iSight not working with iChat

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iSight not working with iChat

Hey all, I've read and read and read solutions, so far none have worked, so maybe someone here can help. My iChat isn't picking up a camera for iChat, when I go to the preferences and click on "Audio/Video" it says "There is no camera attached to this computer."

Both photo booth, and where you can change your system picture, works with iSight perfectly.

I've tried resetting the NVRAM (cmd + option + r +p on startup), resetting the PMC (shift + ctrl + option on startup), uninstalled and reinstalled iChat, downgraded perian, and to my knowledge nothing else is using iSight. I know its not my internet blocking it, because I've tried using it on a WAN and a LAN connection, and on 3 different networks with all different ISP's.

iChat video used to work, until a few days ago when I noticed it stopped, thus starting the search for the answer. Anyone have a suggestion? :]

17" Mid 09 MBP, Mac OS X (10.5.7)

Posted on Jul 1, 2009 11:10 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 2, 2009 11:09 AM in response to Brad Manning

Hi,

In iChat Video menu is Camera Enabled ticked ?

In System Preferences > Quicktime > Streaming is the speed at 1.5Mbps ?
Relaunch iChat if you have to change this.

In System preferences > Displays is the setting on Millions ?

8:09 PM Thursday; July 2, 2009

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Answer 2

Brad Manning Author

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Jul 2, 2009 5:03 PM in response to Brad Manning

Yes color is in the millions, and streaming is set to 1.5mbps. There is no 'Video" menu in iChat. When I login, it shows the 'Video' option at the top, then quickly changed to 'Audio' and the option to check 'Enable Video' is grey'd out, making it unable to check it.

Message was edited by: Brad Manning

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Answer 3

Jul 3, 2009 11:57 AM in response to Brad Manning

Ok,

Delete com.apple.ichat.plist
This has to be got to Manually in your Home Folder/Library/Preferences.

This will lose the setting you have made in the iChat Preferences (Font, Colours, Save Transcripts,Tabbed chatting, Menu bar icon) plus it will lose your Saved Status Messages that are not preset ones.

8:57 PM Friday; July 3, 2009

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Answer 4

Brad Manning Author

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Jul 3, 2009 12:16 PM in response to Brad Manning

I deleted everything in that folder starting with com.apple.iChat
Still no luck.

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Answer 5

Jul 3, 2009 12:30 PM in response to Brad Manning

Hi,

Resetting the PMU is doe this way
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1411

Try that.

8:30 PM Friday; July 3, 2009

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

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Answer 6

Brad Manning Author

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Jul 3, 2009 12:47 PM in response to Brad Manning

Yep thats actually the same guide I followed to reset it. Tried it twice with no luck.

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Answer 7

Jul 3, 2009 1:40 PM in response to Brad Manning

Does the camera appear in the System Profiler ?
(Apple Icon menu > About this Mac > More Info Button. Open the Reveal triangles to Hardware > USB)

Does it work in other apps (Photo Booth iMovie) ?

If you go to System Preferences > Accounts > your account and Click on your Current Pic and use the Edit option does the Video camera show there ?

9:40 PM Friday; July 3, 2009

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

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Answer 8

Brad Manning Author

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Jul 3, 2009 2:00 PM in response to Brad Manning

Yes it appears in profiler under USB then USB High Speed Bus.

Yes it works in other applications such as iPhoto, iMovie, etc.

And finally, yes it works under the place where you can edit your account picture, and live video shows there.

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Answer 9

Jul 3, 2009 2:16 PM in response to Brad Manning

Hi,

So System Profiler see the camera and it works in every other app and place except iChat

The Camera info is held in com.apple.ichat.plist and we have reset that

Do you now have access to the Audio/Video menu and the option to Turn On or Off the camera (Camera Enabled) ?

Is system Preferences > QUicktime > Streaming set to 1.5Mbs ?
You will have to restart ichat if you have to change this.

10:15 PM Friday; July 3, 2009

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

Message was edited by: Ralph Johns (UK)

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Answer 10

Brad Manning Author

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Jul 3, 2009 2:50 PM in response to Brad Manning

The menu is called 'Audio' on mine, not 'Video' anymore. The option to switch enabling for the "Camera Enabled" is grey'd out, making it unable to change it.

And yes quicktime streaming is set to 1.5 mbps. And I've reset almost after every change I have made so far.

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Answer 11

Jul 3, 2009 2:57 PM in response to Brad Manning

Humm,

The Quicktime setting is normally the deal maker.
In the Connection Doctor (Audio/Video menu)
The Capabilities option should give further clues if the Internet Connection is not seen as fast enough.

Try deleting com.apple.ichatAgent.plist as this also holds some camera info.

10:57 PM Friday; July 3, 2009

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

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Answer 12

Brad Manning Author

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Jul 4, 2009 6:06 AM in response to Brad Manning

The Connection Doctor (Audio menu) Reads as follows: (Under the capabilites dropdown choice)
Everything has a green check next to it *except for*:
Host Multiperson Video
Video Effects
Backdrop Effects.

All of those have the red X next to them and say (No Camera).

Also, i'm not sure if this is relevenat. The 1-on-1 Video Chat and the Join Multiperson Video, both have green checks like they shoukd, but also say (One-Way only next to them.)

Finally, Ive also deleted the com.apple.ichatAgent.plist along with every other file starting with com.apple.iChat*. I've restarted my computer basically after every change I've made. No luck.

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Answer 13

Jul 4, 2009 11:59 AM in response to Brad Manning

Hi,

Is your Internet connection actually fast enough
http://www.speedtest.net/ (the main window, not the green button)

Video chats needs a min of 100kbps of usable speed.
This should be what is left after your Modem to ISP connction uses up a small amount maintaining the login and after iChat has allowed some spare for other apps (it is deliberately less greedy in iChat 3 and 4.
Your Upload speed is the key. It certainly does not want to be under 100kbps
128kbps may give you enough margin. 256kbps or above would be preferable.

8:59 PM Saturday; July 4, 2009

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Answer 14

Jul 6, 2009 12:05 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Thank you very much. I am not the original poster, but i had the very same problem the other user had/has. I just deleted the preference file in the Library reset iChat and problem solved. Thank you very much!

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Answer 15

Brad Manning Author

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Jul 8, 2009 11:47 PM in response to Brad Manning

Upload / download speed isn't the problem. Here i've got over 2.5mbps download and over 500kbps upload. Its not my router either, because I've tried this iChat on this laptop on different ISP's with the same or greater up/down speeds. I went to an apple store and they recommend that I just do an archive reinstall, because they said I tried everything they would do. I'll probably be doing that in a few days once I figure out where I put my OSX cd's. But out of curiosity, I'd like to figure out what caused this problem.

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