Low Resolution Viewpub is an appealing concept but the delivery lets it down. Under normal circumstances, it is not possible to objectively monitor the activities which are transpiring in the pub, for two reasons. One, as a pubgoer, you are an active participant and your perspective is naturally subjective. Two, chances are that inebriation will prevent any impartial scrutiny.
Put simply, Viewcam offers webcam video from six London pubs (The Railway Tavern, Liverpool St; The Sherlock Holmes, Westminster; The Fox, Putney; The Hendon, Hendon (natch); The Hogwash, Watford; The Tournament, Earls Court). A problem immediately arises in that, by all accounts, these pubs sound shit. The only one I have personally visited is The Railway Tavern and, even for a pub whose USP is offering in-house Pizza Hut, it really is bad. The Sherlock Holmes appears to be a deerstalker-themed tourist trap. The Hogwash? Give me strength.
I’m afraid that the webcam footage can’t confirm whether these pubs are any good though, because it is presented in glorious ZX81Vision. Jerky, pixellated blobs sway with their barely discernible pints across your browser. It’s all the ennui you would expect from a webcam and less.
Worst of all, live pictures are only available from 6.00pm to closing time… when you should be in the pub, not watching it. A lunchtime camera, showing members of staff boozing and troughing their Wetherburgers, would be much more entertaining.