Creative's website lists a new and updated LIVE! Video IM series webcam - The "ULTRA" Model 73VF041500000.This video chat cam - the Video IM PRO ULTRA is slated to supercede it's IM 'Pro' predecessor - and bumps the webcam sensor to 1.3MP 1280x960 HD resolution. It's been awhile since Creative has introduced a new chat cam, and they've yet to revamp their entire video chat camera line to complete USB Video Class compliance across the board. But hey, 4 out of 7 ain't bad.

However - The Creative Labs Live! Cam Video IM Ultra 1.3MP Webcam - (Model: VF0415) is now available from Amazon and is listing for under $50.

It's similar in appearance to their SVGA 800x600 UVC sensor Creative Live! Cam Video IM Pro(VF0410) web camera, but takes the resolution a notch higher.

Tags: 1.3 megapixel webcam

Korean company Samsung of their newest 1/4" SoC image sensor built specifically for web cams. The 1.2MP sensor - expected to be shipping in products in quantity by mid-2009 promises to be the first to produce High-Definition 720p-quality video (at 30 FPS) and able to stream 640x480 VGA video at 60 FPS. Improved light sensitivity of webcam video capture is achieved through an innovative 2x2 pixel processing/grouping technique called 'binning'.

There's a huge market potential here. Few webcam companies other than Logitech use state of the art sensors such as in their PRO webcam line. The sub $50 webcam market is rife with not only cheap sensors - but low quality plastic or glass lenses at best. From personal webcam chats to the talking heads on YouTube -- there's hope some of the blurry, off-color and downright LOUSY webcam images we've been inflicting on each other may suddenly get ALOT better in the year ahead.

Tags: technology, webcam resolution, gadgets, webcam light sensitivity, webcam color balance, HD webcam, high definition webcam