micolous
commented
3 years ago This code is just a demuxer, which is a very low level component – all it does is split a stream of bytes in Sony LiveView format into JPEG frames that gstreamer can understand. It doesn't make any HTTP requests, or do any of the needed network setup, nor does it even decode JPEG – these are all left to gstreamer and/or your own code.
Things like virtual webcam functionality are much higher up the stack from this, you're better off asking on a gstreamer mailing list about that.
Per FRAMING_FORMAT.md, the framerate is around 18fps, and it's not a guaranteed constant frame rate (it's generated by some Android app running on the camera; yes; the camera runs Android). From memory, the frames were low resolution, something like 800x480. Everything will depend on your camera and what version of the software it runs – and only you can check this (or ask Sony). :)
I've been using my Sony as a webcam with a HDMI capture device (not this demuxer) for many months, which works at 1080p50, but with some caveats:
- You need a dummy battery, the internal battery drains after about 1.5 hours of use. The battery doesn't charge while the camera is turned on, and won't run from USB power alone.
- The camera gets very hot, and if turned off will need a few minutes to cool down before it will turn on again. This is worse when using a real battery. (It will probably even worse if streaming video over WiFi!)
- You need to adjust some camera settings to get a high quality, unmodified feed. There's a bunch of guides and videos online about how to use various Sony cameras as a webcam using a HDMI capture device, which will take you through all the needed steps.
If you haven't purchased any camera, I'd actually recommend either a Canon or Fuji, they have published official webcam drivers that work over USB; but I don't think these run at a particularly high resolution either.
But otherwise, I'd recommend buying a HDMI capture device and a dummy battery over trying to use this as the basis for a virtual webcam.
As for improving webcam quality: getting a laptop's webcam in a good position and improving lighting can do wonders for picture quality, things that you'll need to do anyway when using a more expensive camera. I'd recommend fixing that before spending any money on a HDMI capture device.
Hi there,
In your experience, how is the resolution and framerate? Would this have reasonable potential for the basis of a virtual webcam driver for sony cameras?