Webcams and video recording

[Adilor]

Okay, I've got a webcam, and recently I downloaded the company's software for it, which features the ability to take photos and video clips. Now, while this is a nice feature, I am very disappointed in the quality of the video. It's saving it in .wmv format, the framerate is really choppy with annoying, intermittent pauses, nothing is in focus unless it's about 4 inches away, even after I've adjusted the manual focus...so, what I'm wondering is if there are better programs out there. I'm starting to think that maybe it's just the physical limitations of my webcam (or webcams in general, I'm not incredibly knowledgeable in their ways...), but if it isn't, I'd like to find a program that can at least take decent quality videos without a horribly choppy framerate. Now, the thing is, I've had bad luck in the past when it comes to google searching for programs to get stuff done...so what I'd like to know is if there are any recommendations I should know about before I get into the grind of searching. Any help on this matter is greatly appreciated.

[t('' )]

it's probably the webcams fault.

[Hortence:The Muleface Mod]

Make sure you have it hooked up to a USB 2.0 port for the best quality, otherwise there's not much better you can do than the official software.

[Adilor]

Alright, thanks anyway. I was hoping that that wasn't the truth...wishful thinking, apparently.

Lock at will.

[phuzion]

Webcams have horrendous frame rates. They're not really designed to be taking smooth video, just a picture every few seconds. Don't bother with them if you're looking to make a good video, use a digital camera or a camcorder.

EDIT: On that note, your request is fulfilled. Thread locked.