| Hercules Dualpix Exchange 2MP HD Webcam |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: WebCam | Camera | |
| Written by Nitin Kumar - Edited by Olin Coles | |
| Monday, 01 October 2007 | |
Dualpix Exchange WebcamThere are a lot of choices when it comes to purchasing a webcam, but thanks to Hercules Dualpix Exchange this task has become easier than ever. Hercules packs the Dualpix Exchange with 2 Mega Pixels, a built in microphone, and their own Webcam Station Evolution SE software puts all the controls in your hands. Join Benchmark Reviews as we put Dualpix Exchange to the test.
With the Dualpix Exchange webcam, Hercules offers a ready-to-use solution right out of the box. This webcam complies with the new "USB 2.0 Video Class" standard, allowing users to connect and use it immediately with all available instant messaging applications. No need to install drivers or software! With maximum resolutions reaching 2 mega pixels in Photo mode and 1280 X 960 in Video mode, this webcam is the ideal companion for chat sessions. I was personally very impressed with Dualpix Exchange when i first recieved it, with it's compact size and beautiful looks. The webcam has a beautiful black finish and a fairly long usb cable. I have had experience with Creative Web Cam Pro, which i have to mention did not look anything close to this webcam, and built in microphone was something i always dreamed about.
About the company: HerculesThe Dualpix Exchange is designed by Hercules. Hercules was Founded in the United States in 1982 and purchased by Guillemot Corporation in November 1999, today Hercules offers a wide range of products dedicated to imaging and sound, as well as a new line of wireless products based on Wi-Fi technology. Hercules products are recognized for their quality, reliability and the remarkable technologies they employ. The company's product lines range from those geared towards hardcore to occasional gamers. Features & Specifications
Hercules’ top of the range webcam delivers on quality, versatility and offers all or more of the features found on the most expensive web cams on the market - at an unbelievable price.
Zoom:
Instant Messenger functions:
High Performance Mechanics
Closer Look: Dualpix ExchangeHercules is not the first brand I would search for if I was to purchase a webcam, actually I wasn't even aware of the fact that they designed their own webcams, but when I was personally holding the webcam in my hands I have to mention the fact that i was really impressed.
The webcam adapts the same technique as other webcams when it comes to fitting it on top of your monitor, the bottom folds out and you can adjust it accordingly to your monitor. I would recommend plugging the usb transfer cable first, otherwise you might end up pulling the camera off your monitor. I actually did that once thinking the camera was on my monitor tight enough, when it wasn't the case.
This is the retail packaging you can expect the webcam to ship in. I didn't receive the retail packaging, instead I received a press kit.
This is what I received the webcam in, at first I didn't know what it was since I was expecting retail packaging.
Another look at the webcam along with the usb cable. In the front of the camera there is a dial which actually rotates to adjust the focus of the webcam.
The shiny black finish is clearly visible in this picture.
This is the actual packaging I received the webcam in. I will include another image of the webcam and than move on to discuss the detailed features in the software section. All the detailed features can only be controlled by the software since every feature of the webcam is only accessible via software. The only feature that is manually available is the focus which can be controlled by manually rotating the front dial in either direction. Software and SetupThe software that accompanies the webcam is called Hercules Webcam Station Evolution SE. The installation was a breeze. The software suite is fully functional and gives you the access to customize the contrast, brightness, sharpness and so on. You can also easily switch between different modes with a simple mouse click. It also lets you take pictures and record videos at your desired resolution, below are the screenshots of the software and the detailed features.
The software is very user friendly, upon clicking the capture button the second window on the side slides out, and the top left hand corner is where you can switch between different modes, right next to that is where you can select the resolution of your choice, which goes all the way up to 1600x1280. The software by default has its own directory. It will save the photos and videos you record to the corresponding folder. On the bottom left corner is where you can control the sensitivity of the microphone and also adjust brightness, contrast and a lot more according to your needs. On the top left half of the picture there is also a settings button, when you click on that button the following menu will show up.
The capture setting menu allows you to set the destination folder, and also allows you to choose between two most common picture formats and much more.
This is the menu that shows up when you hit the video settings button on the lower left hand corner, and as mentioned before it allows you the full control over settings mentioned in the menu.
Testing & ResultsTesting MethodologyIt wouldn't be fair to a webcam if we were to compare it to a regular camera, which of-course will be far superior in image quality without any doubts. I tested the functionality of this particular webcam keeping in mind that a webcam's most common purpose is communication over the web, whether it relates to your family or business. 
Test System
ResultsDualpix Exchange worked with both messengers I had which included yahoo and msn. I had no problems video chatting with friends and family and the webcam worked as advertised in that particular area. Next, I took some pictures and I was pretty satisfied with the image quality, keeping in mind that its only a webcam. The webcam worked both with Widows XP and Windows Vista right out of the box. I tried recording videos with the provided software and I was a little disappointed that it didn't record good videos at the advertised resolution of 1280x960 pixels. At that particular resolution the recorded videos weren't smooth, but it did record good quality and smooth videos at 800x600, which is fairly decent for a webcam. I also found the webcam to be a little too bright by default, this can be easily controlled via video settings menu. Final ThoughtsI have to say that I personally loved everything about the camera, the build quality, built in microphone, and easy plug and play installation. Yes! the webcam is plug and play, it requires no driver installation upon connection to your PC with both Windows XP and Windows VIsta. In windows XP just go to My Computer after you plug it in and it will be accessible after windows has installed the webcam(should be less than minute). I did not experience any problems during the installation or the normal usage. I would like to mention that zoom is not centered, so when you use the zoom feature it will zoom to upper part of the image, not towards the center of the image. I honestly have never used zoom on a webcam because I am in-fact sitting right next to the camera.
DualPix ConclusionI have personally never had any experience with Hercules products before, since this being my first product, my experience was nothing but overwhelming aside from from the fact it wasn't able to record smooth videos at advertised resolution, which in my book is not a big con for a webcam because it had no problem recording videos at a slightly lower resolution. The build quality was nothing but superb, and being able to rotate the camera 360 degrees horizontally and 60 degrees vertically was also a good feature. Functionality wise the software station made every aspect of the camera extremely user friendly and painless. I could not find the retail price for the webcam, in-fact it wasn't even listed on Hercules website, however I was able to search for it on their website, and I was able to find a press release. The press release mentioned the webcam being launched in august time frame, so it probably hasn't found it's way to the retail market yet. Newegg does sell one webcam by Hercules so you can expect them to carry it soon. Please do not mistake this camera for the one currently on sale at NewEgg.com, but it has the same software. I read a review at newegg about the software giving blue screens, but i did not experience any behaviour of that sort in my extensive use of the item. I would expect price to be around the same range or probably cheaper than the one on sale at present time. If you are in the market for a new webcam, I would highly recommend this webcam as it has all the features one would ask for and requires absolutely no driver installation, unless you feel in necessary need of using the included software, otherwise you are a good to go as soon as you plug it in to a usb port. Dualpix Exchange webcam is designed as an all in one package which requires the least amount of effort to get it working. All I have to say is just plug it in and it works. Pros:
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