Webcammax Review

If you've got a webcam and a service such as Windows Live Messenger, YouTube or BlogTV, you’ll want to increase the appeal of a video with Webcammax (http://www.webcammax.com). Webcammax is a virtual webcam that lets you to stream its output to your video service. It can also be used as the source for video chat programs such as Skype, Paltalk, Talkshoe, AIM, or Yahoo Messenger

When you run Webcammax, you choose as its source, your webcam or camcorder. Then when you log into a video streaming provider you choose Webcammax as its source. With Webcammax in the middle of the video stream any effects that you add will now be sent to the internet and viewable by your audience.

Other sources that you can choose as the input include screen capture, movie, picture and colour. The screen capture mode allows you to show part or all of your desktop and can be used to demonstrate programs.

The movie mode lets you stream avi or mpeg movies stored locally on your computer. This means that you can prerecord a movie and stream it “live” at a later time. While in movie mode you can create a playlist of videos to run once or loop.

The picture mode allows you to choose a still picture or folder of pictures to run as a slide show. The color mode sets the source to one solid color. This can be used as a background for the text effect.

Another source that’s useful is the PinP or Picture in Picture mode. This mode lets you add simple over the shoulder graphics of video, stills or graphics.

Speaking of effects Webcammax has about a hundred effects preloaded and over two thousand available to registered users for download. The effects allow you to change the background behind you, transform your image, add masks that follow your face, add frames and banners, and add text that can scroll.

I find that the biggest advantage of Webcammax over free virtual webcams is the ability to add more than one effect at a time or to duplicate effects. It is possible to create a lower third graphic in Photoshop or other graphics program; import that as a picture then lay a scrolling text on top of it. You can also add a banner to the screen by importing another picture made in Photoshop. You can create all your graphics, effects and save them as custom favorites. Then as you broadcast your video you can pull them up when needed.

Webcammax allows you to record your program ahead of time with all the effects you’ve created. You can then either run it as a source from your computer or upload directly to your streaming provider. Combined with the screen mode in sources this allows Webcammax to be used as a screen capture program. Saved videos can be uploaded to YouTube from Webcammax. Single snapshots of the video stream can also be taken.

Webcammax (http://www.webcammax.com) is available to try free for thirty days. The trial version does have a watermark. Licenses for six month to lifetime use are available and cost from USD $3.33 a month to USD $49.95 for lifetime use.

Webcammax is a slick little program for the webcaster who wants a professional look and feel without a professional price tag.