FaceVsion TouchCam N1 review

It’s easy to think that all webcams are essentially the same. However, improving broadband upload speeds mean it’s now possible for some of us to enjoy HD video chat. We’ve seen a couple of HD webcams to date and they’ve certainly provided a step-up in quality from the webcams built into most laptops. The TouchCam N1, however, is streets ahead of even these, with a range of impressive extra features.

It’s the first Skype-certified HD webcam – this isn’t a huge deal, but it does make it very simple to setup, with no drivers to install. You just download and install Skype (or make sure you update to the latest version if you already have it on your PC), then just hook up the USB lead and decide best how to position the camera.

The lens has a wide angle of 78-degrees, so you can fit more people in front of the camera without having to move back. Its autofocus is quick and accurate, and kept us in focus as we moved about. There are dual microphones too, which work in tandem to help tidy up any background noise. Finally, there’s a built-in H.264 chip which encodes the outgoing 720p video on the fly. This is particularly useful if both callers have HD webcams, as usually your PC has to simultaneously play and encode 720p video. We saw CPU usage reduced by around 20%; great if you like to get on with other tasks while chatting.

All this extra kit means the TouchCam is bigger than most webcams, but we think it looks sophisticated rather than simply chunky. The stand means it sits comfortably on both slender laptop lids and boxy monitor tops, as well as being able to stand up on your desk. It doesn’t twist on its base however, which can be a problem if you’re not sat square in front of your monitor.

The results over a local network were impressive, both in terms of video and audio. We compared it to other HD webcams in the office and found it produced more natural colours and better detail than any we’ve seen, we’re guessing this is down to the hardware H.264 encoding. In addition, audio quality was crisp and clear.

Once we moved to testing it using an ADSL connection, though, things got a little trickier to judge. Video quality varied considerably from moment to moment, though audio remained consistently good. Skype recommends you have a 1Mbit/s upload for HD video calling, but from our estimates this would be a minimum, as 1Mbit/s isn’t a lot for 720p HD video, even when the background of the feed is static in most video calls. Surprisingly, we even had problems with our laptops wireless network connection, with it dropping frames until we’ve moved closer.

Buying a better webcam is rather a selfless act, as it’s the people you’re calling who will be the direct beneficiaries. If you have friends or relatives who you regularly chat to online, then a pair of these cameras should improve the experience – if you both have sufficient upload speeds of course. It’s also worth noting that this webcam only works with Skype, which may be an issue for those dedicated to other services.

At £174 for a pair of N1s, they don’t come cheap and are significantly more expensive than other HD options. It’s undoubtedly the best webcam we’ve seen, but we’d advise buying from a retailer with a good returns policy (Dabs offers a reasonable seven working days), as the gains made may not match the price.