These are not just questions I figure people might ask; they are actual questions that have been asked of me numerous times. Please check to see if your question is answered here before e-mailing me.
- Which camera gives the best picture? - which camera shuld I buy for my purpose?
- What do all thoes numbers on your website below the camera name mean?
- Is that a real electric meter on the lamp behind you?
- I bought a camera you rated excellent, but my image is terrible!
- Why do the images on some of your high rated cameras have such terrible color?
- How far can I run my USB cable from the computer?
- I can't get my camera to work with my messenger program, can you help?
- I can't get my camera to FTP to my website, what's wrong?
- Can I use FTP to run a streaming webcam?
- If I can't use FTP to stream my camera what can I use?
- I am logged into my FTP account, but I can't seem to upload a file.
- My webcam software seems to be working, but no image is being uploaded via FTP.
- I have a router and people can't view my webcam.
- How do I setup my router with MSN Messenger?
- My camera looks terrible with my IM program, what camera should I buy?
- When I use MSN IM or Skype, my picture looks fine to me, but terrible on the other end.
- How Big will my camera files be?
- Pricing I didn't pay that, where did you get your price?
- Which camera gives the best picture? Which camera should I buy for my purpose?
Read my pages! Look at the sample images! If you have a very unusual situation that isn't covered anywhere in my pages, then I will be glad to try to help, but if you just ask which is the best for..., I may not bother to answer your mail. My webcam pages receive an avarage of 40,000 visitors a month, I just don't have the time.
- What do all those numbers on your website just below the camera name mean?
The odd looking numbers at the top of each page, just below the camera name, are model, part and other numbers from the specific camera I used to do the testing. In some cases they appear on a little tag on the cable just above the USB connector. In other cases they are from the camera body. I tried to include all numbers from the camera for your reference, except spicific serial numbers that may relate to just the camera I have and not one you might find. The last number to the right, inside the parans ( ), is the year the camera model was first manufactured or released to the public. That allows you to tell the difference in my review between different releases of a camera or different models that have similar, or in some cases, exactly identical cases.
- I bought a camera you rated exelent, but my image is terrible.
First, the terms terrible, horrible or bad, are very non-descriptive of a problem. If my images look good on your computer and your image from the same camera doesn't, the problem is not likely to be with the camera, but with either the software settings or your environment. On all my tests, I manipulate the camera software controls to get the best possible image. If you are using automatic settings, try fiddling with the manual settings.
Second, what kind of lighting do you have? Is your lighting too dim, too bright, or is there a bright light or window behind your head? Check out the about my lighting and lighting suggestion pages for some suggestions to improve your image quality. And when you ask for help from someone on a quality issue, make sure to define your problem in terms that your friend or support person can use to accurately understand your problem.
- Is that a real electric meter on the lamp behind you?
Yes it is real and yes it does work. It measures the current used by the lamp. I purchaced that lamp in a placed called the Williamsburg Pottery Factory in south eastern Virginia, about 1993. I've only been back there once since then.
- Why do the images on some of your high rated cameras have such terrible color?
Take a close look at the camera control screens. Some of the cameras only have radio buttons to select lighting conditions, such as daylight, incandescent, or florescent. With no slider control for white balance, it is very difficult to get accurate color. Especially since my walls are such an unusual color, which tends to confuse many of the cameras. And then, on some cameras, when I get my skin tone correct, my red long johns turn purple or pink. If accurate color is a concern for you, look for cameras which include slider controls for white balance or hue. My "best catagory" ratings look at overall satisfaction and image quality compared to the other cameras in the list.
- How far can I run my USB cable from the computer?
See my USB page
- I can't get my camera to work with my messenger program, can you help? (AOL, Yahoo, MSN)
First, check to see if the software that came with the camera works. Can you see yourself in whatever kind of monitor program came with the camera? If not, then there is most likely something wrong with the camera installation. Check the Windows Device Manager to see if there is a problem with the camera. If so, try un-installing the camera and re-installing it again (if the software asks to reboot your computer, unplug the camera before rebooting). Another possible problem is that only one program can access the camera at the same time. (Unless you have special software like WebCam Splitter) If you can see yourself with the software that comes with the camera, and your messenger program reports it can't access, find or use the camera, then the most likely problem is that other software has control of the camera. Make sure that the software that came with the camera is not using the camera. Close down the camera software, (usually right clicking on the task bar tray camera icon will give you an exit option) and try your messenger again.
- I can't get my camera to FTP to my website, what's wrong?
That's a very complicated question. Read my FTP page for some help. I'm afraid I can't help you beyond that. FTP has too many things that can cause problems for me to be able to help you via e-mail.
- Can I use FTP to run a streaming webcam?
No. FTP is not fast enough to upload more than about one frame per second, even under ideal conditions. In most cases you can expect no better than one frame every 10 to 15 seconds. I had one webcam, which used satellite Internet, that at times has difficulty achieving one frame every 2 minutes.
- If I can't use FTP to stream my camera what can I use?
Streaming a webcam requires some type of streaming server software. Some webcam programs come with a streaming server, like VisionGS, others like ConquerCam don't. Look for Webcam programs that have streaming capability or use a service like AOL or Yahoo. The webcam programs that stream from your computer will give better quality images than Yahoo or AOL, but you generally have to buy them and they can be complicated to set up. Another option is to use Microsoft Media Encoder. This is free and it works very well. Check my How to set up an Internet Radio station page for instructions. You will need to know how to forward ports in your router.
- I am logged into my FTP account, but I can't seem to upload a file.
Make sure you have write access to the directory your account logs you into. For example, when I log into the FTP account on my website, I am placed into a root directory one level above my actual website's location. I don't have write access to that root directory, so nothing will upload to it. I have to upload to the /html/ directory, one level down, to be able to store a file. Check with your hosting company to find out which directories you have write access to. Check my FTP page for more details.
- My webcam software seems to be working, but no image is being uploaded via FTP.
If your webcam software has an FTP logging option, turn that on and try running the camera for a bit. Then check the log file. The log will generally give you a good idea of what is going wrong (wrong username/password, no write access, etc.). Use caution with FTP logging. If you are uploading your images every few seconds, an FTP log file can become very large in a very short time, so make sure you turn off the logging feature once you solve your problem.
- I have a router and people can't view my webcam.
If you are trying to serve your images from your house or business, and you have a router, you will have to "map" a port through your router to the computer that is serving your images. The exact procedure for this depends on the make and model of your router. Look for Port Mapping, Port Forwarding, Firewall, NAT, or NAPT [Network Address and Port Translation], (Some of the technical terms for this) controls in your router's instruction manual or menus. See my How To page for more on ports and IP addresses, you can jump down to step 2, option 3. If you have a firewall installed on your computer, you may need to open up a port in your firewall to allow outside computers to access your webcam software. You will have to look through the instructions to find out how, each firewall is different, and there are too many for me to be able to answer that on this page. Another possible problem is your Internet provider may be blocking the default http port 80. If this is the case you will need to use a different port. If your camera seems to be working from inside your house, you know for sure you have your router, ports and firewalls properly configured, and people outside still can't see you, then port 80 is probably being blocked. Again see the How To page for more info.
- How do I setup my router with MSN Messenger?
I have noticed a lot of people coming to this page looking for information on using their webcam with MSN messenger and a router. A little research on Microsoft's website turned up that MSN messenger uses UPnP (Universal Plug n' Play) to communicate with the router and automatically configure the router to work with messenger. If you have had your router for a while, it may not be UPnP capable. If this is the case you will need to purchase a new router that is UPnP enabled. You may have to turn on UPnP in your router; some routers have it off by default. If you have an older router, an option would be to open up your computer as a DMZ (demilitarized zone) through your router. Check your router's menus for DMZ settings. This is not a recommended procedure because it bypasses the security your router gives your internal network. If you do this, I strongly suggest you have a computer firewall in place, such as the one included in Windows XP SP2.
- My camera looks terrible with my IM Program, What camera should I buy?
The specific brand or model of your webcam has little to do with the size or quality of the video stream when using an Instant Messenger program. See the next item for some info on why your pictures might look poor, or see the "I bought a camera you rated exelent, but my image is terrible" FAQ above.
- When I use MSN Messenger or Skype, my picture looks fine to me, but terrible on the other end.
The most common cause is limited available bandwidth. As the bandwidth decreases, especially on a dial up connection, the program will increase the compression of the image to reduce the bandwidth required for the picture, in order to leave some bandwidth for the sound, which has priority over the image. This will produce blotchy images. This distortion is technically refereed to as jpg artifacts. Another effect, which can occur with some cameras, is a general problem with exposure. This is related to the camera drivers and not the internet connection. See more about Instant Messengers
- How can I tell how wide an angle a given camera will cover?
For my tests, all cameras were placed 6 feet 4 inches from the wall behind me (+ - 2 inches). Check this page to compare individual camera angles.
- How big will my camera image files be?
A very complicated question. See my File Size page for the reasons.
- I didn't pay that much, where did you get your price?
The prices I list are in US dollars and reflect what I paid for the camera when it was purchased. As camera models become outdated and are replaced with newer models, the prices charged for the older models normally drop. How much they drop depends on numerous factors, such as how popular the camera was, how many the seller happens to have in stock and how badly he wants to get rid of them. The few cameras listed as "Received" rather than "purchaced" were donated, so those prices reflect the manufactures suggested price at the time the camera was reviewed. Disregarding current international currency exchange rates, and the few cameras I bought on sale (marked as such) you should not have to pay more than what my page indicates.
