Multiple identical cameras in 2.1.2 on Mac osx 10.6.4 not getting multiple feeds

[antidigerati]

This is just an idea...not sure if anyone has ever tried this when encountering these issues with 2 USB cameras:

Try downloading/installing ManyCam (free software). Add one of the cameras as a video source. Then, add the other camera as a 2nd source. Not sure if it supports it within one instance of ManyCam, so you might have to run 2 instances (if that's possible). If/when you get ManyCam to clone both video sources, then add the 2 ManyCam sources to icamsource. I can't test this, as I don't have a Mac...and therefore not experiencing the issues you're having. Maybe even running one of the video sources through ManyCam will be good enough to get both cameras to work consistently in icamsource.

Let me know if this works, and specify if you used ManyCam for one or for both USB cameras.

OUAnthony, thanks for the suggestion. I tried ManyCam and pointed iCamSource to use the virtual cam created. The quality is noticably diminished but I could get a single camera working.

ManyCam does not allow virtualizing two sources at the same time... nor does it allow two instances -- even when the .APP file is duplicated.

With a virtual source in iCamSource as Camera 1 and the native source as Camera 2 I again ran into the same one-camera-at-a-time problem.

antidigerati

[antidigerati]

OUAnthony - I think somebody else tried using Manycam, and still experienced the problem.  It's still worth trying, since it might not have the same cause in every case.

antidigerati - I'd like you to try a test for me.  First, Stop or quit iCamSource.  Then open iChat and select one of the Logitech cameras as the video input.  Then, while you are viewing video from that Logitech camera in iChat, it should use the other Logitech camera automatically when you run Photobooth.  Are you able to view both cameras simultaneously in iChat and Photobooth using that method?

Hi Jay. I am able to utilize both cameras at the same time by running iChat and PhotoBooth side by side. There were some minor hiccups where one source might stall but usually just switching the source back and forth solved it.

Is there any way to enable a debug mode for iCamSource so it dumps more details of what is going on? I tried running the iCamSource/Contents/MacOS/iCamSource directly in terminal but the stdout supplied is only moderately more verbose than seen in system.log.

Let me know what you think.

[Jay]

I'll have to talk to the Mac developer to see if a debug version is the next step.

In the meantime,  I noticed that you mentioned a powered USB hub in your first post.  Have you ever tried plugging both cameras directly into the computer's USB ports?  If not, please try that to see if it has any effect.

[antidigerati]

I'll have to talk to the Mac developer to see if a debug version is the next step.

In the meantime,  I noticed that you mentioned a powered USB hub in your first post.  Have you ever tried plugging both cameras directly into the computer's USB ports?  If not, please try that to see if it has any effect.

I started off with both directly plugged into the computer and bought the powered USB hub as someone in the forums had mentioned the dual cameras might be too much for underpowered Mini. In retrospect the fact that I could get both cameras working with iChat and PhotoBooth proves that wasn't the issue.

Alright. I'm happy to install whatever and provide necessary logs. I can certainly live with only a single camera on this computer but getting two working would provide me with more camera coverage.

Thanks

[Jay]

When you try to run both cameras in iCamSource, do the lights on both cameras turn on, or just one?

Are you able to run iCamSource with both cameras when iChat and Photobooth are already running?

Also, please try setting the Audio source in iCamSource to "No Audio" for both cameras to see if that has any effect on the behavior.

[antidigerati]

When you try to run both cameras in iCamSource, do the lights on both cameras turn on, or just one?

Are you able to run iCamSource with both cameras when iChat and Photobooth are already running?

Also, please try setting the Audio source in iCamSource to "No Audio" for both cameras to see if that has any effect on the behavior.

When trying to utilize both cameras in iCamSource only the camera that properly renders a video has its light on. The other camera stays dark.

When I run iChat and PhotoBooth (each displaying different cameras) then start iCamSource it will work with only a single camera. iCamSource only renders a single camera and seems to stall the other one. The video feed freezes in whichever app is rendering that feed as well (iChat/PhotoBooth). If I go to iChat/PhotoBooth and switch cameras then switch back it says another application is using that camera.

I have tried with NoAudio selected and the same thing occurs. I've also tried with MotionDetection disabled for all cameras with no luck.

One more piece of data, I took both cameras and plugged them into a different (newer) Mac Mini and started up iCamSource. I had no problems displaying both feeds in iCamSource on this different computer. So this seems to indicate it is very computer specific, and more likely than not a software issue. The cameras both work. Unfortunately I cannot use the new Mac Mini in the dual-camera setup.

Another possibly pertinent piece of info: Let's say in iCamSource I setup both cameras and click 'Start'. Camera A is displaying a feed, but Camera B just appears stalled. If I then click STOP and delete the (working) Camera A and click START again, Camera B is *still* frozen. It is only after I switch the Camera B entry in iCamSource to the other camera and back that it will then start rendering the source correctly.

Hopefully I explained this clearly. I guess my point is something that iCamSource does locks up the second camera and doesn't release it until a new video source is selected for that Camera entry.

[Jay]

Those settings that you're changing when you select new video sources for the Camera entries are in a plist file.  It's possible that file has been corrupted.

Please quit the iCamSource application and then delete your com.skjm.icamsource.plist file in your Library / Preferences folder in your home folder. Then, when you re-start the iCamSource, you will be starting with a fresh set of preferences, and hopefully things will act as expected.