How To Set-up A Webcam
Step 1 : Get a web camera.
Just about any kind will do. There are many cameras for sale under $50 which are perfectly acceptable for most people. However, usually, you can get a better quality image from the cameras costing more than $75. See ShopWebCam Review page for a few examples.
A video camera can be used, but the process is more complicated. If you don’t already have experience with capturing sequences from your video camera, you should consider purchasing a standard computer webcam to begin with.
Software and Drivers
Once you have your camera, you then have a choice to make; whether to install the software and drivers that come with the camera or not. A driver is a special piece of software that allows your computer to communicate with the camera. Many of the newer cameras are UVC, (Universal Video Class) compatible. This means the camera can use standard drivers which are built-in to your operating system (Windows, Mac OS, Linux) and you don’t have to install the drivers that come with the camera.
However, some features of the camera may not work without the drivers that come with it. Which features work, depends on the camera. For example, some of them auto focus cameras won’t auto focus using the UVC driver, others will. Some cameras have various resolutions that arn’t available without installing the drivers that come with it.
Much of the software that comes with some cameras will use a great deal of your computer’s processing power. If your computer is already slow, this can make your poor machine even slower. Much of the software included with most cameras contain things that many people never use, such as turning your face into a talking flower or animal, or special services unique to that camera or manufacturer.
Having the camera put a gas mask over my face may be fun for some, but will you actually use it? If you are going to use a service and the camera is UVC, then you have the option of not installing the extra software. If you decide you want the extra features later, you can install the software then. It is recommend that you don’t install any software that you arn’t going to use. Every time you install software, your computer is altered by the installation process and removing the software doesn’t always set your system back the way it was.
If you decide to install the camera software, or are required to because the camera is not UVC, then make sure you READ the instructions first. Some require that you install the software first, others require the camera to be plugged in first. If you do it in the wrong order, you may not be able to get the camera working at all. Try test webcam when it is done.
Step 2 : Choose a delivery system
How are your images going to get to your viewers? There are basically 3 choices :
Use a webcam service such as webcam-private, webcamchatroulette. This is the simplest system for the beginner. However, this method requires the other person to use the same service in order to see your camera and usually gives the basic image quality.
FTP to your website. Use webcam software that uploads pictures to a website via FTP (File Transfer Protocol). This method is more complicated than #1 and you must have your own website which is FTP accessible. This may be the best method if you have a dial up connection, and expect to have more than one person watching at the same time, or your camera will be pointed out a window like many webcams from around the world.
In house server. Use webcam software that uses your computer as a web or streaming media server. This is not recommended for the beginner because of security issues and complexity of setup. However, this method can usually deliver the best quality images and can offer a much faster image refresh rate than the FTP method, providing you have a high speed Internet connection. Check the streamimg webcams examples.