There are plenty of special effects we can add to IM clients in the form of emoticons, avatars and pictures.

But webcams are generally restricted to nothing but the image you see. However, with WebcamMax Full, you can add all manner of special effects and images to webcam images to make your broadcasts and webcam sessions more interesting. WebcamMax adds videos, pictures and effects to virtual/real Webcams and broadcasts on messenger services.

You can add videos, screenshots, pictures, flash and effects to virtual or real Webcams and messengers including the most popular IM clients such as ICQ, AIM, MSN, Camfrog, Skype, Paltalk, Yahoo, ANYwebcam and Stickam. You can also add special motion effects (Frame, Transform, and Emotion) over your webcam image. If you find that the program doesn't offer you enough effects, you can also download up to 1500 more from the developer's website. Apart from having fun, this program can enhance your YouTube videos or blogcasts by changing the background or environment from where you are broadcasting from.

Perhaps the most useful feature however doesn't relate to effects at all and relates to PinP (Picture in Picture). So for example, you want to talk about a certain part in a film with a friend or discuss it in a review, WebcamMax Full allows you to choose an alternative source which plays in the corner of your webcam in a smaller screen while you talk.

An interesting webcam tool which can be used for fun or more serious pursuits like picture in picture to get the most out of your webcam.

Download WebcamMax Full 5.0.3.8 in Softonic

WebcamXP offers unique features and unequaled ease of use to let you broadcast/manage your video sources or secure your company with up to 10 video sources per computer. The software supports all video for Windows/WDM sources and most file-based or ip based sources. You can unlock an unlimited and free version by joining and sharing your cam on http://www.myvideochat.net.

Download WebcamXP 2008 5.2.5.832 in Softonic

WebCam Viewer is a small tool that allows you to monitor webcams from all over the world. The program can automatically refresh and cycle through the list of webcams. It can also run in fullscreen mode. WebCam Viewer comes pre-loaded with several web cam locations, and you can edit existing cams or easily add your own.

Download WebCam Viewer 4.2005 in Softonic

Turning your PC into a home surveillance device is not as difficult as you might imagine with webcams so readily available nowadays.

Cam Wizard makes it possible to set up multiple web cameras as a CCTV audio/video surveillance system with motion detection in a just a few clicks. The program captures motion footage in video and audio is captured as a compressed WMV movie. It would have been nice to be able to choose which format the footage is saved in as I'm not a big WMV fan but still, it's workable and you can always convert it later.

The program gives you the option of sending any captured footage as an email attachment and most importantly, features a built in SMTP client which means it doesn't require any user interaction with outlook express etc. No messy e-mail configuration to carry out - just leave it running in your system tray and your work is done.

Alternatively, for large amounts of footage that may not fit in an e-mail, you can instruct Cam Wizard to upload footage to an FTP server which gives you the advantage of being able to view a webcam that's behind a firewall - great for keeping an eye on your property while you are at work. Viewing itself couldn't be easier either - the program supplies you with a static URL address that you can use to access your cam page from any location.

You've got it all here for a total security solution so make the best of your webcams with Cam Wizard.

Download Cam Wizard 8.01 in Softonic

Your webcam can be much more than just a communication device - it can help protect your property while you are away.

Webcam Monitor provides you with email notification along with a photo directly into your mailbox as soon as a motion or noise intrusion is detected by your webcam. You can customize alerts so that you can even receive video and audio recordings, snapshots with date and time, alarms and SMS notifications. In addition, you can automatically upload recorded video, audio, and snaps to an FTP server of your choice. It goes far beyond just monitoring small areas though - you can also monitor large areas using multiple cameras with recording sessions set to start and end at any time of the day.

All movement and any monitored activity is recorded in an event log for quick reference later. On the other hand, if you want your security cam images to be broadcasted live on the internet, you can set up a web site where the images are constantly updated by WebCam Monitor. In addition, limited enhancement is possible as you can digitally zoom any camera up to 200 and configure one or several cameras to focus on one particular area.

Webcam Monitor can turn your webcam into a powerful security monitoring device that you can control from any location.

Download Webcam Monitor 5.01 in Softonic

If your webcam software doesn't exactly impress then River Past Cam can help you get the most out of your camera.

I've lost count of the number of times that I've installed a webcam and the camera hasn't worked for various reasons or the software has just proved cumbersome and useless. Usually, such software gives you very little control over codec standards or compression formats used but Cam Do differs in that it gives you maximum control where all the other fail to. It allows you to specify everything from the file format, codec, and quality of your files, right up to where the audio is taken from. You can define which codec you want to use according to what you are going to use your webcam for - Cinepak, Ideo 4 and 5, Microsoft Video 1, Motion JPEG, DivX and XviD (the developers recommend the latter two for the best speed and quality). Alternatively, audio can be recorded from any source, including microphone, line-in, or speakers and the recording volume can be adjusted manually even during the recording. You've also got full control over the sample rate, channel used, bits per sample, and bitrate as well as control over when the camera is activated due to a scheduler.

For maximum control over your webcam and when and how it is used, Cam Do is an excellent piece of software.

Download River Past Cam Do 3.7.2 in Softonic

If you regularly conduct video calls or video conferencing with more than one person, then ooVoo is an elegant and powerful video conferencing and IM client that combines elegance with functionality.

With ooVoo you can talk face-to-face with up to six people, add an ooVoo link to your blog or online profiles (so others can instantly add you to their contacts), send and receive video messages and best of all, it's completely free. To get started, you need to create an ooVoo ID which is fairly painless although a bit annoying as all registration forms can be. Once you've started the setup process, you'll be asked to create an ooVoo username and password. You'll also be asked to add a few friends and contacts to your ooVoo account although if like me, you don't know anyone using ooVoo, you can simply elect to send invites. Unlike some video conferencing applications, it's very easy to get up and running with your webcam and it can handle very high quality cameras of up to 2 megapixels depending on the speed of your connection. During chats and video calls, you can add effects to video such as sepia, blurring and morphing although it seems to take some time in applying these successfully. ooVoo also serves as a VoIP app although unfortunately, it only serves mobiles and landlines in the USA and Canada at the moment. What's really nice about ooVoo though is the ability to place your contacts, and their video images, down the side of your screen in a sidebar simultaneously. This way, you can chat away to all of them at the same time and see them at once. This does hog quite a bit of your RAM though if you're not working on with at least 1GB of RAM or more.

An impressive video conferencing and chat IM although it would be interesting to see how it performs when a maximum of 6 people are trying to conduct a video conference at the same time.

Download ooVoo 1.6.1.10 in Softonic

CamTrack is a unique webcam software that enhances the way people video chat. Amuse your friends with funny animations and webcam emoticons. Keep your face centered automatically with automatic Face Tracking. Improve the quality of your webcam picture with noise reduction or share pictures with your friends through your webcam.

Features of CamTrack:

• Webcam animations
• Text overlays
• Picture overlays
• Face tracking
• Video noise reduction
• Easy and friendly to use

Download CamTrack 2.4.0 in Softonic

BabyWatch is something that every parent should have installed - an easy way of monitoring your child when they are out of your sight.

As the developers say, the program is sophisticated but user-friendly and works by issuing spoken messages as to whether the baby is asleep or awake. How does it do this? By using your webcam as a monitoring tool. According to the developers, it can even detect whether the baby has stopped breathing or stopped moving although we would not like to verify this as guaranteed since it is such a serious claim to make. Once setup, the program works by monitoring the change of pixels so it triggers an alert in the program as soon as something happens with your child. However, it's obviously really annoying to be sent an alert when the child simply turns or moves in it's sleep so the program can be adjusted to sensitivity according to the movements of your baby. If the webcam includes a microphone, you can also hear whether the baby is crying, laughing, coughing, mumbling, etc.

This is a highly sophisticated tool that I'm sure every parent will find useful although it's obviously best to use it with caution rather than a fail-safe mechanism for monitoring your child.

Download BabyWatch 2.0 in Softonic

If you're looking for a webcam that doubles up as a webcam, image capturing device and even a security camera, then you should take a look at CamUniversal.

What's really interesting about this app is that it includes a network server so that you can send images and viewing information from one PC to another which makes it an ideal monitoring device. There is a built-in motion detector which allows you to select which areas of the video are tested for motion, when, where and how. In this way, it allows you to target a specific part of your house or home without worrying about the consequences. The program also features video recording functions, picture capturing, external program execution, log file creation, sound playing, FTP transfer, email sending and there is also a scheduler. You can upload the images to an FTP server, a webpage or use a company LAN to distribute the images. Probably the only major problem is setting-up the software to work with your webcam - it doesn't seem particularly friendly with all webcams and you may not be able to get it up and running at the first attempt.

A useful webcam tool that doubles up as a security camera but may cause some problems during setup.

Download CamUniversal 3.4 in Softonic

BRAVIS Galaxee 4free (formerly BRAVIS Pico) allows you to conduct videoconferencing between multiple users simultaneously using just an Internet connection and a webcam and microphone.

The advantage of this program is that you do not need additional hardware or dedicated servers. It has been developed with closed groups in mind using peer to peer connections. It's especially useful when performing negotiations or interviews as you can add other users at any time. Bravis Galaxee 4free adapts the quality of the call to the type of connection you have which means that communication is usually pretty stable. In addition, you have a chat client which can also accept new additions at any time. Overall, the program is very easy to use and you never feel like you have to explain to other users how they may join and remove themselves from conversations at any time. If you need to be able to conduct video conferences with an unlimited number of users, then you'll find BRAVIS Galaxee 4free an easy to use and solid solution.

A very good multiple video conferencing app which doesn't require installation and is easy enough for anyone to use.

Download BRAVIS Galaxy 4free 1.5 in Softonic

Everyone always bangs on about how wonderful the Net is as a means of researching and finding out information. Whilst this may be true, it is a wild overestimation to say that the Internet is mainly used for this purpose. In fact, many people online use the Internet as a tool for hooking up with mates and meeting new people. As a consequence, there are dozens of web video chat apps that have sprung up and Camfrog represents a slight break from the norm.

In terms of video and sound quality, Camfrog is second to none, offering pixel-perfect visuals and crisp, clear sounds. One of the other things that makes this app stand out from the vast ranks of similar programs is its ability to allow you to chat to more than one person at a time. The ‘Pro’ version also offers the chance to resize the video chat window, which is great when dealing with friends whose camera runs at a different resolution. Unfortunately though, you cannot resize the window to your preference, as you need to choose from a series of preset sizes.

The interface is fairly simple to get around, but perhaps it would have benefited from some more options within the contact list window and the ability to make the window smaller than it currently allows. Nevertheless, Camfrog is a great program for enabling online video chat and boasts a video quality unheard of in many of its rivals. If you want something simple to be able to see and talk to friends on the Net, Camfrog is a worthy option.

Download Camfrog Video Chat 4.1.82 in Softonic

H264 WebCam is a 8-channel h264 remote video camera surveillance software for Windows. It has advanced video motion detection algorithm, various alert functions including Email, FTP, and sound.

It can handle up to 8-channels video input and 8-channels of audio input, captures images up to 30 frames per second from USB and analog cameras, TV boards, capture cards etc. It uses H264 video encoder and MP3 audio encoder etc, high quality video and audio effect with a low bandwidth, record file format may be AVI or MPEG or others.

The files can be played with Windows Media Player or Real Player. Manual video recording is available, along with scheduled recordings or motion-triggered recording. JPEG image snapshots can be made from video images, and detailed log files and help files are available. Other features include secure Login with a valid user ID and password from Net, automatically restore Net connection. This software has features of both digital video recorder and digital video server, and can work as a stand-alone product or be used to build a powerful surveillance network.

Download H264 WebCam 2.38 in Softonic

Active WebCam broadcasts live video up to 20 frames per second from any web camera. The captured video can be viewed using any Internet browser, no plug-ins or downloads required. The program can be used as a surveillance system and when it detects motion in the monitored area, it sounds an alarm, e-mails you the captured images, starts broadcasting or records a video.

Key features:

• Works with all USB and Parallel Port cameras, Windows compatible Capture Devices and Framegrabbers, TV-boards, and with Network IP Cameras.
• Broadcasts live video up to 30 frames per second.
• Multiple cameras support. Simultaneous recording and broadcasting from unlimited number of cameras.
• Dynamic IP Service, that gives a permanent internet address to your web camera whenever IP of your computer changes.
• Time stamps captured video.
• Broadcasts audio.
• Supports Encrypted Transmission.
• Records password protected video clips.
• Performs Live Recording that allows rewind and playback captured content at any time.
• Has features to control camera's Pan, Tilt, and Zoom.
• Helps you to create web page for your web camera.
• Records video when a motion is detected.
• Allows to view recorded video remotely.
• Sends e-mail and SMS when motion detected.
• Runs a program when a motion is detected.
• Allows to define the active area for motion detection.
• Creates thumbnails from captured images.
• Has a comprehensive scheduler.
• Checks the available space on hard drive and stops recording if there is no available space.
• User name and password to control access to your camera and recorded videos from Internet.
• Has feature to limit number of camera viewers.
• Stealth mode makes the program completely invisible that it doesn't display any icon in the sys tool tray and it is not presented in the task bar tray.
• Password protection from unauthorized usage.
• Ability to run the program as Windows service that the program starts automatically at system boot and executes even when no user is logged on to the system.

Download Active WebCam 10.2 in Softonic

LiveStream Broadcaster is a program that allows you to control your web camera from your mobile phone or remotely via the Web.

The program itself works as a simple server that is responsible for issuing, via the Internet, a flow of images captured by the webcam installed and pre-configured on your system. Thanks to this server, you can connect to your camera from your mobile phone, available through a Symbian applicationhere. The problem is that the service is not particularly stable - you'll often suffer dropped images, slow loading times and sometimes complete crashes. On the plus side, the interface is extremely user friendly meaning that even the most novice user should have no problems setting using it. The setup process in particular is very straightforward. A more important question for me though is why you'd want to control your webcam from your mobile. The only feasible use I can think of is for home security or monitoring who is using your computer in which case, you'll find this an easy to use if not hugely reliable solution.

An easy way to control your webcam from your mobile although don't expect it to hold the connection.

Download LiveStream Broadcaster 3.0 in Softonic

Willing Webcam is a simple, yet fully-featured software tool designed to help you capture streaming video and snapshots and publish them on your website. To make your video production shine, you can enhance it with comments, date and time stamps, watermarks, and various live video effects. You can also create a digital album where images and videos are organized for fast retrieval and viewing.

The program uses a motion control detection sensor that wakes up your web camera at the slightest motion in the room. The sensor can trigger a variety of actions, including email sending, movie saving, FTP uploading, sound alarm, or a launch of any specified application. In addition to the motion sensor, the program has a time-lapse option. It allows you to record video at specified time intervals.

Using a web camera with our software, you can unleash your creativity and come up with a compelling website that will attract many visitors. You can also discover a multitude of ways how to make your everyday life more secure and comfortable.

Live Video Streaming on the Web. With Willing Webcam, you can record your day as live streaming video and share it with your family or friends in real time over the Internet. No matter how far you might be, they can always visit your personal website and see what you are doing. If you are a researcher, you can also add video to your landscape, weather, or astronomy web pages.

People who are often out of home can use Willing Webcam to turn a web camera into a digital surveillance device that can detect the slightest motion in your apartment and instantly let you know about an intruder. By watching this video live, you can see what?s going on in your house, call the police, and provide them with the taped evidence of the crime. Willing Webcam is compatible with most USB-based or FireWire (IEEE 1394) video devices, including capture cards, webcams, camcorders. It can also work with IP Network cameras.

Download Willing Webcam 4.2 in Softonic

Move Action is designed to allows your webcam to detects motion and set it up as a security camera.

This can be used to trigger a blocking mechanism on your PC or signal an alarm. Alarms can either be sent via e-mail or even text to warn you of intruders. The PC blocking function works by blocking your PC and requiring a password to access it again. It can also save webcam shots in JPG format and then send them submit them by mail or transfer them by FTP, play a sound file or run external applications. However, as impressive as this is, the most intriguing feature of this program is that it can compare two images captured at different intervals. This way you can monitor a site without having to look at the videos on the camera constantly. This saves you sitting there for hours on end monitoring and is great if you need to use evidence to prosecute or charge someone.

A great little program for those concerned with security although the configuration is rather complicated.

Download Move Action 2.0 in Softonic

If you need some basic surveillance for your home or small business but can't afford a professional system, Secure Cam may be the right choice.

As I said, it's a fairly basic system but it may work for you if you don't need advanced features. Secure Cam is also very easy to use: simply run it after plugging in your camera and you're ready to go. One tip: to open the program's settings menu, double click on the camera image – after spending a while looking for it, I'm still wondering why they didn't add a standard Settings menu.

This configuration menu allows you to select the motion detection threshold and set the program to take pictures whenever there's movement in front of the camera. You can also overlay a text on the image as a watermark, and flip or rotate the image.

Secure Camera works pretty well and takes pictures in the right moment. Also, it includes a special viewer where you can review all the captured images frame by frame. On the downside, it doesn't feature the possibility to capture video or warn you in any way (e-mail, text message) every time it detects movement.

Secure Cam is a basic surveillance system with which you can keep an eye on your home or office with the help of your webcam.

Download Secure Cam 1.0 in Softonic

Use fake webcam to play you pre-recorded videos on instant messengers (Yahoo, MSN, Paltalk etc) while chatting. It can even broadcast one single movie to all the messengers at the same time.

Fake webcam enables you to:

• Play pre-recorded videos without even having a physical webcam
• Have a virtual personality
• Keep your privacy by pretending to be some one else

Download Fake Webcam 4.5 in Softonic

UWatchIt is designed as a platform to control several security cameras at the same time on a single screen. In addition to collecting the image of the cameras, if the cameras support it, it can even detect movement which automatically triggers the recording mode. If necessary, the program can be configured to send a message via e-mail or the latest transmittable images to an FTP server.

UWatchIt has four operating modes - real-time vision, vision and continuous recording. Vision and recording are designed for when it detects movement, and vision and recording sequences are used to edit video before the recording has been completed. This program allows any organisation to set up their own security system with minimal fuss. It's particularly useful for shop owners or home owners who want peace of mind while they are away.

This is a superb monitoring program that allows anyone to take security into their own hands.

Download uWatchIt 5.0 in Softonic