Camera not working with Lync 2013 Web App

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Level 1

5 points

Camera not working with Lync 2013 Web App

I have an iMac 27" and a MacBook Pro 15” Retina purchased brand new from Apple in early 2014. They run great, but I can’t share video in Lync 2013 Web App meetings. Here’s hoping somebody here can tell me how to resolve this, or tell me definitively that it’s not fixable.

I have Microsoft Office365 though my company. I have Outlook for Mac 2011 and Lync for Mac 2011 installed. Firefox is set as my default browser.

When I click Join Lync Meeting in Outlook, Firefox pops up, I log into Office365, and join the meeting in Lync 2013 Web App just fine. I unmute myself and folks can hear me, so audio is working fine. But when I share video, I see a black box where the picture should be.

I can share audio and video on my iMac in the Lync Web App successfully (there’s an annoying echo problem with the Lync Web App audio on my iMac, but I posted another discussion about that). But I can’t share video on the MBP.

Here's what I've tried:

⁃ Rejoining the meeting

⁃ Completely uninstalling Lync for Mac 2011 and reinstalling version 14.0.7, per http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2691870

⁃ Replacing the AppleCamera.plugin file with a version before Mavericks, per https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5162389

⁃ Futzing around with the Lync preferences

⁃ Changing my default browser from Safari to Firefox so the Lync Web App uses the latter browser

Nothing has worked. So why can't I share video in the Lync Web App on my MBP? I thought perhaps there’s a hardware difference between the cameras on the two boxes which might contribute to the problem, but I don’t know enough to say. Other than that, I'm stumped. The two boxes have the same software and the same setup, as far as I can tell.

Googling suggested that several people had the black box problem on MBPs, but that was for the Lync desktop app, which appears to work fine for me. This seems to be a problem with the Lync Web App only.

This is quite frustrating. Any help will be greatly appreciated. If I can't join Lync meetings via the Lync Web App, that will hamper when I need to do.

Thanks.

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013)

Posted on Feb 10, 2014 5:14 AM

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Answer 1

jdjones1

Level 1

0 points

Feb 13, 2014 7:40 PM in response to roywithamac

Hello,

I am having the same issues. I run Office 365 and Lyn 2013 does not recognize the camera. I have went around the world with this issue. From what I am being told is it is a Lync issue. Mine worked fine before OS Mavericks. When I upgraded, this is when I started having issues. However, if you ise Lync 2011, there is a fix by Microsoft. I downloaded it and now that part works fine. I am running Windows 8.1 on Parallels. Everyone has pointed the finger at each other. Search for Update for Lync 2011 and at least you will be able to use it on Mac.

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Answer 2

roywithamac Author

Level 1

5 points

Feb 14, 2014 4:13 PM in response to jdjones1

What's most frustrating is that the issue I'm referring to doesn't seem to affect the Lync desktop app. That's running fine on my MBP, and I can share video without a hitch. But the Lync Web App doesn't work, which is maddening. Every invitation I get to a meeting is via a Join Lync Meeting link in an Outlook message, so I can't just use the desktop app (that I know of). I have to follow that link, which then means I can't share video.

I have downloaded and installed Lync 14.0.7, which is what everybody says will fix the problem. It doesn't, at least not for me. As I said, the Lync desktop app doesn't have issues. Only the web app does.

Maybe there's simply no fix for the web app problem. It would be nice to have somebody in the know confirm that as a fact.

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Answer 3

Apr 1, 2014 9:42 AM in response to roywithamac

Exact same problem. I have to be invited to the meeting if not I then get routed through the web app which doesn't initialize the camera.

Little frustrating since Office 365 touts that it works so well on Apple.

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