How to Hook Up a Webcam

Posted on January 2nd, 2009 by monsterguide

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For a time, chatting with a friend or loved one through Internet relay chat (IRC) or an instant messenger service worked well without images. Chatting and instant messaging make it possible for people to connect and to converse with each other at any time, no matter where they are in the world. With advanced technology and faster Internet connections, though, people started to expect more from chatting and instant messaging; many want to see the person they’re talking to as if they’re talking to them directly. With webcams, chatting and instant messaging become much more interactive and personal.

What is a Webcam?

Webcams are small cameras attached to personal computers, notebook computers, and workstations. Like a digital camera, a webcam takes pictures and shoots video footage, and saves the images and records the video directly to the computer’s hard drive. Webcams synchronize with IRC programs, instant messengers, and browsers to broadcast live images and video through an Internet connection.

Early webcams were bulky versions of surveillance cameras and compact video recorders, and took pictures and video of substandard quality. They did get the job done for broadcasting live images and video. Today’s webcams are sleeker, more compact, and have a higher resolution than the ones that came before them.

Choosing a Webcam

Many cheap webcams are available on the market today, and some laptops come with built-in webcams. While these webcams get the job done, you may want to buy a more expensive webcam. When choosing a webcam, here are some tips to keep in mind:

Still resolution. Cheaper webcams can only go as far as 1024×768 pixels in resolution. While this set-up works fine for many computers, a few dollars more for a more expensive webcam will give you a photo resolution of as high as 2560×1600. High resolutions are perfect if you use your webcam for taking still photos.
Video resolution. More expensive webcams have a high video resolution, but the resolution will depend on the resolution of your video card and the speed of your Internet connection.

Webcam Drivers

Webcams are hooked up to your PC via a USB cable. Like all computer hardware and external peripherals, webcams require drivers. Drivers are small programs that allow the operating system and other programs to recognize the newly-installed hardware.

Plug-and-play. Plug-and-play webcams are simply connected to one of your vacant USB ports, and are automatically recognized by the computer. The driver may have already been part of the driver packages that came with your operating system.
Installed drivers. Some webcams may come with a driver installation CD-ROM, or that you can install the drivers through a download.

Positioning the Webcam

Plugging the webcam into the USB port is easily done, but positioning the webcam gets a bit tricky. If you’re going to use your webcam for video conferences, you need to position your webcam in such a way that there’s a clear view of your face and your environment. Here are the steps you need to take to put your webcam in the perfect position:

Turn on the webcam and view the live footage from your computer screen.
Move the webcam around slowly, and check the footage on the monitor to get the desired angle.
Once you get the right position, keep the webcam secure and stable.

The best position to place your webcam is on top center edge of the monitor. Most webcams are fitted with stands or clips that attach themselves to a surface, like the top of your monitor. The top of the monitor is still the best position for the webcam, although you can position the webcam on an elevated surface on the computer table. To add extra dimension and depth to the image recorded by your webcam, you may want to experiment with where you position the webcam.

Troubleshooting

There are times that your webcam won’t work, especially if your operating system is a bit unstable or if you just bought a new webcam. You don’t have to call up tech support or hire a computer technician’s services just yet. Here are some ways that you could get your webcam up and running just in case it doesn’t work:

Shut down the computer and disconnect the webcam from the USB port. Reconnect the webcam to the USB port, turn the computer on, and wait for the device to be recognized by the computer.
If the webcam is still not recognized by the computer, disconnect it from the USB port while the computer is still on. When you reconnect the webcam, the computer will prompt you to install drivers through a CD-ROM or allow it to automatically search for a driver on the Internet.
Replace the webcam with a generic plug-and-play webcam if your computer still does not recognize it.

Webcams make it more convenient for people to talk to each other online. It also makes chatting and instant messaging a more realistic and moving experience that immerses you deeper into virtual reality. With these tips to help you hook up and set up a webcam, you can now visualize your online life in a very different way.