[opensuse] camera, skype, microphone
Joy in every success, frustration in failures, but always an opportunity to learn! and many thanks to all of you who have continually helped me solve the little configuration problems that come up as I get my system started and complete the windows migration! So, here I am now with skype and a camera and a microphone. My microphone is a simple plug in, line input. My camera is an a4tech pk-720mj usb 2.0 camera. I plugged it in and didn't really know what to do. Searched the internet, found a suggestion - download a webcam program and see if it works! So I went to Yast, found 2 packages, wxcam, and webkam. I got both of them. When I open up the program, wxcam has a very good clear image (yea! :) ) Webkam says it cannot find the device (aw :( ). The GUI for webkam does not allow me to select a device - it just says no device found. So using wxcam, I took a test video recording. It records movement fine, but it does not record sound. Yet my camera has sound with it. I opened audacity and set it to look to the usb pc camera (a box next to the microphone) for the input, and it records sound very clearly. The camera is about 2 feet in front of me, so the microphone is of good quality to pick me up well from there. I installed and set up skype. The chat feature works. I tried to get it to use the camera as the sound input, but it will only take the plug-in microphone. It says that pulse audio is managing my sound, so I downloaded pulse audio manager in yast, but I don't know what to do with it. I tested the skype video also. My video is really really dark, but not totally black. It is dark when using skype, but on wxcam, it has a good, clear, bright video. Ok, I know I haven't given a ton of technical specs, only general things. I am wanting to figure out how to: 1 - get skype to be able to use the microphone from the webcam 2 - get the skype video to be bright and clear like it is on wxcam 3 - get wxcam to record both video and audio instead of only video 4 - if there is a better program for managing audio and video input devices, to know what that is and how to use it. It can be gui or command line, as long as I can figure out where to look up the information on how to use the program. I know that my pc is running pulseaudio, but I am not sure how to get the best information. The pulseaudio manager lists under the 'devices' tab the soundcard on the motherboard (alsa_input.pci-0000_00_05.0.analog-stereo), and the a4tech pc camera. Beyond that I don't know what else to put here. Thanks, George -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Tuesday 30 Aug 2011 13:41:05 George OLson wrote:
I installed and set up skype. The chat feature works. I tried to get it to use the camera as the sound input, but it will only take the plug-in microphone. It says that pulse audio is managing my sound, so I downloaded pulse audio manager in yast, but I don't know what to do with it.
I tested the skype video also. My video is really really dark, but not totally black. It is dark when using skype, but on wxcam, it has a good, clear, bright video.
Ok, I know I haven't given a ton of technical specs, only general things. I am wanting to figure out how to: 1 - get skype to be able to use the microphone from the webcam
Install Pulse Audio Volume Control (it's helpfully called pavucontrol), and find your camera microphone in the Input Devices tab. Your soundcard should show up there as well. You may have to select them in the Show dropdown. Bob -- Registered Linux User #463880 FSFE Member #1300 GPG-FP: A6C1 457C 6DBA B13E 5524 F703 D12A FB79 926B 994E openSUSE 11.4 64-bit, Kernel 2.6.37.6-0.5-desktop, KDE 4.6.5 Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 2.66GHz, 8GB DDR RAM, nVidia GeForce 9600GT -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Am Dienstag, 30. August 2011, 14:24:19 schrieb Bob Williams:
Install Pulse Audio Volume Control (it's helpfully called pavucontrol), and find your camera microphone in the Input Devices tab. Your soundcard should show up there as well. You may have to select them in the Show dropdown.
In KDE's kmix this is well hidden in the right-click menu. You can right-click on the sliders and assign streams/devices. Sven -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On 08/31/2011 05:18 AM, Sven Burmeister wrote:
Am Dienstag, 30. August 2011, 14:24:19 schrieb Bob Williams:
Install Pulse Audio Volume Control (it's helpfully called pavucontrol), and find your camera microphone in the Input Devices tab. Your soundcard should show up there as well. You may have to select them in the Show dropdown.
In KDE's kmix this is well hidden in the right-click menu. You can right-click on the sliders and assign streams/devices.
Sven
When I click on kmix, it doesn't open up for some reason. The little icon bounces around for a few seconds and then nothing. I did get pulse audio volume control, and I can see the camera microphone in the input devices tab. However, how do I get skype to look to that instead of the internal audio card for it's volume? The skype sound devices configuration applet only gives the option of "PulseAudio server (local)" for sound. How do I send screen shots on this mailing list? I can do that if it would be helpful. Also, how do I get the wxcam program to read the audio for recording? It is only recording video, but it seems that it should record audio as well. Is there a better webcam program anyone might suggest? George -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On 08/31/2011 05:18 AM, Sven Burmeister wrote:
Am Dienstag, 30. August 2011, 14:24:19 schrieb Bob Williams:
Install Pulse Audio Volume Control (it's helpfully called pavucontrol), and find your camera microphone in the Input Devices tab. Your soundcard should show up there as well. You may have to select them in the Show dropdown.
In KDE's kmix this is well hidden in the right-click menu. You can right-click on the sliders and assign streams/devices.
Sven
When I click on kmix, it doesn't open up for some reason. The little icon bounces around for a few seconds and then nothing. I now have installed pulse audio volume control, and I can see the camera microphone in the input devices tab. However, how do I get skype to look to that instead of the internal audio card for it's volume? The skype sound devices configuration applet only gives the option of "PulseAudio server (local)" for sound. How do I send screen shots on this mailing list? I can do that if it would be helpful. Also, how do I get the wxcam program to read the audio for recording? It is only recording video, but it seems that it should record audio as well. Is there a better webcam program anyone might suggest? George -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On 31/08/11 00:33, George OLson wrote:
On 08/31/2011 05:18 AM, Sven Burmeister wrote:
Am Dienstag, 30. August 2011, 14:24:19 schrieb Bob Williams:
Install Pulse Audio Volume Control (it's helpfully called pavucontrol), and find your camera microphone in the Input Devices tab. Your soundcard should show up there as well. You may have to select them in the Show dropdown.
In KDE's kmix this is well hidden in the right-click menu. You can right-click on the sliders and assign streams/devices.
Sven
When I click on kmix, it doesn't open up for some reason. The little icon bounces around for a few seconds and then nothing.
Possibly because you also have pavucontrol running
I now have installed pulse audio volume control, and I can see the camera microphone in the input devices tab. However, how do I get skype to look to that instead of the internal audio card for it's volume? The skype sound devices configuration applet only gives the option of "PulseAudio server (local)" for sound.
That's fine, its pulseaudio you need to configure. I know how to do this via kmix, but not pavucontrol (or maybe it is padevchooser you need?)
How do I send screen shots on this mailing list? I can do that if it would be helpful.
http://paste.opensuse.org/ (choose image in the top right)
Also, how do I get the wxcam program to read the audio for recording? It is only recording video, but it seems that it should record audio as well.
Make sure you are choosing to record in one of the formats with audio (xvid I think) Tejas -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Am Mittwoch, 31. August 2011, 07:33:50 schrieb George OLson:
When I click on kmix, it doesn't open up for some reason. The little icon bounces around for a few seconds and then nothing.
It only "opens" in the systray, i.e. where you have the icons for the network- connection, the clock etc. on the panel.
I now have installed pulse audio volume control, and I can see the camera microphone in the input devices tab. However, how do I get skype to look to that instead of the internal audio card for it's volume? The skype sound devices configuration applet only gives the option of "PulseAudio server (local)" for sound.
You click on kmix's speaker icon in the systray and then on "mixer" which opens the window. Check that your webcam's micro is in the input devices tab and active. Then start some conversation in skype and you will see that there is an input stream in kmix's input streams tab. This means that skype is listening to that stream. You right-click that stream and pick "move" and then the device it should be moved to, i.e. your webcam's microphone. Another way of doing this is using KDE's systemsettings module for sound and assigning devices to different "actions", i.e. capturing sound/video etc. Sven -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On 08/31/2011 06:12 PM, Sven Burmeister wrote:
Am Mittwoch, 31. August 2011, 07:33:50 schrieb George OLson:
When I click on kmix, it doesn't open up for some reason. The little icon bounces around for a few seconds and then nothing.
It only "opens" in the systray, i.e. where you have the icons for the network- connection, the clock etc. on the panel.
I now have installed pulse audio volume control, and I can see the camera microphone in the input devices tab. However, how do I get skype to look to that instead of the internal audio card for it's volume? The skype sound devices configuration applet only gives the option of "PulseAudio server (local)" for sound.
You click on kmix's speaker icon in the systray and then on "mixer" which opens the window. Check that your webcam's micro is in the input devices tab and active.
Then start some conversation in skype and you will see that there is an input stream in kmix's input streams tab. This means that skype is listening to that stream. You right-click that stream and pick "move" and then the device it should be moved to, i.e. your webcam's microphone.
Another way of doing this is using KDE's systemsettings module for sound and assigning devices to different "actions", i.e. capturing sound/video etc.
Sven
When you say the "system settings" module, which subapplet is it under? I am looking on there, and the multimedia has sound settings but not video capture settings. After adjusting the sound settings there I will test skype later today. George -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Wednesday 31 August 2011 6:12:16 PM Sven Burmeister wrote:
Another way of doing this is using KDE's systemsettings module for sound and assigning devices to different "actions", i.e. capturing sound/video etc.
Sven
The system settings worked! Great, now I can have a conversation on skype without having to hold a desk microphone. Now for the video - where do I need to look to get skype, and the rest of my system, to fix the settings for my webcam? Skype shows the image from my webcam, but it is very dark and therefore basically unusable. WXcam is reading my webcam video with very clear brightness, but it won't record audio. It says the webcam device is on /dev/video0. I can see that file in my filesystem, but I think it is a machine language file or something. I would not know how to open it and look and see what is in it. I do not see anything in the system settings module about how to modify the settings for a webcam. George -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Thursday 01 September 2011 04:52:59 George P. Olson wrote:
On Wednesday 31 August 2011 6:12:16 PM Sven Burmeister wrote:
Another way of doing this is using KDE's systemsettings module for sound and assigning devices to different "actions", i.e. capturing sound/video etc.
Sven
The system settings worked! Great, now I can have a conversation on skype without having to hold a desk microphone.
Whoa! In your precious not, you said you couldn't find the needed sub- applet (neither can I), and suddenly "it worked". Where is this thing that worked.
Now for the video - where do I need to look to get skype, and the rest of my system, to fix the settings for my webcam? Skype shows the image from my webcam, but it is very dark and therefore basically unusable. WXcam is reading my webcam video with very clear brightness, but it won't record audio. It says the webcam device is on /dev/video0. I can see that file in my filesystem, but I think it is a machine language file or something. I would not know how to open it and look and see what is in it. I do not see anything in the system settings module about how to modify the settings for a webcam.
George
-- Stan Goodman Qiryat Tiv'on Israel -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On 09/01/2011 12:46 PM, Stan Goodman wrote:
On Thursday 01 September 2011 04:52:59 George P. Olson wrote:
On Wednesday 31 August 2011 6:12:16 PM Sven Burmeister wrote:
Another way of doing this is using KDE's systemsettings module for sound and assigning devices to different "actions", i.e. capturing sound/video etc.
Sven
The system settings worked! Great, now I can have a conversation on skype without having to hold a desk microphone.
Whoa! In your precious not, you said you couldn't find the needed sub- applet (neither can I), and suddenly "it worked". Where is this thing that worked.
I went to the system settings, scrolled down to the hardware section, and clicked "multimedia". From there I clicked on the icon labeled "phonon" on the left, and then under "audio capture" on the right, under "communication", there was a tab to prioritize audio capture devices. I put the webkam at the top of that list, and now I can be heard by the other side on skype. It still doesn't allow my webcam software, wxcam, to record sound along with video. I am still looking to figure that one out.
Now for the video - where do I need to look to get skype, and the rest of my system, to fix the settings for my webcam? Skype shows the image from my webcam, but it is very dark and therefore basically unusable. WXcam is reading my webcam video with very clear brightness, but it won't record audio. It says the webcam device is on /dev/video0. I can see that file in my filesystem, but I think it is a machine language file or something. I would not know how to open it and look and see what is in it. I do not see anything in the system settings module about how to modify the settings for a webcam.
George
-- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
participants (6)
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Bob Williams -
George OLson -
George P. Olson
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Stan Goodman -
Sven Burmeister -
Tejas Guruswamy