Now let’s look at how the webcams performed. Read our article on webcam security to learn more about this problem, what the manufacturers have to say, and what you can do to protect yourself. In the course of our privacy and security tests, we discovered a problem regarding the status indicator light that we think manufacturers should fix, namely that in many cases the light turns on only when the camera is operating but not when the microphone is on. But it seemed particularly relevant here because webcams are recording devices that sit on your desk and transmit audio and video across the internet.Īmong other factors, we relied on thorough examinations of the privacy policies and related documents, whether or not the webcams had any known security vulnerabilities that hadn’t been patched, and whether or not the manufacturers spelled out the terms of any data collection that may occur as you use their device. Consumer Reports looks at these areas in lots of connected products. We also evaluated the privacy and security of all seven webcams. Next, to test audio quality, we recorded sound clips using the built-in microphones and listened back using high-end headphones. After all, there’s no reason to buy a webcam if it’s no better than the camera that comes with your laptop. And, for comparison, we ran the same tests on the webcams on a MacBook Pro and an HP Envy 15. We did all of these tests under three different lighting conditions to simulate varied working environments. Some higher-end models can operate at 60 frames per second for more intense action. Most webcams record at 30 frames per second, which is sufficient for video calls. We then captured three videos-one of the resolution chart, one of a person talking, and one of a moving hand-to test whether movement resulted in blurry or otherwise smeared images. To test picture quality, we used the webcams to take two still images, one of an industry-standard resolution chart and the other of a person. We weighted the criteria differently, placing the most emphasis on picture quality, as you might expect from a webcam test. We tested all seven models for picture quality, audio quality, ease of use, versatility, privacy, and security.
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