If you're looking to upgrade your camera quality for video calls or streams, but don't want to invest (or justify investing) in a DLSR camera, Opal’s new webcam might be what you are looking for.
The Opal C1 is a $300 desktop webcam to give you better video quality, whether you want to use it for your work meetings, Zoom parties, or as a camera to stream on Twitch. The C1 features an f1.8 aperture lens, which Opal says will bring more than twice the light of other webcams on the market. The C1 also includes a 4K Sony image sensor which is being marketed as bringing five times the resolution of other webcams on the market and supposedly provides “the brightest brights” and “darker blacks.”
The Opal C1 also includes MicMesh, which is a collection of mics that use machine learning to perform tasks such as intelligent noise cancellation, which should filter out noises such as typing on your keyboard or your dog barking in the background.
The Opal C1 also includes software support called Opalsoft, which is currently in beta. The software allows you to toggle manual brightness, filters, and more features. Opal’s website notes that Opalsoft is free for early adopters. Down the road, Opal wants to update the software with new features such as “Studio Sound,” which it hopes will allow the mics on the webcam to produce sound rivaling something from a professional podcast mic (without having actually to buy one).
There are a few caveats to the Opal C1, however. The C1 only supports Mac computers at the moment, but Opal says that Windows support later in 2022. Additionally, you can only buy the C1 via invite right now. Even then, $300 might be steep for those looking for a high-end webcam compared to competitors with similar and lower price points, such as the Dell UltraSharp 4K or the Logitech StreamCam.
Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster
Continue reading...
The Opal C1 is a $300 desktop webcam to give you better video quality, whether you want to use it for your work meetings, Zoom parties, or as a camera to stream on Twitch. The C1 features an f1.8 aperture lens, which Opal says will bring more than twice the light of other webcams on the market. The C1 also includes a 4K Sony image sensor which is being marketed as bringing five times the resolution of other webcams on the market and supposedly provides “the brightest brights” and “darker blacks.”
The Opal C1 also includes MicMesh, which is a collection of mics that use machine learning to perform tasks such as intelligent noise cancellation, which should filter out noises such as typing on your keyboard or your dog barking in the background.
The Opal C1 also includes software support called Opalsoft, which is currently in beta. The software allows you to toggle manual brightness, filters, and more features. Opal’s website notes that Opalsoft is free for early adopters. Down the road, Opal wants to update the software with new features such as “Studio Sound,” which it hopes will allow the mics on the webcam to produce sound rivaling something from a professional podcast mic (without having actually to buy one).
There are a few caveats to the Opal C1, however. The C1 only supports Mac computers at the moment, but Opal says that Windows support later in 2022. Additionally, you can only buy the C1 via invite right now. Even then, $300 might be steep for those looking for a high-end webcam compared to competitors with similar and lower price points, such as the Dell UltraSharp 4K or the Logitech StreamCam.
Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster
Continue reading...