Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Tell HN: Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and now web cams

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

251–260 of 410 posts

Re: Tell HN: Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and now web cams

#251

Post by vhold »

wolfhumble wrote: post #174
fab1an wrote: post #151

It's incredibly annoying that you can't use your APPLE iPhone camera as a webcam for your APPLE Macbook, but instead are forced to use the atrociously terrible cam that comes with the Macbook. I've tried workarounds using the excellent OSB, but there's currently no software that let's you reroute video on a Mac (like Loopback does for audio) EDIT: I stand corrected, as user wolfhumble points out below, EpocCam seems…

There is this, but I haven't tried it: https://apps.apple.com/app/epoccam-webcam-for-mac-pc/id44913...

Looking at the reviews, I see multiple people saying that the developer required paid users to write a review in order to unlock the ability to use the front camera. I think it goes without saying that is an incredibly scummy practice.

Re: Tell HN: Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and now web cams

#252

Post by gtm1260 »

fab1an wrote: post #151

It's incredibly annoying that you can't use your APPLE iPhone camera as a webcam for your APPLE Macbook, but instead are forced to use the atrociously terrible cam that comes with the Macbook. I've tried workarounds using the excellent OSB, but there's currently no software that let's you reroute video on a Mac (like Loopback does for audio) EDIT: I stand corrected, as user wolfhumble points out below, EpocCam seems…

EpocCam is awesome, tested and working on iOS 13 and Mojave. 7.99 for the pro version and my video quality is 10x better than iSight. + I can position the camera anywhere I like so people are stuck looking up at me from a laptop, and I can go back to using clamshell mode on my macbook when at a desk.

Re: Tell HN: Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and now web cams

#253

Post by taborj »

larntz wrote: post #220
lima-lima wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps useful for others: I had this thought as well (that my handy camera is already a high quality webcam) and had great performance on Linux with the app DroidCam [1], which includes the V4Lloopback module when you install the desktop program and presents the android camera as a webcam at /dev/video#. Connected to my computer via USB (ADB) it shows no noticeable latency. This is a bit different to all the IP webc…

I've been using this app also. Works very well with linux. Haven't had any issues except when I updated my system and didn't rebuild the kernel modules. Haven't sprung for the paid version though as I am hoping the back ordered webcam I purchased at the start of this comes in the next few weeks. Remember to rebuild the kernel module if your kernel gets updated!

Works quite well on my Debian box, as well as the Windows machine I use for work. I was able to use the virtual camera the Windows client creates to share with MS Teams.

Between that and OBS Studio [0] which makes it easy to do green screen work, I'm having some real fun with our team meetings. Just make sure you get the virtual camera driver [1].

[0] https://obsproject.com/

[1] https://obsproject.com/forum/resources/obs-virtualcam.539/

Re: Tell HN: Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and now web cams

#255

Post by whatever1 »

vhold wrote: post #251
wolfhumble wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is this, but I haven't tried it: https://apps.apple.com/app/epoccam-webcam-for-mac-pc/id44913...

Looking at the reviews, I see multiple people saying that the developer required paid users to write a review in order to unlock the ability to use the front camera. I think it goes without saying that is an incredibly scummy practice.

They have two app versions, a free with fewer features and a paid with full features. I personally tried first the free to make sure it works, and then I paid for the full version.

Re: Tell HN: Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and now web cams

#256

Post by logfromblammo »

I pulled my old Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 out of storage, to find that the video feed functions only when plugged in to a USB 2 port, and my current home desktop just has USB 3 ports.

I haven't yet tried fixing it, because honestly, nobody really needs to see any of... this. As I gesture vaguely at myself.

Video conferencing is vastly overrated. I'd rather share an image of my desktop or a drawing canvas.

Re: Tell HN: Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and now web cams

#257

Post by neves »

wolfhumble wrote: post #174
fab1an wrote: post #151

It's incredibly annoying that you can't use your APPLE iPhone camera as a webcam for your APPLE Macbook, but instead are forced to use the atrociously terrible cam that comes with the Macbook. I've tried workarounds using the excellent OSB, but there's currently no software that let's you reroute video on a Mac (like Loopback does for audio) EDIT: I stand corrected, as user wolfhumble points out below, EpocCam seems…

There is this, but I haven't tried it: https://apps.apple.com/app/epoccam-webcam-for-mac-pc/id44913...

any equivalent for android?

Re: Tell HN: Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and now web cams

#258

Post by taborj »

ce4 wrote: post #52
lwhi wrote: post #39

I wanted to buy a new webcam; basically because I'm finding half my life is spent using one. Ran into the problems mentioned in the article, and put a Logitech camera onto pre-order. Cancelled that order last night though: possible to use an android phone as a webcam that's most likely better quality than the current generator of USB webcam. I chose this app [1], others are available. [1] https://play.google.com/stor…

How do you use the IP webcam address in programs like teams, zoom, skype? I resorted to buying a magewell hdmi-2-usb converter. Better quality, I can focus and zoom from further away (no huge nose) and depending on your gear you have automatic background blurring (aperture+sensor size) http://www.magewell.com/products/usb-capture-hdmi-gen-2

See the thread above about DroidCam (also on the Play Store). The Windows client loads a virtual camera driver that connects to the stream. You may be able to use it with other IP cameras, I haven't tried that yet.

Re: Tell HN: Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and now web cams

#259

Post by neves »

neves wrote: post #257
wolfhumble wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is this, but I haven't tried it: https://apps.apple.com/app/epoccam-webcam-for-mac-pc/id44913...

any equivalent for android?

I've found these apps:

- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dreamdroid...

- http://www.dev47apps.com/

- http://ip-webcam.appspot.com/

Any opinion on which one is best?

Re: Tell HN: Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and now web cams

#260

Post by PAPPPmAc »

I ran into that the other week as well.

Get a UVC industrial camera with a M12 or CS mount lens to use as a webcam, most are better cameras than the "webcam" models and not everyone has noticed UVC cameras _are_ webcams so the prices are normal.

I grabbed one with an OV2710 sensor (does 1920x1080@30fps, 1280×720@60, and so on) and a 2.8-12mm CS lens for $65 that took a little over a week to arrive (I paid a slight premium from Amazon instead of Aliexpress because it looked like there was US stock... turned out to be the same seller shipping from the same place in China. Oh well).

I'm trying to limp the hands-on portion of some sophomore-level EE courses to the end of the semester, so I've got mine mounted as an overhead camera for drawing/demonstrating/etc. the crap laptop built-in is plenty for facecam.

The major problem is getting the video conferencing apps not to drop cameras to super-low quality, Zoom usually won't even use the full resolution mode of my built-in (except occasionally and apparently at random it decides to and changes the frame by selecting a 16x9 mode instead of the 4:3 it usually picks), and offers no real camera settings that I can find.

Post reply on HN