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[SOLVED] Web cam testing.

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:17 am
by Niks
Mint 8
While trying to find out if a web cam is supported or not i realise that what's missing. A simple test app that just allows to to select any video source.
In the end I used aMSN which is a bit silly really.

I know this question is not truly hardware only, but I think many people could benefit from a built in tester for webcams which by the way don't come up in USB devices in Hard info even when they work!

Any thoughts on this idea ?

Nick

Re: Web cam testing.

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 9:19 am
by remoulder
I have answered your question in another post.

Re: Web cam testing.

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 9:30 am
by Niks
Thx but where ??? is it under webcams or some other title?

Re: Web cam testing.

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 10:40 am
by remoulder
Niks wrote:Thx but where
Arghh, Ok wasn't your post, was thinking about your file sharing question. What I said was you can install cheese to test webcam functionality or just use gnome-mplayer which is pre-installed.

Re: Web cam testing.

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 10:46 am
by Niks
I think it's me getting confused with the forum.
I don't know cheese but I'll check it out I would like to suggest to the "Mintys" that they add a package to distro that just just gives a basic capture test. Many web cams with windows drivers come with a simple test prog. At least you know up front if the cam works before you start diving into the settings of an app. :D

Re: Web cam testing.

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 11:50 am
by remoulder
Niks wrote:before you start diving into the settings of an app.
You don't need to dive into any settings, cheese just works and is easily added, gnome-mplayer is already installed and you just need to go to file | TV | open analogue. No one needs to create another app unless you want to do it yourself, and including extras means something else might not fit on the cd.

Re: Web cam testing.

Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 12:50 pm
by Niks
Good point about CD space I was indeed glad it fitted on a CD not a DVD but at some point Mint will have to switch to DVD anyway.
I would like to see a USB stick version to stop burning cds/dvd which I will throw away a matter of months.Not very environmental friendly is it!

Anyway as Wallace would say to Grommet " Cheese is what we need " ! It finds my TV card and Webcam with the correct information and does exactly what I'm getting at ! Only mythTv and Skype have found my TV card !
How ever gnome-mplaye does not! No TV no web cam. I'm glad to read that Mint is thinking adding VLC as that was THE prog in Windows.

THx for your help Nick