How to Set Up a Webcam

Just got a new webcam and want to learn exactly how to set up a webcam so that someone other than your goldfish can watch it? If so, you'll be glad to know it's not particularly difficult to set up a webcam. All you need is computer, the Webcam itself, Webcam software, and an Internet connection. In fact, you don't even need a specially designed webcam. With the right connection, a standard or digital video camera can be used for webcam images, too.

Installing the software
The first thing you'll need to do, regardless of the type of webcam you have, is install the software (driver) to run the camera. Most webcams come with this software. Before you try to install it, make sure you do actually read through the instructions first. With some cameras, the camera has to be plugged in (to the USB port) before you can install the driver, others want you to plug the camera in after you've installed the driver, and still others show you a message during the driver installation telling you when to plug in the camera. The order really does matter and if you do it the wrong way, the camera may not work.

That said, getting the software and camera to play nice with each other is often easier said than done, even when you do follow the directions. If you've installed everything according to the directions and the camera still isn't working, first try re-booting (with and without the camera plugged in). If you're still getting a "driver cannot be started" message, it could be your driver, type of camera, operating system or a combination. In this case, you'll need to do some experimenting.

Snapshot or streaming?
Before you can decide how to set up a webcam to show images online, you'll need to know what type of broadcast you want. Webcam broadcasts come in two basic formats: streaming and snapshot. With snapshot webcams, images are taken at pre-programmed intervals. A software program uploads these images to a server where the images are saved and viewers download the images from that server. (It's essentially the same as uploading text to your Web page so that people can read it when they visit your site.) Usually a Java applet or some Java script reloads the page with each new image so the viewer doesn't have to.

Streaming webcams, on the other hand, produce continuous motion at 30 fps (frames per second). This is the same rate as on TV, although webcam images usually aren't as smooth as TV. Streaming video is possible because images aren't saved to a Web server. Webcam software takes the picture directly from your computer to the viewer's browser.

Choose your delivery method
When you've decided between snapshot and streaming, you can choose a way to get your images online. There are three basic methods for delivering webcam images: an online webcam service, uploading the images to your own website, and setting up a local server.

Hosting services for streaming webcams
Yahoo, MSN and AOL all provide free webcam hosting and there are a number of lesser-known free hosts like www.teveo.com and www.camarades.com. To use these sites, you'll usually have to install a small program on your computer and this program will send the streaming video to the host's Web site where viewer's can see it. The only problem is that many of them require viewers to have the same service installed on their computer in order to see your webcam. The image quality isn't usually very good, either, but that's understandable considering the price.

FTP for snapshot webcams
One relatively easy way to set up a webcam so images are available at your own website is to FTP the images to your host's server. After you get your webcam installed and connected, you'll need to set up the FTP system in your webcam software. You can also use an application like ConquerCam, Cam2Web, or Coffeecup WebCam. The major disadvantage is that you won't get streaming video this way. This type of webcam software will upload images to your web site at a rate you choose. This means the images have to be uploaded to the server, saved there, and downloaded by the viewer, all of which takes time.

If you want to set up a webcam this, you'll also need to get your Web site to display the images. To do this, you'll need yet another piece of software, which will be installed on your website. Most of these programs are designed either as a Java Applet or JavaScript. Each type has its pros and cons, but both are equally usable. Some of the more popular ones are AmberCam and AnyfCam.

You'll also need to set up the display Web page, but this isn't much more difficult than creating an average HTML page. There are tutorials online that explain how to set up a Web page for a webcam.

Local server for streaming webcams
Many webcam software programs can be configured to use your computer as a server. This will let you have streaming, real-time video, but you'll need a fast Internet connection with a fixed-IP address. The only real problem with this method is that it uses up a lot of bandwidth. While it's not always complicated to set up a webcam this way, it does require some technical knowledge. The method will be different depending on the software you're using, so check the software instructions for exact details.

If you're just starting to learn how to set up a webcam, there are several options you can choose from. The easiest is to use one of the free hosts online, but the FTP and local server method also have advantages. While getting a webcam running isn't necessarily complicated, there are a lot of variables. To learn how to set up a webcam in exactly the way you want, check the instructions that came with your camera.