The Logitech BCC950 ConferenceCam ($249.99 direct) is a pretty serious webcam, with the ability to transmit continuous 1080p video at 30 frames per second along with full-duplex audio. It has a 78-degree field of view, plus 180-degree video pan, tilt, and zoom, so you can gather a small group around a table. It's a great choice for business and high-level corporate conference rooms, even if it's likely more webcam than the average consumer needs.

Design, Remote, and Controls
The package contains a lot of parts. The actual webcam is a plastic ball, which you attach to the heavy weighted base either directly or via the included, 12-inch long plastic stem. With the stem attached, the BCC950 ConferenceCam SEE IT looks like it belongs in a Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode. There's also an AC adapter, a remote control, and a separate USB charging cable.

The small, black remote features a glossy plastic front panel, and a rubberized rear panel that wraps over to the bottom front edge. The remote lets you control pan, tilt, and zoom, as well as adjust volume, mute, and answer or end phone calls. The rubber buttons are large and easy to find, even with the lights dimmed, although there's no backlight.

The base is particularly well designed. It's angled upward at approximately 40 degrees, which makes it easy to access the controls, and lets the speaker project properly into the room. On the left is a six-way control pad, with direction and zoom keys. Call Answer and End buttons sit in the center, while the right side features a mute button and volume rocker switch. All of the buttons are rubber, and click silently when you press them, which means you can make adjustments without alerting the other party. 

Software, Performance, and Conclusions
On-board H.264 hardware encoding means you don't need proprietary software. In fact, one of the best things about the BCC950 is its driverless setup: Attach the camera to the base, plug in the AC adapter, and then plug the attached USB cable into your computer. That's it—you're off and running. According to Logitech, the BCC950 is compatible with Adobe Connect, Avaya, Cisco WebEex, Citrix GoToMeeting, FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Office365, Vidyo, and Skype; we tested with Skype HD.

Logitech webcams typically perform very well, and the BCC950 is no exception. The Carl Zeiss lens features continuous autofocus and handles various lighting conditions well, and live video looks surprisingly balanced and sharp in Skype HD. Caller voices are quite loud through the base speaker as well.

Touch the movement keys, and the BCC950 cam will move in short steps in the indicated direction, either left or right, or up and down. Press and hold a direction button, and after half a second, the cam will move smoothly and quickly to the end of its travel. Since the remote and the base contain an identical set of controls, you don't have to reach for the base when the remote is nearby. And if someone else wants to adjust the webcam, they can do so without figuring out who has the remote. It's a really flexible setup.

Overall, I'm quite impressed with the Logitech BCC950 ConferenceCam. Aside from its high price, which will likely keep many casual users away, the BCC950 excels as a webcam for both small business and corporate and enterprise use—which is exactly what it's designed for. The Creative Live! Cam inPerson HD  (3 stars) costs $100 less and also offers Skype HD certification and a particularly robust array of four microphones. But you don't get the same clear 1080p video, it requires its own special software, it's not as flexible in terms of positioning, and it lacks a remote. If you don't need professional-grade features for a conference room setting, our current Editors' Choice webcam, the HP Webcam HD 5210  (4 stars) delivers quality 1080p recorded video and stereo audio that works best with a single person, or two people that huddle close together.

More Webcam Reviews:
•   Logitech Group
•   Logitech Brio
•   Logitech MeetUp
•   Logi Circle
•   Zmodo Pivot
•  more