QuickCam Ultra Vision (Righlight 2) vs 10.5

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Level 1

105 points

QuickCam Ultra Vision (Righlight 2) vs 10.5

Maybe I can get a suggestion here:

I bought a new (now 6 months) old Logitech QuickCam Ultra Vision with Righlight 2. With Tiger 10.4, it worked like a charm out of the box, and, on iChat and Skype it was recognized as a Logitech Camera with no problems (all third party iSight applications also played well with it.)

Enter 10.5 Panther,... iChat no longer recognizes it, on Skype you can only see a frozen video still on the video preferences window. Oddities: On Skype, camera selection went from "Logitech Camera" only, to "Logitech Camera"/"Leopard iSight Video."

If (on Skype) I select "Logitech Camera," frozen video still "feature;" If I select "Leopard iSight Video,"
it will play for a couple seconds before it bombs,... so, no video with QuickCam Ultra Vision and Panther.

Query: has any other owners experience this, and found a fix, or does anybody know of one?. Help will be appreciated.

Minor FYI: camera is directly connected to G5's USB2 port instead of the hub. Incoming video works only on Skype only, the same with two way voice comm.

Dual 2.0Ghz G5/2.16Ghz Macbook Pro 15, Mac OS X (10.5), iPod: 5G (Video,) Camera: Canon SD900, Phone: iPhone (4Gb)

Posted on Feb 18, 2008 7:29 PM

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Answer 1

EZ Jim

Level 7

22,590 points

Feb 19, 2008 7:00 AM in response to BobGuthrie

Hello BobGuthrie

I do not use a Logitech camera, but because it is a UVC webcam, it should work with your Leopard Mac. I am not so certain about whether the Logitech software might cause problems if you have added or migrated it to your Leopard install. Perhaps some other reader can help you with that info.

If you updated via your Mac's Software Update... feature, you can download and apply the Mac OS X 10.5.2 Combo Update. Be sure to repair permissions before running the updater AND again after the restart that finishes the update.

Users have reported fixes to a variety of audio, video, connectivity, and software conflicts and unreliability issues after properly applying Combo Updates.

If you do not get the help you need here, perhaps you will get better responses from Logitech Support. They even offer telephone or email support and will surely be able to tell you if there are known issues with your system.

If you have not searched or posted in the dedicated Logitech forum, you might find something helpful in threads like this one that include considerable input from other QC Ultra Vision users.

Please let us know how it goes.

Cheers,
EZ

Jim

PowerBook 1.67 GHz w/Mac OS X (10.4.11) G5 DP 1.8 w/Mac OS X (10.5.2) External iSight

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Answer 2

mmills

Level 2

150 points

Mar 16, 2008 3:24 PM in response to BobGuthrie

I have similar issues when using this quickcam ultra vision with Skype and notice the lag when in photo booth and QuickTime Recording. It loses power when in Skype and causes other USB peripherals to also lose power. It seems to work with iChat... Anyone else have any thoughts/solutions?

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Answer 3

EZ Jim

Level 7

22,590 points

Mar 17, 2008 9:25 AM in response to mmills

Hello mmills

... other USB peripherals ...

Video contains a LOT of data and, therefore, requires a LOT of bandwidth. All USB devices on a given bus, including your webcam, share that USB bandwidth. Perhaps giving your camera its own USB bus would give you better results. To test this, remove all other USB devices from the bus your webcam is using.

If you get better results but must have additional USB devices connected while you use your camera, consider moving the other devices to another USB bus on your Mac Pro. You can add a USB 2.0 Hub there if needed to connect them all there.

If you need even more space or speed, consider adding an internal USB card.

EZ

Jim

PowerBook 1.67 GHz w/Mac OS X (10.4.11) G5 DP 1.8 w/Mac OS X (10.5.2) External iSight

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Answer 4

mmills

Level 2

150 points

Mar 17, 2008 9:32 AM in response to mmills

Do you know how the 5 ports break down? Are the rear three on one bus and the front two are on another bus? It seems to happen with Skype, haven't had it happen with iChat yet...
Thanks for your help,
Mike

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Answer 5

EZ Jim

Level 7

22,590 points

Mar 17, 2008 10:11 AM in response to mmills

You're welcome, mmills

You also posted about problems in "photo booth and QuickTime Recording." I suggest you test with QuickTime. Once you know that QT works, you can try the others, but understand that Photo Booth is a simple app with limitations. More info about PB in
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=6848593#6848593

The documentation that came with your Mac Pro should tell you the specifications for your USB ports and channels. The Mac Pro User's Guide that I have seen says that each of the three ports on the back are on separate channels, but yours may be different. Also, be aware of the electrical current draw limitations for USB.

If you cannot find the port info in your documentation, you can find your answer empirically by using the camera alone on a front port. Disconnect all other USB items except keyboard and mouse. If your camera works better alone, you can try connecting other items to the rear ports. Do this one at a time if you want to test whether different items may have different effects.

If iChat works correctly but Skype shows problems, you likely have a problem with your Skype software or settings. Reinstalling may help. If you are using the latest version of Skype and still have problems, check Skype > Help on your Mac or see their comprehensive web-based Support center for your Skype-specific problems.

EZ

Jim

PowerBook 1.67 GHz w/Mac OS X (10.4.11) G5 DP 1.8 w/Mac OS X (10.5.2) External iSight

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