Microsoft Takes LifeCams Widescreen and High-Def

Microsoft wants everyone to feel like a movie star: its new LifeCam Cinema Webcam features a native 720p sensor and a 16:9 aspect ratio.

Microsoft’s hardware group has long been making mice, keyboards, headsets, and other peripherals for computer users, and today the company announced a new addition to its LifeCam series of Webcams, the LifeCam Cinema. The LifeCam targets the high-definition video crowd, claiming to be the first consumer Web cam to offer a native 720p sensor and a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, and promises sharp pictures and high frame rates even in low-light conditions.

“When we started working on LifeCam Cinema almost a year ago, we were motivated by the fact that new computer displays were predominantly widescreen and top social networking sites were allowing widescreen video,” said Microsoft Hardware system engineer Stuart Milton, in a statement.

The LifeCam Cinema shoots 720p widescreen video, sports a 74° capture angle, and sports an autofocus function to keep subjects in focus from as little as four inches away or from across a room. The LifeCam Cinema will also leverage Microsoft’s ClearFrame technology to help push smooth video at any resolution with low noise.

The LifeCam Cinema also integrates with Windows Live Movie Maker and Windows Live Photo Gallery so users can quickly upload movies and images to photo- and video-sharing Web sites.

The LifeCam Cinema will be available in September for a suggested retail price of $79.96, with pre-orders starting at Amazon on August 24.