# Ancient Web: Sharp's 1999 Internet ViewCam Sold Video by Email Sharp's surviving 1999 product pages describe the VN-EZ1 MPEG-4 recorder, removable SmartMedia cards, ASF streaming files, and the Windows 95 tools for placing home videos on the web. 2026-10-13 :: Switchboard Tech Services ![Ancient Web: Sharp's 1999 Internet ViewCam Sold Video by Email](https://switchboardtechservices.com/static/images/defaults/articles.webp) Part of the [Ancient Web Collection](https://switchboardtechservices.com/articles/ancient-web-collection/). In 1999, the idea of emailing a home video still needed an explanation. Sharp's Internet ViewCam promotional pages promised to make that unfamiliar activity as ordinary as attaching a photograph. [Visit Sharp's VN-EZ1 Internet ViewCam pages](https://global.sharp/inet-viewcam/). The original product site introduces the **VN-EZ1 MPEG-4 Digital Recorder**, with availability planned from **June or August 1999**, depending on market. Sharp called it a world-first MPEG-4 recorder. That superlative is the manufacturer's advertising claim, not independently established here. ## A whole camera designed around the web The [features page](https://global.sharp/inet-viewcam/text/features.html) emphasizes small video files that could travel as email attachments or be included on websites. The camera recorded to **SmartMedia** cards instead of videotape, and its clips used Microsoft's **Advanced Streaming Format**, or ASF, with MPEG-4 compression. The [specification sheet](https://global.sharp/inet-viewcam/text/spec.html) makes the early internet constraints tangible. The included memory card held **4 MB**. Larger cards of up to **32 MB** were advertised, with recording time dependent on quality and data rate. Low-quality video could be just **160×120 pixels** at roughly **28.8 kilobits per second**, a rate chosen for modem-era communication. At higher quality, a 32 MB card could hold only minutes of video. Still images were **640×480 JPEGs**, captured by a 350,000-pixel CCD. The camera used four AA batteries, had a small 1.8-inch LCD screen, and weighed about 148 grams without its batteries and card. Sharp also supplied **PixLab** media software for Windows 95 and 98. Its tools included a browser for stored clips, an ASF extractor, a bitrate adapter, and an HTML creator for preparing material to place online. The specifications refer to Internet Explorer 4 or 5, DirectX 6.1, and a Pentium-class processor. These are not contemporary purchasing instructions; the camera, software, formats, and operating systems belong to a particular transition in consumer media. The pages have endured with their introductory pitch and requirements intact. Most phones now record and send high-definition video without a user thinking about file formats. Sharp's surviving product site shows how much engineering and explanation were once required to move a tiny moving picture onto the internet. [Read the original features and specifications](https://global.sharp/inet-viewcam/text/spec.html). Part of the [Ancient Web Collection](https://switchboardtechservices.com/articles/ancient-web-collection/). - Categories: [Ancient Web](https://switchboardtechservices.com/articles/categories/ancient-web/) - Tags: [#ancientweb](https://switchboardtechservices.com/articles/tags/ancientweb/), [#digitalcameras](https://switchboardtechservices.com/articles/tags/digitalcameras/), [#1999](https://switchboardtechservices.com/articles/tags/1999/), [#hardwarehistory](https://switchboardtechservices.com/articles/tags/hardwarehistory/), [#webvideo](https://switchboardtechservices.com/articles/tags/webvideo/) [Articles RSS](https://switchboardtechservices.com/feeds/articles.xml "Subscribe using an RSS reader") --- Canonical URL: https://switchboardtechservices.com/articles/ancient-web-sharps-1999-internet-viewcam-sold-video-by-email/ Language: en-us Content type: article Author: Switchboard Tech Services Published: 2026-10-13T06:54:49+00:00 Modified: 2026-10-18T21:04:31.278594+00:00