Today I want to tell the story of my Logitech Skype TV Cam from years ago. I had to destroy it.
Warning: tech gore ahead! If you want to see this camera destroyed then continue reading…
Logitech Skype TV Cam
I used to have a web camera with Skype software integrated so I could video chat with family in another state. I thought I found the perfect solution so I purchased 2 of them. One was shipped to family and the other I kept.
The Beginning and Middle
The camera was purchased in 2013. All through sometime in 2016 it worked somewhat ok. It was a mediocre camera that struggled with WiFi. Nevertheless it got the job done and was used on a regular basis.
EOL
One day in June 2016 I went to use it and Skype would not connect. I troubleshot my network and the device as best I could but nothing seemed to work. I reset it to factory condition…still nothing. It had to be something external that was the problem.
The Logitech support site was my first tip: Support Ending for Logitech TV Cam HD
Sadly, I discovered that Microsoft had decided to stop supporting a lot of Skype enabled devices.
I called Logitech tech support to see what options I had. At the time these were expensive devices and now they were completely useless. Fortunately they were willing to offer customers of this device a replacement. The Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 was the substitute product. Here it is on Amazon.
After some back and forth I received an email from Logitech explaining the replacement process.
There was an interesting request in the email. Logitech wanted various photos from different angles showing the destruction of the camera. But why?
My guess is that Logitech wanted the Skype cameras destroyed to prevent resale and angry customers
There is some truth to that wager.
Unfortunately Scammers are Still Selling This
Ignorant or unscrupulous people have this bricked camera on sale to unwitting buyers. Some 3rd party sellers on Amazon are trying to sell it. You can find some on eBay too with fake reviews to dupe people.
This makes me mad enough to smash something – so let’s do just that!
Tech Gore!
What I now present is the sanctioned destruction of a webcam for the purpose of getting a replacement.
NOTE: the entire album is also in imgur.
The Aftermath
Now that the product has been systematically destroyed, documented, and shipped back to the vendor I await my replacement. When the box came I thought it looked a little big. Turns out it was some stereo speakers instead!
After going back and forth with tech support I shipped it back and finally received my new camera.
If you liked this then you might enjoy watching me put something together instead of destroy things.
You should have kept the speakers, they were more valuable, and Logitech would still be required to send the replacements. By law they cannot force you to send the speakers back.
You’re probably right about that. Funny enough I have a set of Logitech speakers with subwoofer that work great even after 10+ years.
BIG THANK YOU! I nearly just bought a logitech skype tv camera on the 2nd hand market for 65 USD!!! Some people are still selling unboxed item as you wrote
Glad to help! Sad state of affairs to see people still selling those. It’s good that you didn’t buy one.