I got the Avaya HC020, which is essentially the same as a HD Huddle Camera. It is good so far, but one annoying draw back is that you need your MacBook to be plugged into the wall outlet in order to power this thing. A powered hub will not work. It needs to be a direct USB 3 connection.
I have been interested in this camera for several months and finally picked one up today. Based on the reviews, the camera seemed perfect for my needs with a clearly sharp picture (due to the 4K sensor) compared to any other in-built and external camera I have tried (I own several logitech and mevo cameras as well). At first everything seemed to look fine , however, I discovered a major issue while on my first webcam session with a friend. I noticed extremely tiny white dots on my face. (I have dark skin which made it more obvious). I didn't notice these for the first 20 minutes, in fact the image looked incredible. However, as I was demonstrating the camera 's ePTZ features to my friend these dots did not move and under 8x zoom became larger and some of them were mildly pulsating. I then started troubleshooting the issue (cleaned the lens of dust, varying the background, increased/decreased the lighting, etc.) Then I came to a startling conclusion. When viewing the full mage generated by the camera in a pitch black environment (put the camera in a box) I can see about 70 little white dots scattered all over that are brighter than the background throughout the frame. Some dots are less bright, some are more bright, some are off-white, some stay solid while some pulsate. Once I noted the location of a few of these dots, when I look at the image generated by the camera under normal light conditions I can easily spot the them, especially when zooming in. I may have a defective unit, but I suspect that the sensor that is being used by the manufacturer is of poor quality and that this is a common problem that largely goes unnoticed by the average user. I will be returning the camera and letting PTZ Optics know of my experience. UPDATE: Spoke with HuddleCam tech support. They said what I am seeing are "dead" pixels on the sensor. They gave instructions on how I can reduce the number that show up as bright white spots on the image. They also mentioned they will update their firmware in the future to compensate for the issue. Unfortunately their instructions only reduced the problem on my particular camera about 30%. There are still a few dead pixels that are glaring obvious on the image. I feel at this price point (NDI version ~$500) this is a stretch to keep.
This dead pixel usually can be fixed by the camera’s ISP chip with a compensation algorithm which requires a FW update. 500 USD is pretty much money for a like this since its manufacturing cost should below than 80$.
i bet it would work on a qsys high end audio/vid conf system. I'll have to check, but that is nice and a whole lot cheaper than the other options out there.
That's a pretty good quality webcam but I think it's a little bit pricey for regular consumers. Also I would like to see a comparison between this webcam (USB version) vs. Logitech Brio 4K to see which one is better.
I agree with you!!! I am in doubt, in the streams that I did, I had to place cameras with a lot of distance, with my Logitech C920Pro I lost signal through the long USB cable. The NDI option would be much better in that sense, but in how many other things? I would like to know before investing !!! Greetings
@@sonicwingnut Absolutely! In longer distance situations, and low light conditions, the c920 is no longer accurate. In any case, I find it functional, but there are situations in which I know I cannot count on it, I must go for something a little better without exceeding my limited budgets. Any recommendation? Greetings.
@@LuchoTapia well the c920 lens is easily modded for longer range if you look it up online somewhere, but I just bought a Razer Kiyo Pro myself and found the quality to be excellent so far - it's significantly better than the C920. Haven't tried the Brio yet although one issue I found with Logitech cams was they forget settings but it seems the Razer stores them on the camera so you can even move it to another PC and Synapse will ask if you want to upload them.
Re: ndi cam. I stream car races at 1080p60fps. Thinking of maybe using this cam for overview of track and pits. Can I mix 60fps cams with 30fps through obs without any issues?
Do the 4 Camera Select buttons on the remote actually switch to different webcams? If so, would that means of camera switching work for teaching my Skype music lessons? If not, is there such a thing as a hardware usb webcam switcher? Doing that through Skype preferences on Mac is not quick enough. Thanks, great videos, lon.tv!
No those just allow you to select cameras to control. But if you want a hardware switcher the Blackmagic ATEM Mini is what you're looking for, it only works with HDMI cameras but sends its video out as a webcam ruclips.net/video/pAA-WaU3kTE/видео.html
If that ATC confused BRAVO CHARILE for BRAVO HOTEL, I'd suggest they get a better headset. I've never...ever....EVER heard anything other then ONE BRAVO CHARLIE from Jamie. Or, Kevin, for that matter!! 😉 How far away from the falls was your Holiday Inn??
Wow, pretty interesting solution... these companies are really bridging the gap between consumer and pro business usage. I remember seeing a webcam solution that could detect faces and do auto switching, but I think it was super expensive... did Logitech have something like that in their business oriented webcam line? I can't quite remember where it was. Oh, and that Facebook thing no one wants to buy. xD It had face detection and frame switching, didn't it? Now, the last thing I wanna see in this space is a company that dares to do an all rounder feature packed single solution that can work as webcam, general cam, security cam, and dashcam. And yes yes, I know these areas have their own characteristics and it'd end up in a jack of all trades master of none situation... but whatever, I still wanna see a company at least try. It seems more and more these days, it's becoming more dependant on firmware/software rather than the hardware itself. Here's the thing. Low light shots? Other than Sony A7S line, the most impressive stuff I've seen so far has been on security cameras. There's this feature on newer 4K security cameras that is being called... I think Starlight or something. It's color night shots that are impressively clear and seems to preserve a lot of latitude. Sensor and recording wise, I always find interesting the way both security cameras and dashcams work. Movement detection, collision/shock detection, auto loop recording, this sorta stuff. Also, being able to setup virtual fences for movement detection... I know this isn't perfect for video streaming, but I think it can be adapted to speed up workflow even more. xD Kinda nuts I guess, but you know. Particularly for people who have work spaces or an office space used only for it. But what really makes me interested is like, you could get multiple of those cameras, set them up in different ways, and have a complete solution that has the flexibility to work in different situations just by changing configuration. You don't need multiple different cameras connected in multiple different ways so they can be used in different scenarios... it'd be more a matter of how many angles you use, the reset is decided on software. Like hey, today we have a guest - set camera two to auto framing, one to wide shot. Today it's only me and product shot, fixed frame on my face and mount one on the overview position. Today I'm gonna work on this thing, timelapse mode for one, detail shot on two. Today it's a roadtrip, so dashcam mode. You don't have to think about different models of cameras that are better fit for this or that situation, with different mounts, different sizes, different weights, different lenses, different accessories, etc etc. But of course, pipe dream. Features can be very conflicting between different situations. I do have a feeling though that we're not that far from a good in between general compromise...
There is also a cheaper version of this camera under the "Avaya" branding. In case anyone has a hard time finding them under "HuddleCam". I have the USB version under model Avaya HC020. Paid just $200. I have this plugged into our Nvidia Shield, on top of our living room TV. It's perfect for video calls with the family, and we can be chilling on the couch several feet away. Just zoom in and the mic still works just fine.
From Amazon link... CDN$ 388.52 + CDN$ 81.43 Import Fees Deposit... Uhhmmm NO! I can buy a cheap 4k camera & use it as a webcam for $60 to $120 CDN and have OBS do the software cropping!
@@mgfer6313 Not necessarily, if like I said you're using OBS or other open source cctv surveillance software like Zoneminder or other equivalent. The capturing is software based.
5:18 Seeing that lazertag sensor way up on the top of the shelf brought back memories.
I got the Avaya HC020, which is essentially the same as a HD Huddle Camera. It is good so far, but one annoying draw back is that you need your MacBook to be plugged into the wall outlet in order to power this thing. A powered hub will not work. It needs to be a direct USB 3 connection.
Also got that same Avaya model. It's basically a rebrand for much cheaper than what Lon quoted.
I have been interested in this camera for several months and finally picked one up today. Based on the reviews, the camera seemed perfect for my needs with a clearly sharp picture (due to the 4K sensor) compared to any other in-built and external camera I have tried (I own several logitech and mevo cameras as well). At first everything seemed to look fine , however, I discovered a major issue while on my first webcam session with a friend. I noticed extremely tiny white dots on my face. (I have dark skin which made it more obvious). I didn't notice these for the first 20 minutes, in fact the image looked incredible. However, as I was demonstrating the camera 's ePTZ features to my friend these dots did not move and under 8x zoom became larger and some of them were mildly pulsating.
I then started troubleshooting the issue (cleaned the lens of dust, varying the background, increased/decreased the lighting, etc.) Then I came to a startling conclusion. When viewing the full mage generated by the camera in a pitch black environment (put the camera in a box) I can see about 70 little white dots scattered all over that are brighter than the background throughout the frame. Some dots are less bright, some are more bright, some are off-white, some stay solid while some pulsate. Once I noted the location of a few of these dots, when I look at the image generated by the camera under normal light conditions I can easily spot the them, especially when zooming in. I may have a defective unit, but I suspect that the sensor that is being used by the manufacturer is of poor quality and that this is a common problem that largely goes unnoticed by the average user. I will be returning the camera and letting PTZ Optics know of my experience.
UPDATE: Spoke with HuddleCam tech support. They said what I am seeing are "dead" pixels on the sensor. They gave instructions on how I can reduce the number that show up as bright white spots on the image. They also mentioned they will update their firmware in the future to compensate for the issue. Unfortunately their instructions only reduced the problem on my particular camera about 30%. There are still a few dead pixels that are glaring obvious on the image. I feel at this price point (NDI version ~$500) this is a stretch to keep.
Considering dead pixels are clearly a hardware fault I'd be invoking that warranty they keep bragging about and demanding a replacement unit.
This dead pixel usually can be fixed by the camera’s ISP chip with a compensation algorithm which requires a FW update.
500 USD is pretty much money for a like this since its manufacturing cost should below than 80$.
i bet it would work on a qsys high end audio/vid conf system. I'll have to check, but that is nice and a whole lot cheaper than the other options out there.
That's a pretty good quality webcam but I think it's a little bit pricey for regular consumers. Also I would like to see a comparison between this webcam (USB version) vs. Logitech Brio 4K to see which one is better.
I agree with you!!! I am in doubt, in the streams that I did, I had to place cameras with a lot of distance, with my Logitech C920Pro I lost signal through the long USB cable. The NDI option would be much better in that sense, but in how many other things? I would like to know before investing !!! Greetings
@@LuchoTapia also the C920 has terrible focus at distances over about half a metre without dismantling it and modding the lens.
@@sonicwingnut Absolutely! In longer distance situations, and low light conditions, the c920 is no longer accurate. In any case, I find it functional, but there are situations in which I know I cannot count on it, I must go for something a little better without exceeding my limited budgets. Any recommendation? Greetings.
@@LuchoTapia well the c920 lens is easily modded for longer range if you look it up online somewhere, but I just bought a Razer Kiyo Pro myself and found the quality to be excellent so far - it's significantly better than the C920. Haven't tried the Brio yet although one issue I found with Logitech cams was they forget settings but it seems the Razer stores them on the camera so you can even move it to another PC and Synapse will ask if you want to upload them.
Re: ndi cam. I stream car races at 1080p60fps. Thinking of maybe using this cam for overview of track and pits. Can I mix 60fps cams with 30fps through obs without any issues?
Do the 4 Camera Select buttons on the remote actually switch to different webcams? If so, would that means of camera switching work for teaching my Skype music lessons? If not, is there such a thing as a hardware usb webcam switcher? Doing that through Skype preferences on Mac is not quick enough. Thanks, great videos, lon.tv!
No those just allow you to select cameras to control. But if you want a hardware switcher the Blackmagic ATEM Mini is what you're looking for, it only works with HDMI cameras but sends its video out as a webcam ruclips.net/video/pAA-WaU3kTE/видео.html
If that ATC confused BRAVO CHARILE for BRAVO HOTEL, I'd suggest they get
a better headset. I've never...ever....EVER heard anything other then
ONE BRAVO CHARLIE from Jamie. Or, Kevin, for that matter!! 😉 How far away from the falls was your Holiday Inn??
Does this ndi camera work with synology nas??
Are there any differences between this and the Avaya IX Huddle Camera HC020??
I've tried both and as far as the USB version is concerned, I have not seen any differences in function or quality.
Wow, pretty interesting solution... these companies are really bridging the gap between consumer and pro business usage.
I remember seeing a webcam solution that could detect faces and do auto switching, but I think it was super expensive... did Logitech have something like that in their business oriented webcam line? I can't quite remember where it was.
Oh, and that Facebook thing no one wants to buy. xD It had face detection and frame switching, didn't it?
Now, the last thing I wanna see in this space is a company that dares to do an all rounder feature packed single solution that can work as webcam, general cam, security cam, and dashcam.
And yes yes, I know these areas have their own characteristics and it'd end up in a jack of all trades master of none situation... but whatever, I still wanna see a company at least try. It seems more and more these days, it's becoming more dependant on firmware/software rather than the hardware itself.
Here's the thing. Low light shots? Other than Sony A7S line, the most impressive stuff I've seen so far has been on security cameras. There's this feature on newer 4K security cameras that is being called... I think Starlight or something. It's color night shots that are impressively clear and seems to preserve a lot of latitude.
Sensor and recording wise, I always find interesting the way both security cameras and dashcams work. Movement detection, collision/shock detection, auto loop recording, this sorta stuff.
Also, being able to setup virtual fences for movement detection...
I know this isn't perfect for video streaming, but I think it can be adapted to speed up workflow even more. xD Kinda nuts I guess, but you know. Particularly for people who have work spaces or an office space used only for it.
But what really makes me interested is like, you could get multiple of those cameras, set them up in different ways, and have a complete solution that has the flexibility to work in different situations just by changing configuration. You don't need multiple different cameras connected in multiple different ways so they can be used in different scenarios... it'd be more a matter of how many angles you use, the reset is decided on software.
Like hey, today we have a guest - set camera two to auto framing, one to wide shot. Today it's only me and product shot, fixed frame on my face and mount one on the overview position. Today I'm gonna work on this thing, timelapse mode for one, detail shot on two. Today it's a roadtrip, so dashcam mode.
You don't have to think about different models of cameras that are better fit for this or that situation, with different mounts, different sizes, different weights, different lenses, different accessories, etc etc.
But of course, pipe dream. Features can be very conflicting between different situations. I do have a feeling though that we're not that far from a good in between general compromise...
Hi. Very thorough review! Now i want one.
There is also a cheaper version of this camera under the "Avaya" branding. In case anyone has a hard time finding them under "HuddleCam". I have the USB version under model Avaya HC020. Paid just $200.
I have this plugged into our Nvidia Shield, on top of our living room TV. It's perfect for video calls with the family, and we can be chilling on the couch several feet away. Just zoom in and the mic still works just fine.
Can you give a virtual slap on the butt to your teammates when the huddle breaks up?
haha
Hey long If love u to try out the cheapestt windows hello webcams u can find I found one for 40 e on alixpress and I'm wondering is it any good
From Amazon link... CDN$ 388.52 + CDN$ 81.43 Import Fees Deposit... Uhhmmm NO!
I can buy a cheap 4k camera & use it as a webcam for $60 to $120 CDN and have OBS do the software cropping!
But then you also need a capture device, right?
@@mgfer6313 Not necessarily, if like I said you're using OBS or other open source cctv surveillance software like Zoneminder or other equivalent. The capturing is software based.
@@CyberCam1969 Cool. Which camera can go straight into OBS without the capture device? Afaik, only webcams typically output uvc.
are we supposed to understand this?