So, what if you could combine those two forms and create performance contests on the Web instead of on TV? That way, anyone could enter, or vote, or even create a contest, without the need for a TV network, judges or any other barriers.

This week, we had a fun time testing a Web site that does just that. The free site, called Bix.com, officially launched today. It hosts contests that include “American Idol”-style stuff like singing, but can range beyond that into comedy, photography, art, lip-synching or even writing.

Bix.com, a free new Web site, lets you enter a competition by choosing from a list of existing contests or by creating your own contest.

The Bix strategy is rather simple: You can either create a contest yourself or participate in an existing contest, and Bix members can vote for you using a thumbs-up or thumbs-down icon. All you need to view entries and vote is a computer connected to the Web. To enter the singing or comedy contests, only a Web camera and microphone are required — devices that are increasingly being built into new computers.

We fooled around with the Bix.com Web site, creating contests of our own, joining existing contests, voting for participants and easily emailing links for certain entertaining entries to our friends. Each process — signing up, creating a contest, entering a contest — only takes a minute. This means you can pay full attention to the site’s entertainment factor, and we think this will make users really enjoy using it.

Currently, the Bix Web site is ad-free, depending for revenue solely on corporate-sponsored contests, which run alongside contests users can start at no charge. These contests are created when a company pays Bix to use its site to host a competition, and the contest winner gets a cash prize paid by the sponsor — not Bix. (Normal contests needn’t carry a prize, and most don’t.) Bix says it will seek alternative revenue sources, including advertisements on its site and user-generated ringtones — yes, this could mean hearing yourself sing when your cellphone rings.

Some contestants were truly talented, while others definitely should keep their day jobs. The types of contests revealed some of the creativity that Bix is tapping, including a beauty contest for “Cutest Pet,” a photography contest for “Funniest Sign” and a comedy contest for the funniest 60-second act. Anyone can view the Bix contest entries, but only Bix users can vote or add comments about an entry.

Songs and lyrics are loaded onto the site for karaoke competitions.

For one of our favorite Bix examples, see: http://www.bix.com/entry/383. It’s an amateur rendition of the Martina McBride song “My Baby Loves Me,” done with plenty of heart and style.

Bix provides the tools for lip-synching and karaoke competitions: music and lyrics for about 2,100 songs are loaded on the site and can appear on-screen, karaoke-style, while you sing along. A built-in application automatically opens to record audio and/or video using Mac or Windows operating systems and their browsers — Mozilla FireFox, Internet Explorer and Safari.

We signed up easily by entering only our email address, a Bix user name and a password. The site offers simple options to enter or create a contest. If you choose to enter a contest a list is opened, revealing all existing contests (past contests also can be accessed). These were organized in a smart email-like format with a preview screen below so as to display thumbnail images of the entries for a selected contest.

Walt found and entered a photography contest called “Cars!” that was filled with 13 different images by simply choosing an Enter Contest option, uploading a photo of his favorite car, and adding a title and description of his photo. In a second, his image appeared alongside the others in the contest, where anyone could see it and other users could vote or comment on it. Now, images on the Bix Web site can’t be enlarged by selecting them, but Bix hopes to improve this.

Voting can be done by selecting an up or down thumb image near the contest’s description, and positive results are shown after you vote (each user is limited to one vote). Here, you can see the user names of those who vote positively for your entry. Your user profile, on another page, will show you a tally of the negative votes for contests that you’ve entered, but not the names of the users who gave you negative votes. We can understand that Bix wouldn’t want to reveal the negative voters by name so as to keep the peace on its site.

Katie also entered a contest called Lip-sync Idol, lip-synching to Celine Dion’s passionate song “I Drove All Night” using an iMac G5 with an Apple iSight camera on top. The software program within Bix automatically turned the iSight on and Katie could see the words and an image of her video recording as she went. She was able to play it back or rerecord it afterward before submitting it to Bix for the contest.

The problem with Web cameras is that even expert lip-synchers might look bad because of audio transmitting faster than visual movement. This happened at a few spots in Katie’s recording and in that of other users in the contest, making their lip movements look a beat behind the audio.

Creating our own contest was uncomplicated, too. We chose from a list of formats that included lip-synch, karaoke, dance, a cappella, comedy, art, photography, beauty, writing and other. Next, we chose whether to keep our contest private, by entering a limited list of email addresses, or to open it to the public. We then gave our contest a title (Scenic Photography) and a brief description before setting the start and end dates.

At any time, you can select your user name from the top right corner of the Bix.com site to see information about your profile, the contests you’ve entered and the contests you’ve started. You can also remove an entry when you don’t want it online anymore. Another option allows you to export your entry to your MySpace page or other Web site, so everyone can see your talent — not just those voting on Bix.com.

For now, winning a contest started by a regular user — not a corporation — just means earning satisfaction. But users who have created some contests already are giving away prizes of their own. Bix just announced a karaoke contest of its own with a $50,000 cash prize.

If you think you’re talented, or if you get a laugh just looking at those who think they are, you’ll enjoy Bix.com. It’s easy to get the hang of, and it has a lot of potential to expand. We think people of all ages with enjoy this user-friendly Web site.

• Email: MossbergSolution@wsj.com.

Over the past few years, however, those extremes have begun to merge. Because of the spread of broadband Internet connections and improvements in cameras, software and computer processors, consumer videoconferencing has begun to look much better. It’s still not as good as expensive corporate linkups, but it’s finally usable.

As this affordable video technology has spread, online services offering video chatting have proliferated. Yahoo, AOL, MSN and Apple all offer videoconferencing. So do a host of less-well-known services, such as Paltalk, IVE and Skype. All are free or have free entry-level plans, but they still cost money to use. For one thing, you’ll need a broadband connection — on both sides of the conversation — to get the most out of them. And, of course, you’ll need a decent camera, with either a built-in or separate microphone.

I expect built-in cameras to become common in all but budget PCs in the next few years, but for now, they’re relatively rare — Sony has been building them into a few models for years, Apple included built-in cameras in its new iMac desktop and MacBook Pro laptop models, and some Hewlett-Packard laptops feature them as well. But most users will have to buy a camera. The biggest brand in add-ons is Logitech, and the best Logitech model I’ve seen is the Quickam Fusion, which sells for around $85 and works only on Windows PCs. The best bet for Mac users is an even better but costlier camera, the $150 iSight from Apple.

Both cameras attach to the top edge of your screen and deliver up to 30 frames of video a second, which is full motion to the human eye. Both include decent built-in mikes. And both also function as still cameras for snapshots. The Logitech has a higher resolution, 1.3 megapixels, while the Apple takes still pictures of under 1 megapixel.

One advantage of the Apple iSight, not surprisingly, is that it’s better integrated into the computer. No software need be installed; you just mount it atop the screen with an included clip or magnetic base, plug it into a FireWire port, and voil?†. In fact, it automatically launches Apple’s built-in videoconferencing program, iChat AV.

Like most Windows peripherals, the Logitech camera is a little trickier to hook up, but not by much. It does require a software installation. The camera plugs into any open USB port, though it needs a newer USB 2.0 connection for full frame rate.

Both cameras have a lens-blocking privacy mode, which allows you to avoid being seen during a video call or conference. Only your voice will be heard. But Logitech goes further — it includes an amusing software feature called Video Effects that permits you to disguise your appearance. You can add animated glasses, mustache, nose, hat and other features to your face. Or you can replace your image entirely with animated avatars of cartoon people and animals, including a dinosaur, a space alien, a cat, a dog or a unicorn. And while these visual effects aren’t exactly Hollywood quality, they do move with you as you speak, mimicking some of your visual expressions, like winking or raised eyebrows, and no special software or video service is needed at the other end of the conversation for your friends to see the special effects.

Once you have your camera/mike combination in place, you’re ready to roll. All you need do is pick your service, find some friends with a camera and mike, and you can start videoconferencing.

Many people who use Apple iPods have grown so attached to the digital music players that they want to listen to them at home as well as on the go. So it makes sense that many different accessories are designed to make it simple to use an iPod at home.

Some of these accessories allow the iPod to play its music using your current sound system. These include special plugs and cords that connect the iPod to your stereo, devices for streaming music over your home network, and tuners that broadcast the iPod’s music over your home speakers using an unused radio station.

But the most straightforward way to play your iPod’s music out loud is by using a set of speakers made especially to work with the iPod. These come in many shapes and sizes, but basically consist of a small set of speakers and a docking cradle for your player so you can use its navigation buttons to select music.

This week, my assistant Katie Boehret and I tested four of these iPod speakers from Bose, Altec Lansing, Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO) and Harmon Multimedia that ranged in price from about $150 to $300. Each device worked without requiring much set-up, and they all charge the iPod while it isn’t being used. Two come with remote controls. We tested each with three different iPods: the iPod Photo, iPod mini and a relatively new 20-gigabyte monochrome iPod.

All products include docks that accept the more recent iPod models, which have a “dock connector” on the bottom. Every device except the Bose can play tunes from older iPods without the connector by attaching a special wire that connects the player’s headphone jack with an auxiliary jack in the back of the device.

Neither Katie nor I claim to have an audiophile’s knowledge of which speakers sounded the best; we just listened to various types of music, like any average user would, and tried to decide what sounded best to us. True to its hype, the Bose SoundDock seemed to emit the richest, most detailed sound, but it also is the most expensive of the four sets of speakers that we tested, and its dock didn’t hold the iPods tightly.

The first two devices we used can easily be toted around because they run either on batteries or when plugged into a wall socket. The $180 inMotion iM3 from Altec Lansing is most expensive device in the company’s inMotion line, while the $150 iBoom from DLO was the least-expensive of the four gadgets we tested.

Altec Lansing inMotion iM3; Price: $179.95; More info: www.alteclansing.com

The iM3 is a modified version of Altec Lansing’s original inMotion portable speakers, but it’s slightly smaller and includes a tiny remote control, which the original speakers didn’t. It weighs just under a pound without batteries and measures about the size of a paperback novel when collapsed. To use the iM3′s speakers you must unfold the book-shaped device, which was a frustrating process at first, but was simple enough once we got it down.

An “on-off” switch is on the back of the iM3, while a power button and two volume buttons are on the front, along with the remote control’s sensor. Four different adapters are included so your iPod will fit into the dock. These are labeled “30/40GB,” “10GB/15GB/20GB,” “mini” and “Old iPod.”

The iM3 comes with the “30/40GB” adapter already in place, so we simply removed that adapter to reveal a larger dock below for our slightly larger 60-gigabyte iPod Photo and snapped the iPod into place. For the mini and 20-gigabyte iPods, we locked the correct white plastic adapter into place, and inserted each iPod. The iM3′s remote saved us from getting up to adjust volume and switch songs over and over again.

The iM3 sounded OK, but — to our untrained ears — it lacked the bass power that came out of the Bose.

DLO iBoom; Price: $149.99; More info: www.dlodirect.com

The DLO iBoom is a simple radio boom box (hence the product’s name) that has a cradle for the iPod where a tape cassette door might usually be positioned. It was refreshingly simple to set up and use, and didn’t require any special unfolding or different adapters for each iPod — all iPods with bottom connectors work in this player’s cradle.

We used each iPod in the iBoom with ease, and since the holding cradle is sunk into the boom box, the iPod stays in place when you tote the device around. An FM radio is built into the iBoom, and a button on the front lets you switch back and forth between the player and the radio. Two memory buttons can be programmed to save your favorite stations, and a large volume knob controls the iPod and radio sound levels.

Though the iBoom isn’t nearly as small or light as the Altec Lansing iM3, a special bag is available to make lugging the iBoom a little easier. This $40 neoprene BoomBag zips around the iBoom and has a shoulder strap, carrying handle and pockets for storing extra “D” batteries — the player runs on six of them.

The iBoom’s sound quality paled in comparison to the three other speaker systems. But it wouldn’t be a bad option if you’re looking for a very basic device that plays music from your iPod and doubles as a radio.

The $160 JBL On Stage by Harmon Multimedia sounded much better, almost as good as the Bose. It’s shaped like an extra-large doughnut, with an iPod cradle carved into the doughnut’s ring, and speakers lining either side of it. Its AC adapter plugs into the back of the unit, next to a power button.

JBL On Stage by Harmon Multimedia; Price: $159.95; More info: www.jbl.com

The On Stage comes with four adapters that are very helpfully labeled with names and photos of the iPods with which they’ll work. As of today, its adapters accommodate the iPod mini, the standard, current-model iPod and the iPod Photo, though the Photo model fit rather snugly into the cradle. A slightly larger adapter for the iPod Photo will be included with On Stage units shipping as of this Friday.

Two touch-sensitive, silver volume buttons labeled with plus and minus signs flanked either side of the cradle, and when pressed simultaneously, they muted the iPod’s music completely.

The $299 Bose SoundDock was rather straightforward. Its design is stunningly simple: a solid rectangular set of speakers measuring about a foot from left to right positioned behind a centered cradle for your iPod. A “minus” button for volume is on the left of the cradle, the “plus” volume button is on the right.

Five dock adapters are included, but Bose had to send us the adapter for our iPod Photo separately. The company says that adapter will be shipped with the SoundDock in May, but for now customers can order it, free of charge, from the company’s Web site.

Bose SoundDock; Price: $299; More info: www.bose.com

We plugged the SoundDock into a wall socket, and inserted each adapter into the cradle before docking the iPods, one at a time. We were surprised to find that the iPods didn’t feel as secure when snapped into the Bose dock as they had when attached to the other players. In fact, when we pressed buttons on the iPod or turned its scroll wheel, the player wobbled enough to bump into the speaker because it was so flimsily docked. A Bose representative explained that this design is intentional because it isolates the iPod from the speaker and vice versa so that neither is damaged by music vibrations.

Though we were able to sit back and use the SoundDock’s credit-card-size remote for limited song navigation, the flimsy way that our iPods connected to the dock came back to haunt us every time we touched the player to browse through menus.

The sound that came from the Bose SoundDock was remarkably good, and it certainly didn’t sound like it was coming from such a tiny digital player. We suspect many users will buy the Bose solely for its outstanding sound quality.

Overall, the Bose certainly produced the best sound, but the JBL On Stage sounded rather good and used cradle adapters that were more secure. No matter which device you decide to use, rest assured your iPod usage doesn’t have to end when you take off your headphones.

With reporting by Katherine Boehret

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

Corrections & Amplifications:

Harman Multimedia makes the JBL On Stage speakers, an accessory for the iPod digital music player. This column misspelled the company name as Harmon Multimedia.