Webcam issue under Windows (was in Caption Contest #263)

[RyanCahoon]

Originally Posted by Daniel_LaFleur

Windows usually does not control webcams. The drivers and camera firmware generally do. Most webcams (not all) can generate HTML output so that 'any and all' programs that want to can 'read' the video feed. This is usually set up in the configuration of the webcam. Look in your webcam documentation (I know ... read the instructions ) to see if an HTML feed can be set up and what IP address it would be on. Then read the feed from that IP.

[Daniel_LaFleur], I think you're thinking of netcams, i.e. cameras attached to a network. Webcams usually refer to cameras generally purposed for communication over a network, but generally connect through USB or IEEE-1394 (Firewire). Yes, the drivers control the webcams, but most of the drivers are set up to interface with Window's multimedia driver subsystem, which generally gives exclusive control of a device to one program at a time.

[RebeccaMarils], let me also welcome you to the Chief Delphi forums. After seconding [rtfgnow]'s suggestion, here's a couple of possible answers to your question. There are several commercial software packages out there that do what you describe. Assuming you're using Windows, a quick Google search yields WebCamSplitter and CamSplitter. A little more digging yielded a free download called ManyCam that seems to do what you want. I haven't tried it myself, but it apparently got 5 stars from the C|Net Download editors.

Good luck,
--Ryan