Webcam : Basic Technical Details and Usage of Webcam

Webcam is a stripped down version of camera that records images and viseos, usually shared through a website, with an application or for Video Conferencing. Webcam is stripped down as unlike even a low end digital camera, usually has no viewfinder or LCD screen, rather the monitor works as the output as well as viewfinder. In an previous article, we shown the trick to use a webcam as a motion detection system to prevent theft.

Basic Technical Details of a Standard Webcam

A webcam or web camera or PC camera is in the product range which is usually a rather low priced segment. Usually Webcam is attached though the USB interface, a few Webcam from some vendors often offers higher quality images using the FireWire or Proprietary interface. Besides the use of a webcam on the Internet, it is also used for the purposes such as video conferencing.

Most webcams have only a limited resolution like 640 × 480 pixels (VGA). For the intended uses, this resolution is usually sufficient. Furthermore Webcams are a cheaper substitute for the expensive CCD cameras in astrophotography too, but Webcam are also suitable for taking images through special instruments like a microscope. Some manufacturers also designs Webcam for using it as network cameras, which directly get connected via Internet protocol or via Ethernet or WLAN.

Important points while buying a webcam, is to check their resolution, color support and the default port used, frames per second of video capture.

Most webcams has only one circuit with just an image sensor. The Processing is usually done by the driver software of the Webcam.

Usages of Webcam

The primary intention to market webcam and to use it was for video chat with relatives living geographically at far distant place, for video conferencing etc. There has been many new good usages added as ideas by various persons like for monitoring a child.

However, the usage of webcam for paid based online dating and vulgar usages has added various newer terminologies itself.