Dreameye

The Dreameye is a digital camera released for the Sega Dreamcast in 2000 in Japan only. It was designed to be used as a webcam and a digital still camera, and there were plans for games to involve the Dreameye.

The Dreameye was only released in Japan, and Dreameye functionality was absent in non-Japanese versions of the games it could be used with. It came with the Divers 2000 Dreamcast, but was also sold separately. The DreamEye can be seen as the first use of a digital camera on a non-handheld video games console.

History

The Dreameye was originally unveiled by Sega in 2000 although it was in development since 1998 and in conceptual stages long before that.

Features

The Dreameye came with a microphone headset, a stand, batteries, software, a cable to connect the Dreameye to the Dreamcast and a Dreameye microphone plug card. The Dreameye takes pictures at approximately 0.3 megapixels (640×480 pixels),^[1] but in order to send them via e-mail the pictures in question had to be first saved to a Dreamcast memory card. Upon transferring the pictures off of the card they resized to a resolution of 320px by 240px.

The Dreameye concept was created as the Dreamcast's answer to webcams at the time. It came bundled with the photo editing program, Visual Park which allowed users to view or send files on the camera, or edit them with seals and stamps on top of the images. Stickers included famous characters from Sega's flagship Sonic series.^[2]

Technical specifications

• Image Device: 1/3 Inch CMOS Image Sensor
• Pixels: 310,000
• Lens: Fixed Focus Type, F2.0
• Focus Distance: 0.5 to Infinity
• White Balance: Auto
• Exposure Time: 1/10sec (can change when used with DC)
• Resolution: 640X480 (320X240, 160X120 also available when used with DC)
• Color Composition: YUV 4:2:0 (4:2:2 available when used with DC)
• Compression for Still Pics: JPEG (Conforms to JFIF)
• Picture Storage Medium: Flash Ram
• Picture Storage Limit: 31 images
• Picture Deletion: Batch Deletion (when attached to DC, can delete individual images)
• Compression when sending: Only when connected to DC, can send uncompressed or compressed.
• Data transfer to DC: 4Mbit/s or less
• Power Supply: 2 AAA batteries used with included battery case (when connected to DC, power is pulled directly from the DC system)
• Auto Power Off: 20 seconds
• Battery Longevity: Can take 300 pictures continuously
• Size:
  • Main body (W=58mm, H=80mm, D=19mm)
  • Battery Box (W=35mm, H=80mm, D=19mm)
• Weight:
  • Main body = 62 grams,
  • Battery Box = 28 grams
• Included Items:
  • Battery Box
  • Connection Cables
  • Microphone Unit
  • Microphone Stand
  • Software, Manual

Supported Games

• DreamPhotoFun
• Visual Park

See also

• Game Boy Camera

References

External links

• Pictures of Dreameye at the Wayback Machine (archived March 14, 2008)
• Article on Dreameye from IGN.com
• Website with info and pictures of Dreameye games and Dreameye's unveiling at the Tokyo Game Show (in Japanese)

Dreamcast
Accessories	Dreamcast VGA Dreamcast Broadband Adapter and Modem Adapter Jump Pack VMU Microphone Dreamcast mouse and keyboard Fishing Rod Dreamcast Gun Arcade Stick Dreameye Samba de Amigo maracas Mad Catz Dream Blaster
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