2 USB Webcams, 1 computer, Mac, no go

[ajheyer]

I've seen other posts with 2 camera issues, but not recent with my combination.
Any help would be appreciated.  This is a great app. but can't get 2 cams to work at the same time.

I've got 2 Dynex 1.3 usb webcams directly connected to an 1.8 ghz iMac with OS10.4.11.
I've got v1.4 of iCamSource.  I'm using iTouch on Wi-Fi to do the remote accessing.

I've made extra copy of iCamSource as various posts suggest.  I can view either camera individually.  When I open an iCamSource copy both cameras show up in the pull down menu for Video. But if I try to have both open simultaneously, only the first cam's video shows, the second just shows white screen.  If I reverse the order of opening the 2 iCamSource copies, only the first one's Video comes thru, the 2nd is blank white.

Everything's set with the same ID's and password.  One additional behavior that may offer clue... If I leave the 2 cams plugged in to iMac, even if only 1 iCamSource is open, I can't view via my iTouch.  I get Source Connection Error.  If I have only 1 cam plugged in and it's iCamSource open, I can view fine via my iTouch.  Either cam will work individually if it's the only one plugged in.

Can anyone help with this?  I know Mac is not fully supported, but it sounds like some wizards have found ways to make things work.  

ps:  I'd paste in some screen shots, but can't figure out how to do that on this Forum

[Stefan]

Your Mac's USB bus may have issues running the two webcams simultaneously. There are issues on some computer / device combinations where the USB bus either doesn't have enough power or bandwidth to support the simultaneous running of that many devices.

Are you able to launch any other two other applications (say iChat and Photo Booth) to view both webcams at the same time?

[ajheyer]

I don't have either of those applications.
Looks like you need MobileMe, AIM (AOL Instant Messenger), Google Talk, or Jabber to use iChat and I'm not sure I want to down the path of setting up all that.
Any other ideas to sectionalize the problem?

[Stefan]

You are right in that Photo Booth was included in Leopard and later, but I believe that iChat came with Tiger.

It sounds like a hardware issue, so I would try confirming by trying to run two applications that both access the webcams at the same time.

[ajheyer]

I got a copy of a Mac program called EcoCam (shareware).
I'm able to setup that program so I'm able to view both cameras simultaneously with continuous update.

I also tried running one camera on EvoCam and the other on iCamSource, and was able to view both simultaneously.
...so that's encouraging.

I still would like to view both simultaneously with iCamSource so I can view via iCam on iTouch.
Any other ideas?  Thanks for your assistance!

[Stefan]

Are you also choosing the webcam audio inputs in both iCamSources? Have you tried running two iCamSources, each choosing a different webcam, but both choosing "No Audio" to see if that works?

[ajheyer]

Thanks.  Tried doing what you suggested.  Only the first iCamSource I opened would offer me the choice of "No Audio".  The second would only give me choice of either "Web cam audio" or "built-in input" for audio.  I would get video showing on first iCamSource, but blank white image for video on the second.  If I checked via iCam on iTouch, only the picture of the camera with No Audio would come through.

As another test I hooked up same two cameras to my MacBookPro w/Intel Processor and Mac OS 10.5.8.
Similar to the test on my iMac, the choice of No Audio only showed when opening the first iCamSource, The second would only give me choice of either "Web cam audio" or "built-in input" for audio.  I would get video showing on both iCamSources on this Computer.
 If I checked via iCam on iTouch, still only the first camera that had the "No Audio" on it would show up.

Having Audio set at "No Audio" seems to be helpful but, for whatever reason, the 2nd iCamSource I open doesn't offer that choice.
Any ideas on how to force that?  That might spring free the video for both cams on the iMac.
Thanks again for your assistance.

[Stefan]

Only one showed the "No Audio" choice? If you close both iCamSources and then open them both (without Starting them) do you see the "No Audio" option in both? Are you sure that both copies of the iCamSource are the latest version, 1.4?

I tried launching two instances of the iCamSource on my PPC mini running 10.4.11 and they both had the "No Audio" option available.

[ajheyer]

The only way I can get 2 instances of iCamSource to open up with "no audio" is if I open them with no cameras plugged into USB ports.
If I then try to select one of the cameras, none show up in the Video pull-down so I can't view any Video.

If I then quit one of the instances, and plug in one camera, and then open the 2nd instance again, I can see video for that camera when I "Start" it.
The 1st instance Preferences is still open and "not started".  If I then plug in another camera, it doesn't show up in the Video pull-down, so I can't select it.
If I quit that instance, and re-open it, the other camera shows up in the Video pull-down, but the "no Audio" has changed on it's own to "Built-in Audio" and "No Audio" is no longer available for selection. If I then "Start" both instances of iCS, active video shows up for the instance with "No Audio", but the other instance only shows a blank, white image.

If I then try to view via iCam and iTouch on wi-fi, I only connect with the camera with "no audio", the other just doesn't show up at all.
Again, the key to functioning Video seems to be to have the Audio selection stay at "no audio", but I don't seem to be able to make that happen.
Any other ideas?

[Stefan]

The webcams are not going to appear in the Video drop-down if they are plugged in after the iCamSource is launched, unfortunately.

I confused as to why the "No Audio" option is not available since it should be independent of what hardware is plugged in.

I am trying to reproduce your results ... If you have only one webcam plugged in and start two instances of the iCamSource doe they both have the "No Audio" option available? (This is before "Starting" either of the instances.)

Are these UVC webcams, or do they require drivers to be loaded on your Mac to work?

[ajheyer]

If you have only one webcam plugged in and start two instances of the iCamSource doe they both have the "No Audio" option available? (This is before "Starting" either of the instances.)

Yes, before attempting to plug in the 2nd camera, they both show "No Audio" and the same camera.

The cameras are Dynex 1.3 USB cameras that have no additional drivers installed.  The are recognized by either your iCamSource software or the EvoCam software I mentioned earlier without any action other than plugging into the USB ports.

[ajheyer]

Just to clarify where we're at...
I'm hoping you'll be able to figure out how to get the "no audio" option to show up when I open the 2nd instance of iCamSource when the 2nd camera is plugged in before opening it.

To recap...

If I plug in 1 camera and then open 1st instance of iCS, I see and select "no audio" option.
I can see video and leave Preferences open and "not started".

If I then plug in 2nd camera, and then open 2nd instance of iCS, I see no option of "no audio" (only "built-in audio" or "webcam audio")
If I then "Start" both instances of iCS, active video shows up for the instance with "No Audio", but the other instance only shows a blank, white image.

If I then try to view via iCam and iTouch on wi-fi, I only connect with the camera with "no audio", the other just doesn't show up at all.

[Stefan]

I am still unable to reproduce the "No Audio" not showing up in the second iCamSource. If you click on both iCamSource icons in the menu bar (near the clock) and choose "About iCamSource" do they both state that they are the latest version, iCamSource 1.4?

The reason I ask is that the "No Audio" option is always added to the drop-down list in the code ... There isn't any logic that doesn't specifically add it ...

By any chance do you have any other webcams to test with, just to try some other configurations out?

[ajheyer]

I am still unable to reproduce the "No Audio" not showing up in the second iCamSource. If you click on both iCamSource icons in the menu bar (near the clock) and choose "About iCamSource" do they both state that they are the latest version, iCamSource 1.4?

The reason I ask is that the "No Audio" option is always added to the drop-down list in the code ... There isn't any logic that doesn't specifically add it ...

By any chance do you have any other webcams to test with, just to try some other configurations out?

I did double-check & I do have all cc's of iCamSource at 1.4.
Unfortunately I don't have any other webcams to try.

I did try setting them up on my MacBookPro as I saw in a post somewhere that the usb ports that are on opposite side of the laptop are on separate USB buses and wanted to see if "usb bandwidth" was an issue.  I got a similar response on it though... I could select "No Audio" when plugging in the 1st Camera and then Opening the 1st iCamSource.  If I plugged in a 2nd Camera and opened another iCamSource, the "No Audio" doesn't show up in the pull down menu for Audio, same problem as I had on the iMac.

I guess I'm just going to have to be satisfied with using one camera at a time and re-starting iCamSource when I want to switch.
...until someone figures out how to make "No Audio" show up for the 2nd Camera... and hopefully then it's Video will also work.
Thanks for your assistance,

[jzmn27]

I'm having the same problem with the Audio drop down not populating correctly for the second camera.  No audio doesn't always appear and the second camera will appear as HP Deluxe Webcam KQ246AA #2 in the video drop down but not at all for the audio drop down.