PC Webcam used to be a huge thing a decade ago, and while it is still a nice business, it is fair to say that their evolution is not as exciting as it used to be. Logitech is trying to push the envelope with its new BRIO 4K webcam.
The Logitech BRIO has three technologies that make webcams fundamentally better: a better 4K sensor, HDR technology and a wide field of view.
Just like good smartphones, the BRIO webcam can support recording video in 4K at 30FPS. Its on-board image processor can also record video at 1080p 60FPS or 30FPS. 1080p60 uses about 50% less resources than 4K (compression, bandwidth) and 1080p30 is 25% of 4K.
There’s however a large caveat with the camera’s 4K: it uses MJPEG (aka Motion JPEG) to stream 4K videos. Unfortunately, MJPEG is basically like streaming a bunch of still JPG images, so it’s not really fit for what most people consider video streaming (like on Youtube).
Invented in the 90s for Apple’s QuickTime, the technique is much less efficient than modern algorithms such as H.264 or HEVC. In short, although the camera technically supports “video recording” (to disk), in practice, you would need a 500Mbps Internet connection to stream this kind of video (!!). Even recording MJPG on disk is a questionable proposition, if you ask me.
But the 4K sensor is not a total loss. Assuming that the hardware is capable of hardware encoding a 1080/30 or 1080/60 stream in H.265 (not confirmed), there’s a use case for that. And even if you use the webcam at 1080p, the superior sensor should produce noticeably better images than previous generation webcams.
Resolution is not always the endgame. The BRIO comes with a set of image algorithms and tuning that Logitech calls RightLight (currently in version 3). This time, RightLight integrates HDR which stands for High Dynamic Range. It is an image capture technique that can prevent high-contrast scenes from being over-exposed or underexposed (follow our HDR link to learn more).
The field of view of the Logitech Brio optic system is 90 degrees, which is more than other webcams and feels natural. By using image algorithms, Logitech can also let the user switch to narrower fields of views of 78 Degrees and 60 Degrees. The webcam also supports 5X digital zoom, without magnification, thanks to the 4K sensor.
Additionally, the BRIO Camera is equipped with a structured light sensor. This is a depth-camera that works by projecting infra-red to see how far away each surface is from the camera (like the Xbox’s Kinect). Logitech is working on some features using this new hardware feature, but as I understand it, that is a work in progress that will be probably pushed with RightLight updates.
For example, Logitech is using color-based algorithms for “green screens.” In the future, they could switch to using a depth-based algorithm which is more effective in my opinion. Razer’s Stargazer webcam (June 2106, shipping Sept 2016) has a similar structured light feature, although it does not support “4K”.
BRIO is “certified for business” and complies with some standards, including UVC (USB Video Class) the most popular standard for webcams. The compatibility means that UVC camera can work with default drivers if needed. These apps will work on a wide array of apps written for UVC cameras.
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