Customer Reviews

Blue Microphones Eyeball USB Webcam Microphone

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

As expected from a Blue-product, the sound quality is top-notch. However, the video was reasonable rather than anything top-notch...

The Webcam looks amazing, and is compact and easy to transport. However, mounting it is rather awkward, and it isn't easy to mount on a desk tripod or the like...

I'm satisfied... but it isn't as good as I was hoping...

As you would expect from Blue, the sound quality of the microphone is great. It is a fuller and richer sound compared to the built in mic in my MacBook Pro. The camera, however, is not. Based on the specs I got from Blue, the camera records at 1280x1024...the same resolution as you can find in newer MacBook Pros (and perhaps other models as well). From my limited experience so far, I think that the isight on my MacBook Pro offers a better image than the eyeball.

So, if you have a webcam built in, do the research and find out what your resolution is. You might be better off just spending less on the snowflake, which offer the small microphone, but no camera.

I like the look and sound of the web cam. The video is not as clear as i had hoped. The base falls over easy it is better if it can be attached to a monitor, But the only real problem i had was the base!

I just picked this up to use with my Mac mini, and I am very pleased with it so far. The sound is excellent, and I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the webcam. Other online reviews made me doubt the webcam function, but for us it is better than any we have used before. The unit is plug and play, although I had to restart my computer twice to get both video AND sound working. I love the big, bulky retro look, although my husband seemed to think it made little sense to spend all that money on something that looked like an antique! Set up was easy, and the included adapter made it very simple to adjust the webcam to fit over my Dell monitor. The salesperson at the Apple store did tell me that he was seeing some returns due to the fragility of the Eyeball and suggested I treat it with extreme care. I would recommend the Eyeball, although it is a bit pricey. It really should be more like $70, but I'll take it anyway!

Truthfully, this is the best sounding and most stylish webcam on the market. I shopped around for a weekend trying to figure out what cam to buy and this one rose to the forefront. Sound is incredible and the form factor lets me pack it up and take it on the road easily. The video is just as good as the Logitechs I tested. I'm a Blue convert!

The overarching reason to buy the Blue Eyeball web cam is that it is fully supported on both Windows and Macs; my Mac Pro is running Windows in a virtual machine configuration, and I test applications in both environments. We are implementing Microsoft's Office Communications Server, and I needed a web cam for video conferencing; there are not many web cams with specifications supporting both OS platforms. Blue's microphones are among the best quality, and thus one would expect the Blue Eyeball to be similarly endowed.

In use, the Blue Eyeball's sound quality is second-to-none; the picture quality is good, able to stream a bright image even in lower-light conditions. The only flaw in the picture quality is that the camera is slow, meaning that movement causes pixelation and produces a "jerky" picture - a problem seemingly shared by many lower-priced web cams. The design quality is definitely there; it is a stunning package. However, the way the Blue Eyeball solves the different depths of video displays in order to sit on top of the display, even laptops, is, at best, described as "interesting;" perhaps more aptly as a kluge. The rubber "mat" included with the Eyeball was a complete mystery to me, in part because the instructions included only a drawing of the rubber piece without written comment. It works, but could be much better.

Overall, it does the job, and I can learn to sit still.

I bought the camera for recording myself play guitar so I can save my song "ideas" onto video. The microphone is supposed to be the same one as the one featured in Blue's USB condenser. I'm not sure if it is, but I record things semi-pro so I can judge a microphone and I would say that this microphone is good if you are recording a sound source within two or three feet of the microphone. If the sound source is farther then you will be picking up a lot of room sound and the sound source will sound far away and will also be lacking in the bass spectrum.

Also the video quality of this microphone is below-average in my opinion. I had a Logitech Quickcam before and it is a much older camera and the video quality is equal or better than the Eyeball. If you are recording in a darker area then the video will be choppy because (according to the manufacturer) the camera has an auto-adjust which automatically changes for brightness levels and this can lead to bad video performance. Also the Blue Eyeball 2.0 does not come bundled with any software. You are on your own to find software for video recording.

Overall I am disappointed in this purchase and I would recommend something different.

Blue Microphones Eyeball - USB Webcam with Microphone
A solid well-constructed item. This has a good camera and an excellent microphone. The way it folds down into its' own storage case makes it ideal for tossing into my laptop bag. Works perfectly with Skype, which is one of the main reasons I bought it. Used with my trusty old 17"PowerBook G4

Okay, so lemme say that these mic/cam combo devices rock. Great Sound and Video Quality, not studio great, but still Excellent. They take up very little desk space, have no drivers needing to be installed like most other mics and webcams do nowadays so the installation is just plug it in! It folds up too real clean and smalllike for easy traveling. The Cons: Other Mics of similar quality are becoming more and more available now for cheaper prices, although I did buy this back when it was like 60 or more bucks, but for the combo deal, can't beat it.
The Pros: Its solidly built and I know so cuz mine's been dropped many times, and still no probs. Also the Camera slides in and out too in case you are spooked about people watching you. Great Sound Quality (lifelike), etc. Looks good, Takes up extremely small space.

If you are looking for a professional grade microphone at a cheap consumer price, this is the product for you. The microphone is phenomenal! Great for podcasts, skype, or even professional uses. Now the camera is not the best you can find, but its the best you can find for under $50. I havent been able to capture any HD content with the camera(because I dont have the proper capture software) but I could imagine it would look great.