Help a Noob: Live video streaming hardware settings

Support & Help Requests Hardware
1

The hardware compatibility issue is the dealbreaker for so many people that are new to Linux like me, particularly audio professionals. But I’m not throwing in the towel until I try to get some help!

I’m used to OBS on Windows 7 but underwhelmed with the multiplatform version, so I discovered WebcamStudio which I find very exciting. Unfortunately, it’s tragically undocumented albeit apparently (barely) maintained. I have the same problem with both applications: I can’t find any way to configure my sources.

I have two C920 cams and an AUSDOM, and I’m able to configure them to my satisfaction with guvcview under which they cruise along happily. When I use any of them as a source for OBS or WebcamStudio, they seem to use default settings - auto brightness and focus, etc - spelling doom for acceptable frame rates.

Is there some kind of process or buried application that determines video hardware settings? Or is it only the humble guvcview that manages to get it right? I’ve tried saving a profile with guvcview and pointing to it from the source in ~/.config/guvcview2 but it just feels like I’m on the wrong track - I can’t imagine other applications have access to that configuration info.

One workaround that almost works is using window capture in OBS, but opening guvcview in three separate workspaces every time I need to stream seems ridiculous. It does, however, confirm that it isn’t a problem with my system - I won’t presume to call it a beast, but it’s certainly capable of running three 1080 sources (i7-4790K, GTX 970, 16GB RAM) - it’s something that guvcview has that the mixing/streaming programs don’t.

Right?

2

Hi Kyle,

maybe VLC?:

https://wiki.videolan.org/Documentation:Streaming_HowTo

3

Thanks wolfman, after about a week of searching, I’ve read that and pretty much every other shred of info I could find. I feel like I’m missing something fundamental because I see lots and lots of users running OBS with no trouble at all.

4

You can add multiple scenes in OBS. your webcam can be just another overlay. OBS is great. Even Jupiter Broadcasting uses it for live-streamin (on an ubuntu MATE box btw).

More info: https://obsproject.com/forum/resources/how-to-record-with-obs-add-a-webcam-text-settings-explained-video.80/

5

Thank you wizd3m. I’m very familiar with the program. I’ve done a weekly live stream with up to 4 cam sources for years with relatively few problems - on Windows. I described my window capture workaround to illustrate that the hardware is working properly. The issue is that, as sources (or overlays, as you say), I’m getting like 5 fps and I know from my experience and from the preview image that it’s because OBS (and WebcamStudio) uses the default camera settings.

6

@kylebronsdon Sorry, then I misunderstood your post. As I do not use a webcam with OBS I really wouldn’t know where to look. Maybe @wimpy can help or you could ask the guys at Jupiter Broadcasting. They use a lot of overlays.