Image flipping in iChat using USB cam

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Level 1

5 points

Image flipping in iChat using USB cam

I bought an iContact camera by ezonics because the box advertised that it works with OS X and iChat. The thing wasn't recognized by iChat until I downloaded the ecamm software. In any case, when I open a video window in iChat the image is extremely poor quality (very dark and grainy, no matter the lighting conditions) and it flips upside down and back to right-side up continually. When I open a video window with the ezonics "webcam monitor" program that I got from their site, it's good quality and doesn't do the gymnastics routine. I tried the IOXperts thing as well, still no results. This is on my iBook, I just want a webcam for travel so I can iChat AV with my family, don't want to drop another $150 for an iSight (that's what I have at home on my G4 tower.) Any advice and/or suggestion would be greatly appreciated!

MDD G4 (Dual 867MHZ), Dual USB iBook (500MHZ), Mac OS X (10.3.9), 2GB RAM, aftermarket internal superdrive, 640 MB RAM in iBook

Posted on Jun 8, 2006 6:45 PM

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Answer 1

Scrodee Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 8, 2006 6:50 PM in response to Scrodee

Oh, BTW the camera has an "auto-flip" feature to keep the image right-side up no matter how it is mounted. I have a hankering that this is the issue. I have tried mounting it all different ways to no avail.

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Answer 2

Jun 9, 2006 6:14 AM in response to Scrodee

Hi Scrodee,

I have seen this and seen it reported here with Firewire DV camcorders.

The problem is normally down to the cam being in demo mode.

2:14 PM Friday; June 9, 2006

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Answer 3

Scrodee Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 9, 2006 10:33 AM in response to Scrodee

So how do I get the camera out of demo mode? Should I register it with ezonics or what? I registered my ecamm crap. . . Thanks for the reply!

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Answer 4

Jun 9, 2006 11:19 AM in response to Scrodee

Hi Scrodee,

I was sayiing I had ssen this before with Camcorders.
The implication is that maybe the same problem applies to you.

Does the cam actually have a demo mode ?

I can see nothing on this site
http://www.shopezonics.com/category_s/6.htm

I looked at several of the cameras but can not see they even have Mac drivers or anything about the "right way up" software.

7:19 PM Friday; June 9, 2006

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Answer 5

Scrodee Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 10, 2006 8:39 PM in response to Scrodee

No, I don't think that there is a 'demo mode.' Here's what ezonics sent me:

"If you are having issues with getting iChat to work with the webcam, you will need to contact the support team provided by Apple, as they have working knowledge of the program and any associated issues."

Shouldn't they know about any issues? They advertised on the box that it works with iChat. It's infuriating when non-Apple companies give you the standard response about how the issue is the Mac, not their crappy-*** product. It's like they don't even think about it, or care to try and help. I always get that crap, from Linksys especially. F@#%ers

I guess you get what you pay for. . .

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Answer 6

Jun 11, 2006 1:05 PM in response to Scrodee

Hi Scrodee,

I agree with you.

It is their camera, it's their problem.

There is nothing in iChat itself that flips pics.

iGlasses from Ecamm does but you said you have the iChatUSBCam thing needed to use a USB camera.

Have you got iGlaases as well ?

9:05 PM Sunday; June 11, 2006

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Answer 7

Scrodee Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 11, 2006 2:43 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Yes I have iGlasses as well, but it's only for iSight. USBCam does all the things iGlasses would normally do. . .

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Answer 8

Jun 11, 2006 2:57 PM in response to Scrodee

Hi Scrodee,

I was not aware that iChatUSBCam could flip the picture.

I know the iGlasses does.

I would uninstall iGlasses.
Running the Installer should have the option to Uninstall.

If not you will have to do it manually.
The folders and files are in /Library
Some are in /Library/Input Managers.
I think there is also a folder called Ecamm in the Library as well.

10:57 PM Sunday; June 11, 2006

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Answer 9

Scrodee Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 11, 2006 3:19 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

iGlasses uninstalled, to no avail. . .

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Answer 10

Scrodee Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 11, 2006 3:24 PM in response to Scrodee

OK, so I uninstalled the ezonics software that came witht the camera as well. Now the USBCam software doesn't see the camera, but it remains in system profiler. . . Should I uninstall the USBCam stuff?

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Answer 11

Jun 11, 2006 3:39 PM in response to Scrodee

Hi Scrodee,

Ummm.

This site which is listed here says that at least 2 Ezonics cams are covered by their driver.

Do you know if this is the driver you have ?

I would uninstall iChatUSBCam and then reinstall the driver you have.
Then try iMovie and see if that can see the camera without any problems. (iChat will need the iChatUSBCam)

If that works then try reinstalling the iChatUSBCam.

I can not see Ezonics on this list. This may not preclude it working but it may pay to think about replacing the camera with one that is in the list.

11:38 PM Sunday; June 11, 2006

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Answer 12

Scrodee Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 11, 2006 4:02 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Well, I tried uninstalling everything and then trying all the different crap one by one. Basically, the software that comes with the iContact has the driver. That's all fine and good, because IOXperts and macam do not. USBCam doesn't see the camera without the ezonics software installed, and neither do the IOX or macam things. I do not have iMovie on this computer. I tried restricting the bandwith in iChat preferences. I took it all the way down too 100KB. It didn't fix it, but the flipping is less often and the picture quality is (seems) slightly better. I am going to try and plug the thing into my other USB port and see what that does.

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Answer 13

Jun 11, 2006 4:23 PM in response to Scrodee

Hi Scrodee,

Lets see what tries to load at iChat startup.
Quit iChat.
Copy and Paste the bold text below into Terminal.
/Applications/iChat.app/Contents/MacOS/iChat -errorLogLevel 7

Terminal is in Applications/Utilities.

Now hit enter in Terminal.
This will make Terminal launch iChat and create a log in the Terminal window.

You can use iChat in the normal way.
When the log has listed which camera it can see quit iChat.
Copy and post the log here.

It may or may not say which camera driver it is using but it will tell us which Ecamm bit as loading.

12:23 AM Monday; June 12, 2006

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Answer 14

Scrodee Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 11, 2006 5:19 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

171811.362695
VideoConferenceFramework version 188.0 - 07232004.1 - Aug 25 2004

171811.365783 Checking H263 hardware rules
171811.368587 Satisfied rule #7 (15:0)
171811.444944 ### NEW STATE: to: VC_INIT, from: VC_INVALID
171811.448031 ### NEW STATE: to: VC_IDLE, from: VC_INIT
171811.449868 UPnP init passed
171811.450443 NATTraversal created
171811.451353 Bandwidth based on QT prefs = 1500
171811.462291 Microphone devices:
171811.463630 Internal microphone
171811.465550 Selected mic: Built-in Audio / imic
171811.496691 Microphone devices:
171811.500041 Internal microphone
171811.502794 Selected mic: Built-in Audio / imic
171812.704622 Received VCHardwareCapsChangeNotification
2006-06-11 17:18:12.710 iChat[820] Hardware Caps Dictionary: <CFDictionary 0x3da5d0 [0xa01c00e0]>{type = mutable, count = 4, capacity = 8, pairs = (
6 : <CFString 0x3d4000 [0xa01c00e0]>{contents = "HasMic"} = <CFBoolean 0xa01c0b90 [0xa01c00e0]>{value = true}
7 : <CFString 0x3afe50 [0xa01c00e0]>{contents = "HasDV"} = <CFBoolean 0xa01c0b90 [0xa01c00e0]>{value = true}
8 : <CFString 0x3174a0 [0xa01c00e0]>{contents = "HasQ8"} = <CFBoolean 0xa01c0b98 [0xa01c00e0]>{value = false}
10 : <CFString 0x3da660 [0xa01c00e0]>{contents = "HasCamera"} = <CFBoolean 0xa01c0b90 [0xa01c00e0]>{value = true}
)}
171812.718935 Microphone devices:
171812.722019 Internal microphone
171812.724800 Selected mic: Built-in Audio / imic
171812.727512 Found 0 cameras:
171812.785122 Microphone devices:
171812.788283 Internal microphone
171812.791219 Selected mic: Built-in Audio / imic

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Answer 15

Scrodee Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 11, 2006 5:22 PM in response to Scrodee

Even though the log doesn't say it, I have a camera icon by my avatar in iChat.

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