(no subject)

[strredwolf]

I've been poking and proding a webcam and a USB TV module for most of the day.  And I'm getting nowhere.

Mplayer plays it, but then it plays most everything.  Including Video4Linux 2 sources, of which a Logitech Quickcam for Notebooks is as well as a Hauppauge WinTV USB2.  And both report as not having mmap capabilities.

XdTV doesn't like it because of lack of mmap.  Alot of code doesn't like it.

How can I even try to stream it?!?

Comments

[chalain.livejournal.com]

I'm curious to know if you have any luck. I have a Logitech QuickCam on my laptop, and Skype uses the microphone just fine (I use it instead of getting a USB headset like you suggested).

What are the fundamental tools for tinkering with a cam in linux? I don't even know what programs to try running. Running "apt-cache show qcam" says that "you probably want to use the newer video4linux project" but I can't find that.

I would be content with just being able to take a snapshot from the camera at regular intervals, though streaming video would rock. Video with audio would be gravy.

[strredwolf.livejournal.com]

Well, depending on the QuickCam you need to use one of like seven different drivers. My QC for Notebooks uses the gspca driver. Ether way, you need to make sure you have the Video 4 Linux kernel modules installed too, which is the underlining control system for cameras and frame grabbers. ALSA takes care of the USB mike.

From there, there's many programs that'll do "shot-per-second" or something similar. MPlayer can display it. I'm not sure about ffmpeg itself, but VLC seems to be the best I've found so far using Microsoft's Media Server protocol -- to Linux boxes, and the lag is horrendous.

[chalain.livejournal.com]

I need to pelt you with a pile of linux questions when you've got a free moment. Don't want to litter your LJ with pesky off-topic stuff. My LJ username at nightstar works (.net, natch).

[strredwolf.livejournal.com]

Pile away. Just email my web comic's domain, s/www//;

[chalain.livejournal.com]

By the way, this LJ icon was the last snapshot I took with the camera before linuxing this laptop (and rendering the camera useless). It has an insanely close focal distance (about 5mm) when the focus ring is torqued all the way down.