Webcam shows just black screen in Lucid

[ftmichael]

I have a Logitech Quickcam Chat webcam (USB ID 046d:092c) that's worked with my Ubuntu with minimal problems (just some nVidia driver crap) for ages now. I'm not using nVidia anymore (Intel now), but since my fresh install of Lucid, my webcam doesn't seem to capture anything. It is detected by lsusb, but when I open Cheese, the picture is just black. Skype doesn't give me any video at all, not even that annoying static or green lines. Clicking the Test button in my Skype Options under Video doesn't do anything; double-clicking it gives me a full-screen grey screen - pressing Escape takes me back to the preferences window. After I get the grey full screen and press Escape, the Test button is gone until I close the Options window and open it up again.

Going into gstreamer-properties and testing v4l2 (under Video -> Default Input) just shows me the 'Testing ... Click Ok to finish' window for ages until I close it - no video appears or anything and I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to be seeing. Testing with the 'Test Input' option does give me the coloured lines and static. Testing v4l seems to make it crash, but no error comes up in the terminal I'm running it from.

lsusb output:

Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 004 Device 002: ID 046d:092c Logitech, Inc. QuickCam Chat
Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0001 Linux Foundation 1.1 root hub
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

When I run gstreamer-plugins from the terminal, as it starts I get this output:

gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'artsdsink'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'esdsink'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'glimagesink'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'sdlvideosink'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'v4lmjpegsrc'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'qcamsrc'
gstreamer-properties-Message: Skipping unavailable plugin 'esdmon'

Any thoughts? Is the problem one or more of those missing plugins?

Thanks in advance!

[no2498]

open cheese and set the pic size smaller should help you


hope this helps

[ftmichael]

Tried that ... no change, unfortunately.

[no2498]

that is the norm for gstreamer-properties
do you have gstreamer, good bad and ugly installed

you did not say if it did show in gstreamer-properties
did you try the bottom test button for each 1


open a terminal type, gstreamer-properties click enter
click video try v4l1 and v4l2
click the bottom test button for each 1


hope this helps

[ftmichael]

I do have good, bad, and ugly installed.

Going into gstreamer-properties and testing v4l2 (using the bottom test button, which is for input) just shows me the 'Testing ... Click Ok to finish' window for ages until I close it - no video appears or anything and I'm not entirely sure what I'm supposed to be seeing. Testing with the 'Test Input' option does give me the coloured lines and static. Testing v4l seems to make it crash, but no error comes up in the terminal I'm running it from. It just freezes and doesn't respond and I have to force-quit.

[no2498]

make a new ? as you need a driver
un less gstreamer 10 is not loaded on your install
sorry i cant help any more than this

[ftmichael]

I'm pretty sure I have the correct driver (gspca, which replaced spca5xx as of the Gutsy release). lsmod | grep gspca gives me this output:

gspca_spca561           8415  0 
gspca_main             21199  1 gspca_spca561
videodev               34361  1 gspca_main

[dbloom]

i had a similar problem with a logitec webcam that i knew should work. all i got was a black image, but the webcam was recognized. i noticed that when i was messing with the sound and could tell that it was sourcing the webcam as the microphone.

this may sound too simple, but unplugging it from the USB and plugging it back it fixed it. i mention this because its not something i would have ever thought to try (ordinarily) and not sure why i did, but it did work.

good luck!

[ftmichael]

Just tried, but unfortunately it didn't work. That would have been amazing though. Unless rebooting or restarting X or something might also help?

[no2498]

just seen this it may help you

open a terminal type, mplayer tv://


he said your webcam should come on in mplayer

hope it helps you