Help: OM Webcam Beta & OM-1

[Lester]

Webcam Beta worked flawlessly with my old E-M1X. But isn't working with my OM-1. Installs fine, Webcam Beta recognised by Skype, USB connection recognised by camera, following the OM instructions, but no picture.... Any clues, please? Many thanks!

[Ian]

When you say it doesn't work - can you describe in a bit more detail? is there an error or just a blank screen, etc.?

Ian

[Lester]

Hi Ian

Blank black screen at the computer. Blank black screen on the camera, with "USB" in small letters top left. Yup, lens cap removed (smile)....

[Ian]

Apologies if this is obvious, but I've done it myself, have you enabled and selected the OM-1 as your video source in the software you're using? If you're using a laptop, for example, it may default to your laptop camera.

Ian

[Lester]

Hi Ian

My computer offers "Dell Webcam" and "OM-D Webcam Beta" when I'm in Skype or Zoom or similar. I click on "OM-D Webcam Beta" and get a black screen. The Dell webcam (built into my Dell monitor) works fine when I click on that.

[Ian]

I haven't used the OM-1 as a webcam yet - I'll try to reproduce your setup tomorrow.

Ian

[Ian]

Quick question - I'm guessing you are using Windows? There are 32 and 64 bit versions of the Webcam software - which are you using and is your version of Windows a match in terms of 32 or 64 bits?

Ian

[Ian]

OK, it works for me - which USB option on the camera screen did you choose when turning the camera on?

Ian

[Lester]

Quick question - I'm guessing you are using Windows? There are 32 and 64 bit versions of the Webcam software - which are you using and is your version of Windows a match in terms of 32 or 64 bits?

Hi Ian

I'm running Windows 11 Pro for Workstations ver 22H2 on an Intel Xeon system -- 64 bit. I've installed OWBSetup_64bit.exe.

which USB option on the camera screen did you choose when turning the camera on?

The camera offers me "Storage", "MTP", "RAW/Control", "USB PD", and "Exit". I select RAW/Control (it has a little icon of a monitor linked to a camera) and press OK.

[Ian]

It looks like you are doing everything right. I would consider uninstalling the Webcam software and reinstalling. The only other thing I can think of is perhaps your computer security software interfering, but that's quite unlikely.

Ian

[Lester]

Hi Ian

Thanks for having a look. At uninstall, I notice the version is reported as 1.0.1 -- is that the latest, AFAYK?

[IainMacD]

On this site the OM-1 isn't listed as compatible, but it could be out of date? I will try mine to see if I can get it to work.
On the download page it is listed

[Lester]

Hi both

Went back to the download site and re-downloaded the file. Compared it to the previously downloaded file. They are different (argh) ! Previous file was OWBSetup.exe, copyrighted 2020 Olympus Corp, said to be product version 1.0.1.1, and 11.2 MB. Current file is OMWBSetup.exe, copyrighted 2022 OM Digital Solns Corp, said to be product version 1.0.0.1, and is 41.4 MB. Quite some difference. Huh! Oh, and yeah, it now all works ....

[Lester]

It all did work at the end of April. Went for another online presentation earlier today. Connected everything up. The camera LCD shows the subject (me) for 10 seconds or so and then blacks out. OK. The computer screen remains black at all times. Fired up an online tester (https://webcamtests.com/). It tells me,

"It seems your webcam shows a one-color filling. This may be due to a malfunction or third-party application that “mutes” the video stream."

And,

"It seems your web camera streams video as a static image. Either the webcam hangs, or as a video source, it uses regular image."

Its report reads:

Webcam Name: OM Webcam Beta
Frame rate: 30 FPS
Stream Type: image
Image Mode: grayscale
Webcam MegaPixels: 0.92 MP
Webcam Resolution: 1280×720
Video Standard: HD
Aspect Ratio: 1.78
PNG File Size: 17.32 kB
JPEG File Size: 11.3 kB
Bitrate: 339.14 kB/s
Number of Colors: 1
Average RGB Color: [black]

Uninstalled the software. Rebooted. Downloaded the current file from OM Systems, installed that. Rebooted. Identical behaviour. Huh!

As far as I know, nothing has changed in my computer setup, oh, except for a Windows update a few weeks ago....

Any clues much appreciated, thanks!

[Ian]

Which firmware version on the OM-1 are you on and was it the same as when Webcam mode last worked?

Ian