pro will let you record from a USB webcam using “Device Native” mode, which is the maximum resolution that a webcam will support. In the case of the C910, for example, the maximum resolution is 5 megapixels, which is much larger than HD–and as a result, not a great recording experience for video. There are not many Mac applications that support 720p recording; but we have recorded in HD 720p using BTV Pro (http://www.bensoftware.com/btv/).

      Best,
      Tim

  • Ive been using logitech for for the past few months then all of a sudden I cannot hear the imcoming calls and same with the other person why is this.

    • Hi Ashley,

      The issue you’re describing can be attributed to a number of things. I recommend that you contact customer support so that they can help you trouble shoot.

      Best,
      Tim

  • Planning on using this in a conference room. What is the recommended distance for the microphone?

    Thanks.

    • Hi Steffan,

      The stereo microphones on the C910 are optimized for a desktop or laptop experience of up to 10 feet. Although not supported, the microphones can work beyond that distance depending on the amount of background noise and other acoustic features of the room.

      Best,
      Tim

  • is the video compressed to h.264avc (720p or 1080p) in the webcam?

    Is that compressed stream passed to PC or does
    it capture and pass raw video (720 or 1080) which is compressed
    inside the PC???

    Is there any h.264svc option?

    • Hi Bob,

      The video from the camera is not compressed to H.264 in the webcam. The camera sends M-JPEG video to the computer. Then, whichever software application is being used on the computer will compress the video into the necessary format (in the case of Vid HD, it will use VP8 or VP7, based on your available processing power and bandwidth).

      Best,
      Tim

  • Can we access the logitech vid api functions, pl. give me the full details, because once I installed the vid software, I have to show it up in the web page and call its functions to control the video conferencing

    • Hi Naveen,

      I’m not quite sure what information you are looking for — can you provide more details?

      Best,
      Tim

  • I am using 2 C905 cams for a remote classroom. it would be nice to record the presentation, and later distribute via DVD for (adult) students when they miss a class.

    will this offering support my goal? I see Skype has a recording tool, but the screen resolution needs to be improved.

    And – i’m suggesting – the tool be easier to find to adjust Vid screen resolution also. i’m still learning but the laptop version isn’t that easy to test and change.

    thanks,

  • You mention Conference Room in your plans…We have tried WebEx video Conferencing and Via video conferencing.
    Neither has near the quality of Logitech Vid video..to the point that we have rejected them as Video Conferencing choices.. Vid is remarkably better quality…
    What specifically are Logitech’s plans for expanding VID so more than 2 users can participate at one time ?

  • Hello,
    I know that a question about Linux has already been answered.

    But I still would like to know if the new Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 has been tested on Linux and if it worked. I ask here because unfortunately I can’t find anything about this on Google.
    I want to buy a new webcam and I am considering the HD Pro Webcam C190. But it is very important for me that it work on Linux for at least VGA-quality video calls using Skype or similar software and for video recording.

    An answer would be appreciated, thanks in advance

  • I just got the C910 webcam and I am impressed with the video quality. I would however like to get the 1080P uncompressed M-JPEG stream and not have the software automatically compress this to some low bitrate compression. Is there any way to turn of this auto compression ?

    Thanks,
    Stijn

    • Hi Stijn,

      At this time, there is no way to turn off the compression, but this is something we’re looking into for future software releases.

      Best,
      Tim

    • Hi Kamilion,

      Per Eric Kintz’ response to Ryan above, do not not fully support Linux.

      Best,
      Tim

  • I’m still confused about HD webcams and Vid. If I say purchase 2 of the new Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910, which has partial Mac Support, and use Vid for Mac to do Video conferencing, will I get HD quality both ways? Will this even work at all?

    Now if I get the Pro Webcam for the Mac, will I be able to do HD video conferencing via Vid? I’m guessing not, right?

    If neither option will work, what is my best option of I want to do 2 way HD video conferencing with Macs on both ends?

    • Hi JC,

      The HD Pro Webcam C910 will broadcast in HD 720p using Vid HD on the Mac assuming that there is enough bandwidth (at least 1Mbps upload and 1Mbps download on both sides) and CPU power (>2.4GHz Intel Core Duo CPU).

      Best,
      Tim

  • Dear Sir,

    Can I use this fabulous camera in Skype on my Macbook Pro (latest) model? I dont need the exta featue software just the highest HD output.

    Thank you very much for the answer, best

    Roemer

    • Hi Roemer,

      To my best knowledge, Skype does not support HD video calling on the Mac or PC computers.

      Best,
      Tim

  • I have Mac OS X 10.3.9. Will this cam work with my system? If not can you reccomend one of your products that will? Kind of urgent on my end…

    • Hi Cook,

      Please see my response to JC and others above. Alternatively, you can check out the Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro webcam, which was designedfor Mac computers.

      Best,
      Tim

  • Looks interesting, but as a linux user I really need to know if/how it works in linux. I have seen your answer to the other linux questions. But even if you don’t officially support linux, I think it would be fair so tell how well it works in linux.

    I’m sure you have some linux boxes running at the logitech offices? Wouldn’t be to hard to find out. Anyway that is what good customer service is all about…

    And by the way. I’ve bought quite a few of your high-end devices before. Might be arrogant to say this but I kinda feel like I deserve good customer service 🙂 Thanks.

    • Hi Phillip,

      Our cameras do work in standard UVC mode, so if you have a UVC driver and supporting application, you should be able to use the cameras just fine. In terms of the more detailed questions, I will need to check in with our engineering team. In the meantime, there is an unofficial Logitech webcam Linux community at http://www.quickcamteam.net where you might be able to get additional answers from members of the community. Additionally you can try the Logitech support forums at http://www.Logitech.com/support.

      Best,
      Tim

  • Hi.

    I also have a Mac with OS X and would like to try the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910. I’d like to know whether the camera will support autofocus, light correction, and stereo microphone. I’d like to use it mainly for Skype.

    I saw at a store the QuickCam Vision Pro, but image resolution is not published (non HD?).

    Thanks in advance for your help,

    Mario

  • Hello,

    I’m a Linux user since some years (actually Open Suse Linux 11.3). I Just started this day some experiences with webcams. Taking for tests a VGA Labtec. I am very interested in your C910 (because of HD and stereo Audio). Well, you answered already some Linux questions, but more generally. So my questions to the actual Linux Kernel in my OS 2.6.31:

    1. Is the full video recording supported ?
    2. Is 720 P Stream supported ?
    3. Is the full resolution supported für Camerashots ?
    4. (and last) is stereo audio (two chanels) supported ?

    Many thanks for a fast response !

    • UPDATED RESPONSE:

      My apologies Manfred, I was just looking through the comments and saw my previous message to you did not make ANY sense. I must have not posted my entire response or some how got my responses mixed up. Here’s the actual, (and probably more helpful) response:

      The camera will send whatever resolution the application requests in UVC mode. In other words, it depends on the resolutions supported by the Linux application you are using to capture or stream video. If the application supports 720p and requests it from the C910, then it should work fine. I’m not familiar with the Camerashots application, so I recommend checking with the developer of that application to see what UVC resolutions they support.

      Stereo audio can also be supported if the USB audio capture driver in your Linux distribution supports stereo audio (as well as the application you are using to capture the audio).

      Best,
      Tim

      Hi Manfred,

      Please see my response to Manfred above.

      Best,
      Tim

  • Following a number of similar questions above, I would like to know about the recording possibilities for Logitech Vid software on the mac. I am impressed with the quality of the video with this software, but if it doesn’t allow for video capture/recording I will have to stick with skype. Thanks for any info.

  • On a Windows 7 PC with USB 3.0, will the C910 take advantage of the USB 3.0 bandwidth for raw 1080p video at decent framerates? USB 2.0 at 480Mbps isn’t getting the job done. Maybe the C910 pigtail should have a second (blue) USB connector for USB 3.0 ports and have the software updated to recognize the port/connector and increase 1080p performance when connected via USB 3.0.

    • Hi Studelhound,

      The C910 currently supports high-speed USB 2.0, but not USB 3.0. Thanks for the recommendation for USB 3.0 support–we are certainly evaluating this technology for future products.

      Best,
      Tim

  • Could you please confirm if, by using the Logitech Vid software, I would be able to connect with more than one other person for a video conference?

    Many thanks

  • Thank you Tim

    Do you know when this facility will be available, or do you know another system that this can be done with?

    Kind regards
    Nicola

    • Hi Nicola,

      We cannot comment on potential future features for Vid. In the meantime, the beta version of Skype 5.0 supports multi-party video calling and works great with Logitech webcams!

      Best,
      Tim

  • I think, considering the number of questions regarding Linux support there are above, you guys should really consider testing your devices on Linux so you can at least answer the questions. Linux is, after all, a legitimate and widely-used operating system.

    But, of course, since Linux has no controlling corporate entity (with money… we all know what a great motivator greed is), Linux users get treated like we don’t matter.

    Thanks for nothing, Logitech.

  • You say that

    “Hi JC,

    The HD Pro Webcam C910 will broadcast in HD 720p using Vid HD on the Mac assuming that there is enough bandwidth (at least 1Mbps upload and 1Mbps download on both sides) and CPU power (>2.4GHz Intel Core Duo CPU).

    Best,
    Tim”

    The video presentation from Logitech I saw led me to believe that ANY core duo CPU should suffice for HD720P chatting with Logitech Vid. I have two Mac Minis, one with 2.26Ghz CPU and one with 1.83Ghz CPU). So wondering if I could attach two HD Pro Webcam C910s and get HD chat?

    • Hi Kiwilegal,

      The system requirements are >2.4GHz dual core CPU, so it is unlikely that you would get 720p HD video send/receive from both sides given the specs of your computers. You will most likely get a great, widescreen video call in 576p resolution (assuming you have enough bandwidth between the two machines).

      Best,
      Tim

  • I’ve been waiting patiently for some kind of Linux support for years. I own 5 Logitech Harmony remotes, 2 gamepads, 2 z5500 speakers, 7 mice (Darkfield,etc.), 2 DiNovo Edges, 1 G15, 3 headsets, 2 webcams…and on and on. All from Logitech. I feel as i am nothing to you. Linux users number in the millions, collectively. Did you think all your sales are from Windows users? I have spent thousands of dollars on Logitech, simply to get answers like “..look at previous comment..”, “not officially supported..”, “..look elsewhere for answers..”. Is that how companies are doing business nowadays? I feel nothing but betrayed, just for showing brand loyalty. Meh, what goes up, must come down…

    • To Wolf, Arun and others who have commented re: Linux support:

      Thank you for your feedback and suggestions regarding Linux support – your comments are always welcomed here, even if we can’t address all of them 🙂 .
      There are many distributions of Linux to test on in order to qualify our webcams as “officially” supported and currently, we are not equipped to test all of them. We are, however, looking at how we can better support the Linux community in the future.

      Best,
      Tim

  • I left a post with valid points concerning Linux. I was not obscene, i did not curse or threaten. Why then was my post deleted? All i said was how i felt concerning Logitechs treatment of the Linux community and Brand Loyalists.

  • It would be nice if Logitech started supporting Linux.

    There is an entire community who would like to work with you guys if there was some initiative.

    Hopefully someone inside Logitech will realize that disenfranchising such a vibrant community is not good business.

    Arun

  • I’m about to start teaching a course with 6 folks who are remote. Mostly, I need a camera that works on my HP laptop, but on occasion, the cam will be used on a very new Mac laptop. The room has fan noise, so I like the notion of noise cancelling on the c910. Can I save bandwidth by disabling stereo, and using mono only? Will it work on both platforms? I may not need true HD, so is the C510 a viable alternative?
    Many thanks.

    • Hi Paul,

      The C910 should work very well for you. Regarding the Mac, it should work fine in UVC mode; but it will depend on which application you will be using. If the application (like Logitech Vid HD or Skype) supports UVC, then the C910 will work fine. Stereo cannot be disabled on the C910, but the additional bandwidth is negligible, so you shouldn’t need to worry about that.

      Since you don’t need Full HD (1080p), the C510 is a viable alternative with standard HD support (720p).

      Best,
      Tim

  • Sorry, one more: For my application (again, both PC and Mac), which would you recommend: Quickcam Vision Pro or HD Pro C910?
    Thanks again.

    • Both cameras are a viable alternative. On the Mac, they should perform similarly. On the PC, the C910 also has the ability to do up to Full HD 1080p recording; so I would recommend the C910 so you have the option of higher performance on the PC.

  • It would be nice to have a statement here like this: We tested it on Ubuntu 10.04 with Skype 2.1 beta and the results are: …. HD works, voice works, etc etc.

    I’m going to buy a cam in near future and I’m considering this cam (which looks awsome on specs) and Creative’s Live! Cam Socialize HD. The problem is that Creative does state at their website: ” Compatible with Mac OS X 10.5 and Linux Kernel 2.6″ but You don’t.

    • Hi Hannah,

      Yes, the C910 records in up to Full HD 1080p resolution, as well as takes photos up to 10 megapixels using the Logitech Webcam Software.

      Best,
      Tim

  • The C910 does NOT work on USB3.0 (at least from expansion cards). I tried many
    PCIe to USB 3 cards and C910 doesn’t work – but C905 works fine with the USB3.0 expansion cards. C910 does work fine with USB 2.0 expansion cards.

    Why C910 no worky.. me dono. ??

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