Q: Activating the digital mirror
How can I watch myself on the screen without using FaceTime or to know if someone on Internet is watching me through the screen ? Thank you for your interest ?
iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4), 24-inch Mid 2007
Posted on May 8, 2016 12:49 PM
Hi,
I have a 2006 MacBook Pro that has an Internal camera.
Back them they were called iSight Cameras and iChat was the App it was more aimed at (Messages and FaceTime were not even about back then)
This is my iMac from 2011 that shows the USB devices, both Internal and External of which the FaceTime HD camera is one.
An Internal Camera has long been a part of the Mac's equipment as Standard.
FaceTime is one app that can use it.
Open the FaceTime App does allow you to see the camera view.
Messages can also do it via the Preferences
Preview can't use the Camera but several apps can take Pictures.
Contacts can change the Pic you use and has access to the Camera.
So can the System Preferences > Users And Groups > Your account
Previously if you used Yahoo for Mac (pre Yosemite) you could broadcast your Video pic.
Joining an audio chat with a Buddy would simulate a Video Chat.
Yahoo for Mac no longer works in Yosemite and El Capitan.
Of course iMovie can use the camera.
Little Snitch is a firewall type app that will tell you each and every connection to and from your Mac if you set it up to do that.
For Instance I have it set to allow Messages connections when Logging in
It asks me for all Video and Audio Chats (over the AIM and Jabber services) whether I want to allow them. Same with File Transfers.
And
Of course this does use up resources and can slow the Mac in terms of your physical input needed constantly during connection moments.
being over cautious can make a browser virtually unusable.
The Mac has supported USB 2 Video camera that support USB Video Class (UVC)
When these first came out they were aimed at Vista and were often sold as "Vista Complaint".
The Messages app only uses a square looking pic that is 640 X 480 pixels (0.3Megapixels) that can be streamed at up to 30 frames a sec if you have enough processor for it.
It will also do it is a 4 way conversation if you want.
FaceTime make use of the HD layout so that you can have Portrait like most people use their iPhones or Landscape.
It is fair to say though that whether the Camera is the internal one of your spend more on an external one the OS does not offer the same range of features as quoted for Windows computer.
iGlasses can add some of those http://www.ecamm.com/mac/iglasses/
Having chosen a Computer with an internal camera it does seem pointless buying another.
9:02 pm Monday; May 9, 2016
G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
Mac OS X (10.6.8),
iPhone and an iPad (2)
Posted on May 9, 2016 1:02 PM






