How to Use a Webcam

Webcams are tiny digital cameras that are attached or built into your computer. They are used for sharing images and video on the World Wide Web. If you would like to learn how to use a webcam, read on, but please--be careful where you point it!

Webcams are a fun, addictive web tool that let you connect with other people and places in real time.Microsoft Home Magazine: Five Things You Can Do With A Webcam Used primarily in chatting applications, these tiny cameras connect to a computer and allow users to capture still images or video and stream those images to the Internet.How Stuff Works: How Webcams Work To learn how to work a webcam with ease, please read on.

• Webcams have some people concerned about privacy issues.New York Times: Webcam's Scenic View Raises a Privacy Issue (May 3, 2001) These are legitimate concerns since webcams show images, sometimes without people's knowledge. Not only that, but webcams are used to show a lot of inappropriate content.The Daily Press: Sexy boom in Montreal (October 3, 2008) This content is not filtered by webcams, although it can be filtered by browser settings and software.How to Set Up Webcam: Webcam Possible Negative Uses

• All webcams work in the same basic way, although they can be upgraded with software or coding to perform more complex functions.http://computer.howstuffworks.com/webcam1.htm A webcam is simply a tiny digital camera, either connected to your computer by a USB port or built into your computer, in the case of many laptops.How Stuff Works: How Webcams Work

• There are two types of Webcams: Streaming and Snapshot.WebCam World: Streaming or Snapshot Webcam?

1. Streaming webcams upload moving images, like a video.WebCam World: Streaming or Snapshot Webcam?
   • -They require a fast internet connection to broadcast smooth video.WebCam World: Streaming or Snapshot Webcam?
   • -Their image quality tends to be relatively poor and the motion is usually not very smooth.MoneySupermaket.com: Guide to Webcams - Part 2 of 2
   • -Setting up a streaming webcams is somewhat somewhat involved process on your computer.MaximumPC: How To: Stream Video from Your Webcam to the Internet
2. Snapshot webcams take a snapshot of the scene every few seconds (can be set by the user) and refresh that image continuously.WebCam World: Streaming or Snapshot Webcam?
   • -Snapshot webcams do not capture motion, only still pictures.LittleBeasts: Web Cam Tutorial
   • -The picture quality is very good.WebCam World: Streaming or Snapshot Webcam?
   • -Snapshot webcams do not use a lot of energy and are much easier to set up than streaming webcams.Google Book Search: Online!:The Book (pg. 573)

• The software is what determines how a webcam works:How Stuff Works: How Webcams Work

1. The software might tell the webcam to take a picture during preset intervals, for example, every 30 seconds. Videomaker: WebCam Buyer's Guide (November, 1999)
2. The software then transfers the image to another location for viewing.How Stuff Works: How Webcams Work
3. High-speed webcams can grab and transfer streaming video.How Stuff Works: How Webcams Work
   • -For streaming video, choose a webcam with a high frame rate of at least 30 frames per second.MoneySupermaket.com: Guide to Webcams - Part 2 of 2
   • -You must have high-speed internet access to properly capture high frame streaming video.Cowboy Frank: Webcams and Speed
4. After the camera has grabbed a picture of video stream (lots of frames), the software will tell the camera to broadcast the image(s) over your Internet connection.How Stuff Works: How Webcams Work
   • -The software saves the image as a JPEG file and uploads it to the web using File Transfer Protocol.How Stuff Works: How Webcams Work

1. The first thing you need to do is install the software so your computer will recognize your webcam.Cowboy Frank: How To Set Up A WebCam
   1. Most webcams come with their own software and instructions which are usually fairly easy to follow.LittleBeasts: Web Cam Tutorial
   2. Some webcams will come bundled with special hardware, which will require extra setup.Videomaker: WebCam Buyer's Guide (November, 1999)
2. Position your camera so it can properly capture the images or environment you want it to. In so doing, there are a few important points to keep in mind:Texas A&M University Instructional Technology Services: What are WebCams? (April 27, 2001)
   1. Webcams don't typically use very sophisticated lenses. Don't expect huge levels of detail from the images/video.
   2. While they capture moving images, webcams will not capture as high quality of video as a camcorder.
   3. Figure out a static (non-moving) camera angle that will best capture everything you want it to
   4. Try to keep the viewing range as small; keep recorded objects as close to the camera as possible.Texas A&M University Instructional Technology Services: What are WebCams? (April 27, 2001)
3. Depending on how you plan on using your webcam, there are different steps to take for completing your setup.

• Now that you've installed your webcam, your computer knows how to use it to record images and video. Getting it setup to broadcast those recordings to the internet will involve a few slightly more complicated steps. There are a few general steps involved, no matter if you're broadcasting snapshot images or streaming video:http://www.littlebeasts.com/webcam-tutorial/web-cam-tutorial.html Web Cam Tutorial

1. Set up a web-server that will host your your broadcast material.
2. Configure your webcam and associated software to send broadcast material to a single data stream.
3. Prepare a webpage that will display your broadcast material.
4. Load your data stream and webpage onto your web-server.
5. Start broadcasting!

Depending on whether you want to broadcast in snapshot (still images) or streaming (video) modes, the specific steps to follow the general outline above will be slightly different. The following pages are the best free resources available online that will guide you through the process:

• Sure, it's fun to point your webcam out the window to see what your strange neighbor is up to when you are not home, but there are other, less creepy things you can do with a webcam as well.Microsoft Home Magazine: Five Things You Can Do With A Webcam

1. Many childcare centers have webcams set up so that parents can peek in at anytime and see how their children are doing.Microsoft Home Magazine: Five Things You Can Do With A Webcam

2. Visit family and friends from afar.Microsoft Home Magazine: Five Things You Can Do With A Webcam Turn on your webcam to let Grandma see baby's first steps, or point a webcam at your daughter's wedding so that family and friends who couldn't make it can still see the ceremony on their computer.Microsoft Home Magazine: Five Things You Can Do With A Webcam

• Many chat services such as Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger and AOL Messenger all have integrated the use of webcams.

1. If using Yahoo Chat: Set your status to "View My Webcam" after your dialog box has opened.Yahoo Messenger: Webcam Video
2. If using MSN Messenger, click on the "Set Up Video Chat" option in your messenger dialog box.Microsoft Home Magazine: Webcam Basics--How Do They Work?
3. If using AOL Instant Messenger, simply click on the "video" tab at the bottom of your chat box.AOL Help: Video Chat Sessions in AIM Software

1. Incorporate webcam video into other multimedia instructional tools in the classroom.Mac Lab Report: Ten Uses for a Webcam (December 28, 2000)

2. Give lectures. Many professors and teachers use webcams to give lectures to their online students.Microsoft Home Magazine: Five Things You Can Do With A Webcam

3. Meet with your boss. More and more people are working from home now, and often use webcams to participate in "web conferences" with their bosses or other team members.Kolabora: Web Coferencing Tools And Technology: A Mini-Guide (June 22, 2007)

• Often, webcams are used to gather information, or keep an eye on a certain situation.Microsoft Home Magazine: Five Things You Can Do With A Webcam

1. A webcam can be used to see what the babysitter is doing with your children.Microsoft Home Magazine: Five Things You Can Do With A Webcam
2. Enable motion-activated image or video recording for added home security.Simple Help: How to Use Your PC and Webcam as a Motion-Detecting and Recording Security Camera (September 27, 2006)
3. Use your webcam as a secure login method for your computer.Lifehacker: Do More with Your Webcam with Free Tools (May 27, 2008)
4. Traffic and weather webcams can help keep people informed of traffic and weather situations on major highways.Microsoft Home Magazine: Five Things You Can Do With A Webcam

1. Play some games that incorporate the webcam into the interface.MakeUseOf.com: Great Webam Gaming With Webcam Mania (October 10, 2008)
2. Run personal media archiving software that recognizes the barcodes for your favorite books and movies using your webcam.Skype: Cool Things to Do with a Webcam (or two!) (October 23, 2007)
3. Set up your webcam to capture fun or silly images.WorldStart: Webcams
4. See the world (or yes, some dirty laundry) through someone's webcam, there are webcam directories that allow you to search by subject and location.
   1. EarthCam is the most popular and oldest webcam network.EarthCam: Top Ten Cams
   2. Webcam World features over 2,000 live webcams around the world.WebCam World: Top Ten Webcams
   3. WebCam Central offers awards for webcams and chooses a random webcam to feature daily.CamCentral: WebCams by Category