Usb Video Capture (and Web Cam)

[Pussycat]

I've just acquired an EasyCAP DC80 usb Video Capture device which works fine in WinXP (sometimes!).

Is it possible to get this device recognised by PCLos 2012.08?

If so is there any (friendly) app to do the capture?

Less importantly, is the laptop's built in (usb bus) web cam accessible - Realtek, I think, on this Toshiba L350?

[Just17]

http://linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Easycap

Read through that and post back with questions .....

depending on your actual device there is good reason to suppose it is supported by Linux.

[Pussycat]

Wow! Thanks for the link.  I'll read through and report back...

Edit: lsusb indicates EasyCAP is the Somagic (SMI Grabber Device) version so there's lots of reading to do!

In the meantime and just for fun, what about accessing the built-in web cam?

Edit: lsusb suggests that web cam is Chicony Electronics Co

[Just17]

It is probably seen as  /dev/video0  .....  unless there are other video devices attached ......  provided of course it is switched on!

You should be able to view it initially in VLC by opening Capture Device - V4L2 - and  /dev/video0  as the device.


When testing your video grabber that is also a good way to start .....  even if the picture is not perfect initially.


In a terminal do the following

ls /dev/vid*

I expect you to get a response like this


/dev/video0


It might be video1 or other ......  depending on the hardware.

[Pussycat]

Thanks again, Just17.

The webcam does indeed appear as /dev/video0 and Vlc does find it.

Now for a lot of study and experimentation to see if the EasyCAP can be accessed (and more consistently than in Win).....

[Just17]

Thanks again, Just17.

The webcam does indeed appear as /dev/video0 and Vlc does find it.

Now for a lot of study and experimentation to see if the EasyCAP can be accessed (and more consistently than in Win).....

Make sure it is the only device plugged into a USB 2 port grouping ......  usually a group of USB sockets share the power available and the Video Grabbers are power hungry!

An external, powered, USB hub might give more reliable use.

[Pussycat]

You make a very interesting point there.

I've just checked it out. It appears that Grabber and the Wifi share the same bus, both demanding 500ma where there is only 500ma available!  That could explain some of the inconsistency in Win.  Some further experimentation needed there too...!

[Just17]

Each socket is *supposed* to have the full power available .....  but apparently some boards cannot quite deliver the power consistently enough for some devices.

So it is best to keep heavy use devices separate 

[Pussycat]

Just tried it through a powered hub.  It did take the load off the laptop's bus but unfortunately the result was an intermittent picture (at least the direct connection is smooth - when it works!).  I suspect that the Belkin hub must be usb 1.1 but will persevere with experiments... 

[Just17]

I'm not sure what experiments you refer to   

[Pussycat]

"It" is the EasyCAP (SMI Grabber Device) where OP started - and what I'm indicating is that there is no point in my trying to get it recognised by linux until I'm happy that it is consistent in Win (ie elimination of variable factors - and even in Win different capture apps have varying success).

[Just17]

"It" is the EasyCAP (SMI Grabber Device) where OP started - and what I'm indicating is that there is no point in my trying to get it recognised by linux until I'm happy that it is consistent in Win (ie elimination of variable factors - and even in Win different capture apps have varying success).

OK the Easycap ....  but I suggest that performance in Win is not necessarily an indication of performance in Linux ....  there are a lot of factors involved which might influence the performance 

Also .....  be certain that the input to the Easycap is acceptable (to it) ......  I found the output from a stand-alone DVD player to be the best for setting up a video grabber.
I used a Scart to Phono for the video initially, and later used the S-video connector.

[coffeetime]

If so is there any (friendly) app to do the capture?

Kamerka

[Pussycat]

just17 - mmm, but I just want to ensure that the h/w (device or connection) is reliable in o/s the it was provided for.  I'd hate to be wrestling with linux only to discover that it was h/w problem!  However, your suggestion for powered usb is also to be investigated for the reasons given earlier - in particular using a hub that I know is usb2 (the Belkin only says high speed usb and as intimated earlier the results were worse).

coffeetime - isn't Kamerka just for still capture from the web cam?

[Just17]

Guvcview  is the prog I suggest for audio & video capture from the webcam.

VLC will do it too of course.