From what I've seen/experienced is that the hardware is OK once a minimal threshold is met. After that, it's all about training and establishing SOPs so that people can effectively communicate/get work done at a similar pace.
Do you that the picture quality on the current 720p on the M1MBA is the same at a 2011?
Yah, I know, recently due to the pandemic, I found out my 2011 Thunderbolt 27" Apple display has the 720p in it and I didn't know that - I figured a 10 year old display had 320 or 480 camera.
Because I know the devices they are using, largely because I helped to procure them.
Yeah to make a point. I'm sure an image processor can help, but the fact is, it's still the same resolution. I'd also be surprised if a 5 megapixel Camera in 2011 was still a 5 megapixel camera in 2020, even if the sensors and everything else had been improved.
How ironic! ?
Inferior in resolution, but superior in other aspects? ?
It seems that everything but the resolution has been upgraded, mostly because the resolution is adequate for a majority of people.
This is why it is bad to obsess over only the resolution.
Wasn't that a premium display though?
Yes, that last paragraph should be plastered on the top of MacRumors.Yes, I think we are over-criticizing the 720p webcam. I appreciate what Apple did for the camera. Yes, it is still 720p but it doesn't have that awful 720p look and feeling. It works surprisingly well and I feel more confident in my Zoom calls. Is it super clear quality? No. Does it do the job? Wonderfully, in fact. I'm happy with it.
I groaned when I heard Apple share that MBA M1 was going to have a 720p webcam yet again. "720p in 2020? Come on!" But took a leap of faith with it when they announced iOS's ISP was going to be used. It makes a major difference in this upgrade and I'm quite pleased with it. I used to use my iPad for Zoom but don't need it anymore.
For those who haven't tried it and are criticizing the webcam specs based only on what it says on paper, I'd recommend checking out other videos or trying out a friend's M1 Mac when you get the chance. If it's not your cup of tea, great. If it is, great. Do I still want better image resolution? Yes. I still think Apple did well with the M1's camera.
The same mindset applies to megapixels in cameras. Take the latest Samsung phones for example. They have dozens of megapixels, but it doesn't make much of a difference.
Yikes! ?
YES! There's virtually no laptops or notebooks in Apple's price range that I could find that doesn't have a 720p camera.
I think it has to do with how you can fit a webcam into the lid of any Macbook.
"we shouldn't change because everyone else is doing the same thing" isn't a great reason
Technology and physics != magic. At least Apple put the effort in helping the quality of its webcam via the M1's ISP.
Try putting the RX100 inside the Macbook lid. We'll wait.
Video meetings outshine pre-recorded lessons. If youre doing a pre-recorded lesson, you should use your iPhone camera.
You're an engineer too?
Well, can you justify fitting a 1080p webcam module in a thin lid?
I have a feeling that many people in this thread have been hesitant to watch the video. Obsessing over the spec sheet is more important to some people.
Part of me doesn't doubt that.
Are you capable of telling us why it looks like a processed potato? I hope that you actually watched the video.
Okay, could you at least tell us why then? Watch the video first and give us a bigger answer as to why you do/don't like the webcam.
Have you tried different lighting conditions and environments?
I would like to bet that the money is going somewhere else. Just a hunch though.
Yes, exactly. Resolution isn't a main priority when it comes to webcams.
Maybe after the pandemic ends.
A Face ID redesign could definitely allow for a higher resolution webcam. I'm not against a higher resolution webcam, but I think that people get way too overworked over it.
Yeah, consumers do not think about the resolution of a webcam when purchasing a MacBook.
Finally, someone respectful and civilized! That is rare around these parts.
Why do people still obsess over this "if Steve Jobs was still here" stigma? Let the guy rest. He has been dead for nine years and it is petty to bring him up in a ridiculous debate on an online forum claiming that the resolution of the webcam would magically be 4K now. Some people just dont know what they're talking about...
Yes, everybody in this thread is completely forgetting about bandwidth. It is baffling.
This!
Camera bump on a MacBook? No thanks! ?
Thanks!
Very good points!
Part of me would do the same thing.
Engineering difficulties always triumph over other factors.
That doesn't change the bandwidth limits though. Technology is hampered.
No they didn't. They put a 1080p webcam on the 2020 iMac.
Not sure about the megapixels, but 720p is the resolution cap due to bandwidth.
It is only an insult to people who obsess over numbers. Apple doesn't care about a random forum.
Yes, I hope that Apple prioritizes other factors rather than resolution when it comes to the webcam.
Even an architect? Wow!
Yes, and that is this obscure thing called engineering.
I would definitely prefer a stable video chat. Good point!
People that don't know what theyre talking about will complain the loudest. That doesn't just apply to webcams. The minority is always the most vocal.
Okay, so you somehow know for a fact that these people aren't just using a crappy Windows laptop webcam (again, the 720p bandwidth limit...)? There is no factual basis to that, so I don't think I'm going to even bother.
No, they will not fit.
That would be a downgrade. Nobody wants to see an ugly thick lid.
American-centric is certainly right. ?
Nobody could've predicted that the world would be dealing with a pandemic in 2020.
The less it costs, the thicker it is.
Yes, but would a 1080p webcam module still fit, even it it wasn't a full frame sensor?
The latter is very much true.
There is no need for both parties to get so aggressive towards each other over a camera, nor should we make any random judgments that certain people don't have full frame cameras or don't take an effort to understand English. That is just a nasty insult.
We should calm down you guys.
Impoverished nations would like to disagree with that statement.
Yes, very true.
You said it better than I could.
Again, can we stop it with the name calling? This isn't a school...
They have been cutting back on their margins lately. Take the App Store fee cut for example.
We should focus on the supply of webcams rather than their resolution.
That last sentence is definitely true.
that's not what the person who I was responding to said.
I just use black electrical tape. I (thankfully) almost never have to video conference, but black electrical tape disappears, and comes off easily with no residue. You can even use the same piece a fair number of times if you just remove it and stick it off to the side while you’re on call.
Yeah, Apple is not an exception when it comes to 720p webcams.
Yes, physics and engineering.
Doesn't it further show why people are being too critical of the 720p webcam?
Yes, you cannot forget about the M1 chip.
I would love to see that. ?
I agree. If youre not satisfied with the resolution of the built-in webcam, use an external webcam.
The industry is busy trying to stay afloat during the pandemic. Webcams will not be as important after the pandemic.
There is a lot of vocality in this thread. I couldn't hesitate but to reply. You make good points though.Jeebus, I think you definitely win the prize for most quoted replies in a post I have ever seen
On a serious note, and on topic. I honestly don’t give a damn about the resolution, frame rate, or anything else when it comes to webcams.
So long as I can actually see the other person clear enough, that’s fine by me.
Thing is, a lot of people have such terrible internet connections that it really doesn’t matter how good their webcam is, it just comes through blocky and crap anyway.
Again, doesn't it further show why people are being too critical of the 720p webcam?
Sounds bizarre, but I might try it out. The privacy slider things just break your screen anyways.
The tech and communications industry is doing pretty healthy. Hospitality and services have gone down, but people have been buying more instead of eating out etc.
