WebCam Max review

For the last few days I have kicked the tires on a piece of software called WebCamMax and I am really excited about it. The more I use it, the more I know it will become one of the software tools I use here at GuitarTeacher.com for creating online guitar lessons. I think it opens up new benefits to my online private students and will streamline my content creation.

You know by now, I hope, that I give private guitar lessons via Skype through this website. You may have also seen my video guitar lessons here on GuitarTeacher.com or on my YouTube channel. These video lessons often feature embedded movies and graphics. WebCamMax allows me to put many cool features into my live lessons that I previously had to assemble in separate screen capture software.

WebCamMax enables you to choose different sources for your webcam feed. These include pictures, desktop captures, even movies. Each of these sources can also be added as a Picture-in-Picture source (PiP). You can even quick switch between sources. This allows me to, say, embed a graphic of a scale diagram while demonstrating it in a video. I also created transparent GIF’s of a chord diagram to more clearly show chord fingerings. Someday in the future I might try a two webcam PiP shoot.

There are many effects that you can add within WebCamMax, including backgrounds, transforms, masks, animated characters and such. These are not particularly interesting to me. Maybe my kids might find them fun. The ability to overlay text is very handy, however.

Importantly, the video quality is great. The software doesn’t alter the crystal clear picture I am getting with my Logitech Pro 9000 webcam one bit. WebCamMax doesn’t take anything away. It only adds benefits.

A couple of minor gripes about WebCamMax. A ‘Pause’ button on the graphics feed would be nice, so as not to scroll to the next picture automatically. More importantly, the software’s built-in record function, an incredibly cool feature, saves to a default resolution of 320×240. All of the videos and screen captures I do for GuitarTeacher.com are done at 640×480 resolution. No matter what I tried within the software options, I can’t get the recording to save to my preferred, higher resolution. If the software gurus who wrote this little gem of software can include a 640×480 option for recording in their next update they will have devout evangelist in me!

So check out WebCamMax and download the free 30-day trial like I did. I think you may be as impressed as I am.

Popularity: 2% [?]