Version: 2008
  • On mySimon: Reservoir Dogs' Mr. Pink Action Figure
advertisementGo to Windows 7 Insider Guide
advertisement

Creative Live Cam Voice
Reviewed by
Lara Luepke
on 05/16/2006
front side back
front side back

See all Creative products

  • Quick specs
  • Gross sensor resolution: 1,300,000 pixels
  • Software type: SightSpeed Yahoo! Messenger Muvee autoProducer Orb with OrbSecure Creative Photo Manager Creative WebCam Center Creative Photo Calendar Creative Advanced Video FX
  • Cables included: 1 x USB cable
  • See full specifications

Add to my list Product summary

The good: Stable stand; ample physical flexibility; impressive software bundle; three audio options; advanced image adjust options.

The bad: Noise is visible in still and moving images; fast movement in video looks blurry; must switch the driver to use video effects; occasionally fails to capture photos; features launch in separate windows instead of one main interface.

The bottom line: With beefed-up audio features, the Creative Live Cam Voice is one of the best overall cameras for IM and Internet-based voiceconferencing.

Read full review

Compare this webcam to:

CNET editors' review

  • CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
    Detailed editors' rating
      Design : 7.0
      Features : 7.0
      Performance : 7.0
      Image quality : 8.0
      Overall score: 7.2 (3.5 stars)
  • Reviewed by:
    Lara Luepke
  • Edited by:
    Justin Jaffe
  • Reviewed on: 05/16/2006
  • Released on: 05/16/2006
The Creative Live Cam Voice is a well-rounded camera for IM and Internet-based voiceconferencing. We like its audio options and clear, vivid images and its plethora of image adjustability, physical flexibility, and ample software, but we weren't impressed with the poor integration of animated video effects. This won't be a great loss for professional pursuits, but if your kids like to play with animation, the less expensive Logitech QuickCam Pro 5000 is a better choices. For $99, the Creative Live Cam Voice offers many options, but if your needs are more basic, we recommend the less expensive Logitech QuickCam for Notebooks Deluxe or the Creative WebCam Live Ultra.

Though it's fairly large, the Creative Live Cam Voice is surprisingly stable. The camera's bulbous body, which is reminiscent of E.T.'s head, sits atop a claw-like stand. The spring-loaded leg securely holds the camera in place on top of a flat-panel screen, and the leg folds in completely, so the camera can also sit on a desk. The camera offers 360 degrees of horizontal and 65 degrees of vertical range--impressive, considering that the Logitech QuickCam Fusion offers only 90 degrees of vertical movement.

The Creative Live Cam Voice comes with a single CD that includes drivers, a manual, and software. The bundled apps include Creative Muvee software for creating and editing basic videos; My Orb for accessing files such as remote-monitoring images from a computer or a PDA with an Internet connection; SightSpeed, a voice and video calling service; Creative WebCam Center for remote monitoring and taking time-lapse photographs, videos, and still photographs; and Creative Photo Manager, which organizes videos and still photos by date. This is a remarkable bundle, especially since many Webcams offer only basic photo and video software.

The real value of the Creative Live Cam Voice lies with the WebCam Center software, which makes it easy to adjust color, image size, and frame rate. Two tabs at the top of the WebCam Center's main interface lead you to intuitive menus with a plethora of adjustability options. Creative also offers a bonus set of features that you can download from its Web site: Advanced Video FX adds special effects, such as psychedelic color trails and exotic backgrounds, to your picture or video, and WebCam Audio Control lets you choose from normal; Live Audio, which reduces background noise; or Directional Live Audio, which transmits sounds from in front of the camera only. Each of these control panels launches in a separate window, which could make for a cluttered desktop; we'd rather see them incorporated into the main WebCam Center interface. Using the Video FX software is also difficult and requires switching from the standard Live Cam Voice driver to the Creative WebCam (with video effects) driver with a drop-down menu in WebCam Center. Switching drivers results in markedly worse image quality and lower image resolution. We prefer Logitech's Avatars, which work directly in the software window without switching drivers or sacrificing image quality.

Continue reading

Most helpful user reviews

Submit your review

Log in or create an account to submit your review for:

Creative Live Cam Voice

 ORLog in with your Facebook account
1. Rate this product:
(Mouse over the stars to rate this product and click to set your rating.)
2. One-line summary:(Summarize your review in one line. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 55 characters
3. Pros:(Tell us what you like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 250 characters
4. Cons:(Tell us what you don't like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 250 characters
Bottom-line summary:(Explain to us in detail why you like or dislike the product, focusing your comments on the product's features and functionality, and your experience using the product. This field is optional.)
0 of 5000 characters

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks are prohibited.
Click here to review our site terms of use.

Submit

Compare prices for Creative Live Cam Voice

This product is currently not in stock at any of our online merchants.

Email me when this product is available

advertisement

Recent user reviews

Submit your review

Log in or create an account to submit your review for:

Creative Live Cam Voice

 ORLog in with your Facebook account
1. Rate this product:
(Mouse over the stars to rate this product and click to set your rating.)
2. One-line summary:(Summarize your review in one line. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 55 characters
3. Pros:(Tell us what you like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 250 characters
4. Cons:(Tell us what you don't like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.)
0 of 250 characters
Bottom-line summary:(Explain to us in detail why you like or dislike the product, focusing your comments on the product's features and functionality, and your experience using the product. This field is optional.)
0 of 5000 characters

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks are prohibited.
Click here to review our site terms of use.

Submit
advertisement

Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

  • alaTest.com

    Editors' rating: 81

    Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 91 reviews of Creative Live! Cam Voice from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 72/100 and users 55/100. Comparing these reviews to 27254 other Webcams reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 81/100 = Very Good.

    Read full review

  • photographypress.co.uk

    Editors' rating: 70

    Summary: Good sound, poor picture makes this a webcam that is perhaps more expensive than it should be

    Read full review

  • laptopmag.com

    Editors' rating: 60

    Read full review

  • gadgetcentre.com

    Editors' rating: 80

    Summary: Everything a beginner could need and with enough interesting extra features to make it a worthwhile upgrade to an existing webcam. The editing software isn't groundbreaking but makes up for it by being simple to use.

    Read full review

  • pocket-lint.com

    Editors' rating: 70

    Summary: Good sound, poor picture makes this a webcam that is perhaps more expensive than it should be

    Read full review

  • Computeract!ve

    Editors' rating: 80

    Summary: Creative's Live Cam Voice includes an array microphone, so can you chuck your headset?

    Read full review

Creative Live Cam Voice

Reviews & advice
Site map
Editorial policies
Meet the editors
How we test
Forums
Internet speed test
Popular topics
Apple iPhone
Apple iPod
Cell phones
Dell
GPS
LCD TV
CNET sites
CNET Site map
CNET TV
Downloads
News
Reviews
Shopper.com
More information
Newsletters
CNET Mobile
Customer Help Center
RSS
CNET Widgets
About CNET
sponsored