Creative Live Cam Voice review

We tested the Creative Live Cam Voice under a variety of lighting conditions and were pleased with the image quality. Colors looked accurate and images were sharp. We did, however, notice a slight bit of digital noise in both still and moving images. Video was generally smooth, but quick movements, such as the waving of a hand, appeared jerky and blurred. Video records at a maximum 30 frames per second at resolutions ranging from 160 x 120 to 1.3 megapixels, which is standard for this class of WebCam. You can capture still images at any of those resolutions up to 1.3 megapixels, and the Creative Live Cam Voice can take 5-megapixel still photos, but they're interpolated. The WebCam Center software was a bit frustrating, and we were occasionally greeted with a "Failed to capture image" error message.

The camera's built-in microphone is one of its most valuable assets. In our tests, the mic picked up a normal-level conversation from about 20 feet away. At closer range sound quality was average using normal mode, but with the Live Audio option selected, sound is and clearer with less background noise. The Directional Live Audio option was the most impressive, recording only sounds coming from directly in front of the microphone. We tested this by speaking loudly to the front and then loudly to the side of the microphone--from the side, no sound was audible.

Creative offers an industry-standard one-year warranty on the Live Cam Voice. Creative's support Web site includes knowledge-base articles, drivers, and software updates, as well as discussion forums and an e-mail form for tech support. A tech-support help line is also available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT.