How can I make programs acccess my Webcam's best resolution?

[Cassandra]

Hi,
I am not sure if this is the correct forum in which to post this question (might 'Hardware Support' have been more-appropriate?), but here goes:

I have just bought a new laptop.
Its webcam supports output in VGA (640×480 pxl), and also HD (1280×720 pxl).

When I open the webcam using 'Cheese' or 'VLC', I cannot select any resolution that is better than the VGA 640×480 pxl.
My laptop's screen is 1920×1080, so the standard VGA window looks very small.
Ok, so I can use my mouse cursor to manually re-size the capture window, but from the dropdown lists that are available in the 'Preferences' dialogs in 'VLC' and 'Cheese' I cannot select any resolution that is 'higher'/'better' than 640×480.

I know that the 'HD' setting of 1280×720 pxl doesn't contain the camera-equivalent of more 'dots-per-inch' than the 'VGA' setting of 640×480 pxls (i.e. an actually-better resolution that will show finer details), but it would be nice to be able to specify a window/capture size that is larger than 640×480.

Is there any way for me to do that?

My 'Update Manager' says that my system is completely up-to-date.
If it's of any help, if I open Terminal and enter...

Code: Select all

lshw

...the details that are returned for the webcam in my laptop are:

Code: Select all

*-usb:1
                   description: Video
                   product: Chicony USB2.0 Camera
                   vendor: Generic
                   physical id: 7
                   bus info: usb@3:7
                   version: 0.06
                   serial: 0001
                   capabilities: usb-2.01
                   configuration: driver=uvcvideo maxpower=500mA speed=480Mbit/s

Does anybody have any ideas?

Slàinte,
Cass.

[Neil Edmond]

Maybe install webcamoid and see what resolutions it offers. It offers a dozen or more different resolutions on my rig.

[mikeflan]

I gather you are clicking on Cheese in the upper left, and then Preferences.

res1.png (15.74 KiB) Viewed 470 times

In that setting I have tons of resolutions for both Photo resolution and Video resolution.
Here are the selections I have in Video resolution:

res2.png (40.67 KiB) Viewed 470 times

But I paid $130 for this camera, and that might have something to do with it.

[Cassandra]

But I paid $130 for this camera, and that might have something to do with it.

I know that I only have a 'cheap' pre-installed camera on my laptop (as opposed to a decent after-market webcam), but it is described as a 'megapixel webcam' on the specs of the machine on the vendor's website, and I have tested it at https://webcamtests.com/resolution - and found that it does indeed support 'HD' (i.e. 1280×720) display. That's 'only' 0.922 Mpxls, and not 'fully' 1 Mpxl, but it's close enough that I'm not bothered.

So finding myself stuck only being able to 'choose' VGA (0.3 Mpxl) - and not the HD resolution of which the camera is capable - from the menus of 'Cheese' & 'VLC' is frustrating.

The camera built-in to my laptop DOES support 1280×720, so DOES anyone know of a way to make THAT resolution appear as a selectable option in the pull-down dialogs in 'Cheese' and 'VLC'?

Thanks in advance.

[Moor1e]

There are a lot of different ways to access the settings menu for the webcam. webcam or PC manufacturer to resolve the issue or send you a new webcam. try to access them via a third-party camera software which will replace you these webcam, take a look at our list with the best 4k webcams available right now.
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