Labs

Creative's Webcam Live Ultra takes really gorgeous-looking video for a webcam. Colours look particularly vibrant - the best of all the webcams in this test. Plenty of detail is captured, and at default size there's hardly any hint of graininess. Even blown up to double its intended size, the video footage still looks clean, with relatively little grain and interference.

The camera itself is well-designed and sturdy. Its stand allows it either to be placed on a flat-surface or hooked over the top of an LCD monitor. It also has a manual focus ring. Using this, you can set the focus perfectly for the distance between your webcam and your seat in front of the monitor.

The software bundle, Creative's Webcam Center, has plenty of useful functions including motion detection and remote monitoring.

With its excellent video quality and large range of useful features, this webcam easily deserves a Best Buy award.