Creative live cam sync 1080p

Live! 1080p Sync V2... Behind this complicated name, Creative delivers a Full HD webcam that is very easy to set up and has two built-in microphones.

 

Presentation

Creative's office products include a webcam to enhance video conferencing or to add to a monitor that lacks one. As its name suggests, the Live! 1080p Sync V2 films in Full HD.

 

Construction & Ergonomics

Creative didn't do anything fancy with this webcam. It is mainly made of rough black plastic, but it has a shiny edge. A folding cover is located under the lens to ensure that it is not accidentally filmed or unknowingly, but also to protect it during a possible transport.

The stand allows the webcam to be easily clipped to a monitor or laptop screen, with a screw thread embedded underneath to attach it to a tripod. This stand is mounted on a ball joint and the webcam can therefore be rotated in all directions without any problem, even if the angle of inclination is finally quite limited. It opens at f/2.4 and its field of view of 77° is far from the wide-angle models, but this should be enough for most users.

The Live! 1080p Sync V2 is completely plug & play. Once plugged in with its USB-A cable, it can be used directly by video applications. There is a Creative application, however, but it is clearly not essential since it only offers a few audio settings to manage voice detection or reduce ambient noise.

 

 

Image quality

The webcam captures in a maximum definition of 1080p, but is limited to a rate of 30 fps. This should not bother in meetings, higher bit rates being rather suitable for specific uses. On our test scene in full light, the result is satisfactory, even if the image is not very defined. In night conditions, however, the image is very degraded: noise is very present, details are no longer visible and everything is dull.

In real conditions in a bright office, the image is correct, but the blacks are a little blocked and the definition is not optimal. Unfortunately, it is not possible to change the exposure in software with this model. In a dark office with limited artificial lighting, the webcam displays a much noisier image and lacks contrast, but this is still acceptable.

 

Audio

The two microphones of the webcam are not bad, although the voice can seem somewhat muffled when we speak. The built-in noise reduction of Windows limits the background noise (noisy office environment) that we broadcast, even if we can hear it emerge at times.

 

 

Conclusion

Creative's Live! 1080p Sync V2 is a simple, yet effective webcam. No need for software to operate it, just plug it in and it's done. On the other hand, it does not allow more advanced settings, but its image quality is correct in good light conditions. The management of low light is, as is often the case, more complicated; that said, it will be much better than the one found on most laptops.