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[JazzyKat]

I just installed the latest version of the Quickcam software on my Win 7 Ult x64 computer only to find that the software is compiled in 32 bit binaries. Ok, this is bit of a rant, but seriously, what happened to the "true" 64 bit software?  My Setpoint software is 64 bit.  Why, especially given the bandwidth sensitive nature of HD cams, is the camera software not 64 bit?  

[gabriel222]

probably because for starters just because something uses tons of bandwith does not mean it can run better on 64 bit

and second all of the work to process the data being inputed is done largly by the driver and to some extent graphics card

[JazzyKat]

Quote: "probably because for starters just because something uses tons of bandwith does not mean it can run better on 64 bit

and second all of the work to process the data being inputed is done largely by the driver and to some extent graphics card"

Negative.  Your information is erroneous and inaccurate.  And yes, if something requires extremely high bandwidth, it does run better on a 64 bit operating system.  Even simple things like the web browser IE9 is much, much faster in 64 bit than it is in 32 bit.  Furthermore, drivers do not equal post processing. 

Quote from Adobe directly: "A number of key trends in video technology and video production will make 64-bit operating system Seven more important moving forward: 

Source: http://wwwimages.adobe.com/www.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/products/premiere/pdfs/cs5-production-...

Q. Why did Adobe make the decision to support only 64-bit operating systems with Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 and After Effects CS5?
A. By optimizing code for 64-bit operating systems, Adobe is able to deliver the performance gains video professionals require. Creative Suite customers benefit from working on the latest hardware and operating systems, and the majority of video professionals have already transitioned to 64-bit capable systems, such as Mac OS X Leopard, Snow Leopard, or 64-bit versions of Windows (Vista, Windows 7). After optimizing and architecting three versions of Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects software for 64-bit systems, Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 and After Effects CS5 now offer native support for 64-bit operating systems. Because 64-bit operating systems offer superior performance, CS5 and future releases of these products will not support 32-bit operating systems. For an up-to-date list of 64-bit 3rd party plug-ins for After Effects, visit http://www.adobe.com/products/plugins/aftereffects/

- As the native resolution of cameras continues to increase, so do the bandwidth requirements—
multiple layers or multiple streams of video increase demands at a higher rate. Only a 64-bit operating
system can keep up with these demands.

- As color depth requirements increase, data rates increase dramatically. For example, a 4:4:4 12-bit file requires three times the bandwidth of a 4:2:0 8-bit file of the same resolution.

- As producers become ever more cost conscious, 64-bit systems can allow producers to shave time from schedules by handling more tasks in parallel.

- As standards rapidly evolve, content creators must work at high resolutions throughout productionto meet the quality requirements for distribution. HD is increasingly common, even for web-based video distribution. Popular video websites now offer HD content.

...On 32-bit operating systems, the 2- to 4-gigabyte application memory restrictions sharply limit how many image frames can be held in RAM at the same time—which in turn constrains the length of full-motion previews and the complexity of projects overall. Even with disk caching and virtual memory, using older versions of After Effects on 32-bit OSes means you may be forced to wait while images are swapped in and out of RAM or re-rendered the next time they are needed.
Resourceful artists have developed strategies to work around these limitations—such as working at lower resolutions or frame rates or using “proxies” of lower-quality sources—but these come with the trade-off of not seeing your composition in its final form while you work.

With After Effects CS5, these limitations no longer apply. Support for 64-bit operating systems means After Effects CS5 can access all of your computer’s installed RAM. This has a dramatic positive effect on the type, size, and complexity of projects you can take on—as well as how fluidly you can work. With After Effects CS5 running on a 64-bit operating system with 32GB of RAM, you can preview a 30-second HD comp at full resolution and at 32 bpc. This enables you to preview
your entire composition at maximum fidelity without interruption."