HP 320 FHD 1080p $25 budget webcam | Is it good?

Summary

Jeremy Chapman takes a look at the HP 320 FHD 1080p webcam, priced around $25-$30, exploring its features and performance. Despite being a budget option, it offers 1080p resolution but comes with some drawbacks. The video highlights issues such as the noisy microphone and plasticky build, making it less desirable than other options like the Lenovo FHD Essentials webcam. Though there’s no software support for tuning, Jeremy attempts some manual adjustments to improve the image in low-light conditions, with limited success. Ultimately, he suggests alternatives for those seeking better quality for similar or slightly higher prices.

Highlights

• HP 320 offers 1080p resolution for around $25-$30, suggested by a channel commenter 📸.
• The build is described as plasticky, and it has a fixed USB-A cable – not ideal for versatile setups ⚙️.
• The microphone is too noisy for practical use, failing even with noise suppression software 🗣️.
• In low light, the camera struggles; manual adjustments offer limited improvements 🌑.
• Jeremy recommends the Lenovo Essentials or Logitech as better alternatives for the money 💲.

Key Takeaways

• The HP 320 FHD webcam is an affordable option but comes with trade-offs like a noisy microphone and plasticky build 🤑.
• Low-light performance is below par; consider facing a window or using additional lighting 💡.
• No software support provides limited tuning options, making it hard to enhance the out-of-the-box settings 🎛️.
• Lenovo FHD Essentials or Logitech webcams might offer better quality and software support for a similar price 💼.
• Ideal for users comfortable handling external microphones and those looking for a basic, inexpensive webcam setup 🎥.

Overview

Jeremy Chapman dives into testing the HP 320 FHD webcam, a viewer-recommended option known for its budget-friendly price between $25 and $30. Despite sporting a 1080p resolution, the webcam presents several practical challenges, like a plasticky build and a permanent USB-A cable that doesn't suit all setups. The standout issue, however, is the onboard microphone, which Jeremy finds exceptionally noisy, even when paired with advanced noise suppression tools.

Exploring the webcam's low-light capabilities, Jeremy sets out to tweak the device for better performance. With minimal built-in adjustment options, mainly due to the lack of dedicated software, he tries tuning Windows settings, only to find the results underwhelming. The footage remains highly dependent on adequate lighting, suggesting users may need to invest in external lights unless they have consistently optimal natural light conditions.

In his conclusion, Jeremy doesn't hold back on his regret with this investment, particularly suggesting alternatives. For those with similar budgets, he finds options like Lenovo’s FHD Essentials or certain models from Logitech more appealing due to their broader feature sets, better image quality, and additional software capabilities. As such, the HP 320 might suit only those seeking a basic, no-frills solution who already have an external microphone ready to use.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introductions and Price Disclosure In this chapter, the speaker introduces the HP 320 webcam, highlighting its price range of $25 to $30. The webcam features 1080p resolution, which is considered decent. The speaker mentions that this recommendation came from a channel commenter, suggesting it as an alternative to some EMEET models reviewed earlier. The chapter outlines the intent to test the HP C320's performance, particularly in low light conditions, and makes it clear that a detailed comparison with other models will not be part of this brief review.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Comparison with Lenovo FHD Essentials Webcam The chapter discusses a comparison with the Lenovo FHD Essentials webcam. It talks about another camera, potentially from HP, noting similarities in design and build. It mentions the fixed mount and USB-A cable, which the reviewer is not fond of, and describes the camera's plasticky feel and ball mount design.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Camera Features and Specifications The chapter discusses the physical positioning capabilities of the camera, which can be adjusted from left to right to capture the desired angle. While the base is described as somewhat plasticky, it includes a quarter 20 thread for mounting purposes. The camera features a single microphone array and a status light, but it is not expected to have a large sensor, thus limiting its imaging performance.
• 01:30 - 02:00: Default Image and Audio Quality Test This chapter evaluates the default audio and image quality of the HP 320 FHD webcam. The test reveals that the microphone produced excessive noise and hiss, making the audio unusable even with noise suppression tools available in applications like Microsoft Teams or Zoom. It suggests that users should consider alternative microphones due to the poor audio quality of the webcam's built-in microphone.
• 02:00 - 02:30: Microphone Noise Issue The chapter discusses the microphone noise issue associated with the HP 320 FHD webcam. The advice provided is to use a secondary microphone or ensure that noise suppression features are enabled during video calls using this webcam, as it is known for producing significant noise. Additionally, the webcam's performance in low-light conditions is briefly mentioned, indicating a demonstration with minimal lighting.
• 02:30 - 03:30: Low Light Performance Evaluation In the chapter titled 'Low Light Performance Evaluation', the transcript discusses the challenges of using a camera in low light conditions, especially with backlighting, such as having a window behind the user. The speaker expresses dissatisfaction with the camera's performance in low light and suggests positioning oneself to face a window or using additional lighting when using this camera. The specific camera being discussed is the HP FHD 320 webcam, which does not come with any additional software packages to improve its performance.
• 03:30 - 04:30: Camera Tuning Attempts The chapter discusses attempts to tune the camera settings, specifically drawing a comparison to a Lenovo device. The default settings in Windows have the saturation quite high, and as a result, the speaker adjusted these settings by reducing the contrast slightly and increasing the saturation just a bit from an already high setting of 70.
• 04:30 - 05:30: Alternative Recommendations The chapter 'Alternative Recommendations' discusses the challenges faced with an HP 320 FHD webcam. The speaker notes the limitations of the webcam, particularly in low-light conditions. Despite using a ring light at full brightness, the image quality remains insufficient. The speaker attempts to adjust settings, implying the necessity for alternative recommendations to improve image quality or suggesting alternative equipment or techniques.
• 05:30 - 06:00: Conclusion and Final Thoughts In the conclusion, the speaker compares several webcams, specifically highlighting the Lenovo Essentials FHD webcam as a preferred choice due to its quality and wide-angle lens. While mentioning that the EMEET and similar webcams offer similar value, they suggest investing in a Logitech 100 series webcam for enhanced image control via software.

HP 320 FHD 1080p $25 budget webcam | Is it good? Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 This is the HP 320 webcam it's about $25 to $30.  It is a 1080p webcam so not too bad in terms of   specs this was actually a tip from a commenter  on the channel to try this one out versus some   of the EMEET ones that I tested earlier in the  year so today I'm going to test it out see how   well the HP C320 does and default low light  tuned and tuned low light settings not going   to compare it to anything this will be a quick  video so let's go and let's see how it does okay
• 00:30 - 01:00 so one of the favorite cameras that I tried out  last year was the Lenovo FHD Essentials webcam   this is kind of an equivalent to that I would  think from HP it does have a fixed Mount USB-A   cable on it not a huge fan of the USB-A cables and  the fixed cables for that matter it feels pretty   plasticky it's kind of got one of those um one  of those kind of ball mounts on it in terms of
• 01:00 - 01:30 how it can be positioned I do like that it can  position left to right if you want to get the   right angle on it so that's kind of a good thing  the base doesn't feel too bad it's just kind of   plasticky it does have quarter 20 thread on the  bottom of it so it is it is mountable it's got   only a single microphone array on it and a status  light I can't see that the camera would have a   super large sensor in it so I'm not expecting  a lot from it but let's test out the image
• 01:30 - 02:00 and see how it does okay so this is the default  image and the default audio from the microphone   on the HP 320 FHD webcam the okay so as I was  editing this I realized that there was so much   noise from the microphone in the webcam that it's  just not usable even if you have noise suppression   and say things like Microsoft Teams or Zoom I  probably wouldn't trust this camera's microphone   you're going to have to get something else there's  a whole lot of hiss coming from this microphone so
• 02:00 - 02:30 just a warning I guess if you do pick this one  up use a second microphone with it or make sure   that you test calls with noise suppression, etc  turned on in your video conferencing solutions,   because it is a very noisy microphone as you heard  all right so this is the HP 320 FHD webcam with   low light and also from its default uh kind of  microphone just to see what it looks like with   hardly any lighting hitting my face I've got a  little bit overhead kind of simulating overhead
• 02:30 - 03:00 lighting got some back lighting with my computer  gear kind of uh as you would expect if you had   say a window behind you more or less um but just  to see what it looks like in low light I'm not a   huge fan of what this one looks like in low light  if I'm honest but that just means you're going to   want to either face a window or get some lights  if you're going to use this camera okay so let's   now next try to tune the camera to see if we can  get it to look a little bit better all right so   this is the HP FHD 320 webcam there aren't any  software or you know packages that you load with
• 03:00 - 03:30 this one kind of like the Lenovo by the way in  that sense I didn't I wasn't able to tune the   image that much so by default when you actually go  into windows in the settings the uh saturation is   pretty well cranked um so I just basically turned  down the contrast a little bit it seemed a little   bit contrasty it turned the saturation maybe up a  little tiny bit compared it was already around 70
• 03:30 - 04:00 or so % on a 0 to 100 scale so I did what I could  to it but there's not a lot in terms of saving   this image because I think it does need quite a  bit of light and I've got a light pushing right at   my face uh at full you know full blast as a ring  light at level 10 of 10 okay so there wasn't a lot   I could do in terms of the HP 320 FHD webcam not  a lot that I could set frankly with its setting
• 04:00 - 04:30 other than the four that are exposed to Windows  UVC webcam there's no software for it I would   recommend the Lenovo Essentials FHD webcam over  this one the other cameras the EMEET all those   ones are more or less in the same ballpark I  would I would almost buy for either the Lenovo   for its quality and I think it does a pretty good  job it's got the wider angle lens and stuff or I   would spend more or less the same money and  get something like a Logitech the 100 series   because at least you have software that you  can dial in the image more all these cameras
• 04:30 - 05:00 are going to have pretty small sensors and not  great Optics and glass so they're going to need   a lot of light uh firing at your face and I've  you know I had the light at full blast 10 out of   10 on a ring light um that's about I don't know  2.5 - 3 ft from my face but still it could have   used even more light than that um so yeah that's  the HP 320 FHD webcam let me know what you think   if you like the video be sure to give me a like  otherwise subscribe to my channel for more webcam
• 05:00 - 05:30 reviews usually more expensive webcam reviews  thanks for watching and we'll see you soon.