Logitech TV Cam HD Preview

Are you one of those people that can't stand it when other people one-up you on gear? Are you someone that has a terminal case of upgraditus? Do you stand in line for hours just to get the latest iDevice and then run to work to show it off to all your jealous friends?

More importantly, are you something other than filthy rich?

Because, in case you haven't noticed, these new fangled TVs with their Internet connectivity are expensive. Like, really expensive. Especially if you jumped on the LED backlighting bandwagon early. You probably haven't even paid that bad boy off and here you are without skype on your TV. Well, what can you do? I guess just suck it up and deal with it.

Or, you could buy the new Logitech TV Cam HD when it comes out. At $200 MSRP, the TV Cam HD has everything you need. It accepts not only a wired Ethernet connection but has built in WiFi. Using the simple, bundled remote, you can access Skype (pre-packaged with the Logitech)and call your friends from the comfort of your living room. While they are staring down at their 7" tablet screen or, at best, their 15" laptop, you'll be reveling in the glow of your 55" screen. Heck, you won't even have to turn on the light for them to see you. Just put the TV in Dynamic Mode!

The Logitech TV Cam HD features its own power supply and ringer so that you can receive calls even when the TV is off. The four internal microphones reduce echoing and noise providing as good and audio experience as you might expect. German optics specialist Carl Zeiss helped develop the wide-angle lens so that the Logitech TV Cam HD can capture your whole family without them having to crowd together on the couch. Plus, it has been optimized for low-light situations so you might not have to switch the TV to Dynamic Mode after all. We assume that the picture will be high definition (it does have HD in the name) but Logitech hasn't specified the resolution as of yet. The Logitech TV Cam HD does require an HDMI input on your display.

Conclusion

The Logitech TV Cam HD will run $200 and is so new it is not yet on the Logitech website. It is said to be shipping this month, however, so keep your eyes peeled if you think this is something for you. Honestly, for $200 you can pick up a cheap tablet or a used iDevice and get Skype plus all the rest of the apps and functionality as well. We're sure someone has looked at the Logitech TV Cam HD and thought, "Now, THAT'S what I need!" If you are dying to have Skype on your big screen or if you don't have access any other way, the Logitech TV Cam HD makes sense. For the rest of the world, just open your laptop or power up your phone.

For more information, please visit www.logitech.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.