How to Check and Test a WebCam  

Ensuring that your audio-visual equipment, including your webcam, is in working order prior to every meeting is an important aspect of video conferencing etiquette. 

Webcams are not produced equally, some, like the Telycam PTZ camera, are of higher quality than others. Before purchasing a webcam, or if you already own one, before using it for meetings, you should test it and address any issues so there are no unforeseen and disruptive video glitches.

You can either choose to test your webcam on your computer’s native camera app or make use of a few designated software applications which will be mentioned in this article.

Testing Your Webcam With Your Camera App 

Screenshot of camera app on Windows PC
Source: Pinterest

A very practical step in making sure that your webcam is operating properly and producing high-quality video is testing it with your camera app. Following these steps is very crucial if the purpose of buying your webcam is to use it for video conferences, streaming, or any other visual purpose. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to use your camera app to test your webcam.

  • Open Your Camera Application: The very first step to follow when testing your webcam is opening the camera app on your device. On the macOS and Windows operating software systems, you can typically find the camera app in the Applications folder or the Start menu. As an alternative, you can open your camera app by hitting a specific webcam button on your laptop keyboard.

If you still can not locate any of these on your Windows device, you can use a Run Command to open your computer camera. For the Run command to appear, simultaneously press the Windows key + R., type in “microsoft.windows.camera,” then hit Enter.

  • Position your face to look right into the webcam: When your computer’s camera app has launched, stand in front of the webcam so that your face is clearly visible. Make sure the room, or at least the area you are in is well-lit because poor lighting can degrade the video quality. Better still, you can attempt changing the lighting in your surroundings to make it easier to see your face.
  • Adjust the WebCam Settings (only if necessary): The camera application of many webcams gives you access to the focus and zoom settings. You can try experimenting with these options to help you discover the camera setup that works best for you. If the video seems grainy, for instance, you might have to change the setting of the focus. Similar to this adjustment, you might also need to raise the zoom level if you want to capture a larger field of view.
  • Check the Video Quality: Next step is to examine the quality of the video feed coming from your webcam. Check the image for any fuzziness or distortion. If the video seems distorted or unclear, try to change your webcam’s settings or enhance the lighting in your space. You could also make sure your webcam is set to the highest possible quality by checking its resolution.
  • Test Audio (if Mic is present): If your webcam comes integrated with a microphone, make sure the audio is functioning correctly. While using your headphones or speakers of your computer to listen, you should speak into the microphone. The speakers will return an audio feed that will tell you how bad or good it is. If the audio quality is poor and sounding garbled, try changing your camera app’s microphone sensitivity settings. You might also want to look for physical obstructives or damage to the microphone.
  • Check the Frame Rate: Your webcam’s frame rate is the number of video frames captured and displayed per second, the higher the frame rate, the smoother and clearer the resulting visuals will be. While on the other hand, a lower frame rate may make the video look awful. Through the camera app settings, you can check the frame rate of your webcam. You might need to change your camera settings or still, get a better webcam if the frame rate is too low.
  • Experiment with different lighting conditions: The video quality of your webcam can be significantly affected by various lighting conditions. To check how well your webcam works, you should try testing it under different lighting situations, both poor and good. Webcams sometimes struggle under low lighting, so pay close attention to the picture quality in these circumstances. 
  • Use external lighting if necessary: Consider making use of external lighting to enhance the luminance of your face should the video seem too dark or distorted under low lighting. If you’re experiencing difficulties with the video’s quality in low light, implementing external lighting can make your webcam video become smoother. External lighting could be as straightforward as a clip-on light or a desk lamp, but it must not be too strong or too close to your face in order to avoid shadows or glares.

Testing Your Webcam With Common Software Apps 

Telycam 4K Webcam with Microphone
Source: Telycam

You can also check if your webcam works as well as you want it with the aid of some computer applications. Discussed below are some of the apps that you can apply to test your webcam functionality.

1. Microsoft Teams 

Microsoft Teams logo
Source: Unsplash

Microsoft Teams is fast becoming a very popular tool in the industry because it supports video calls of up to thousands of users. To test your webcam with Microsoft Teams, follow the following steps –

  • Put on your PC, then launch the Microsoft Teams software.
  • At the top right corner of the app interface, click on your profile image, a drop-down menu will appear. 
  • Click on “Settings.”
  • When the settings window opens, click “Tab”.
  • By now, you should be able to see a preview of your webcam under “Video.”
  • Click on the “Start a video call” button to test the video. This will launch a test call in a new window.
  • To start the video call, click the “Start Video” button. You will now appear on the screen.

2. VLC Media Player 

VLC media player running on a computer
Source: VLC

The VLC Media Player is one of the most used video tools in the world because it is free. One of the lesser known capabilities of VLC is that it can be used to stream media live from multiple sources. VLC can be used to check what your webcam captures. Do the following to test your webcam: 

  • Launch VLC.
  • At the top left Click “File“.
  • Click “Open Media Device“.
  • Select your webcam from the “Video DeviceName” from the dropdown menu.
  • A visual image of what your Webcam captures will appear on screen.

3. Zoom

An ongoing group meeting via Zoom
Source: Unsplash

You can use Zoom to check if your webcam is in the best working conditions. To test your webcam with zoom, follow these few easy steps:

  • Launch the Zoom program on your computer.
  • Located at the top corner, click the “Settings” icon.
  • Select the “Video” tab from the Settings menu.
  • A preview of your webcam will pop-up under the “Video” option. Your webcam is functioning correctly and is compatible with Zoom if the preview displays the image just as it is.

However, if it displays otherwise, or nothing at all, you might be required to adjust some of your webcam settings.

4. Discord 

A pointer to settings in Discord
Source: Pinterest

Want to know how to test your webcam with Discord? Follow the steps below:

  • Firstly, put on your PC and launch the Discord application.
  • Check the bottom left corner of the app and select the “ Settings” icon. It looks like a gear.
  • On the left side of your User settings home screen, click the “Voice & Video” tab.
  • Under the “Input Device” dropdown menu, select your webcam from the list of devices shown.
  • In the “Video Preview” area, you ought to see a sample display of your webcam. If your webcam’s image appears on screen, it is working perfectly and also compatible with Discord.

Webcam Troubleshooting Tips

An online class with webcam
Source: Telycam

If after following all the procedures in this guide on how to test your webcam and the video is still not displaying properly then there might be a problem with your webcam or the settings on your computer. Try any of these troubleshooting tips:

  • Restart your computer. Restarting your device can help to reset and fix some issues that might be causing your webcam not to function properly. This is the first and easiest hack.
  • Check for webcam driver updates. Usually, installing the latest software update of a webcam can help to fix bugs and resolve most standing issues. Ensure to check in with your PTZ camera manufacturer for available updates.
  • If the problem persists, you might have to contact the manufacturer’s website or a technical support professional for help.

Choosing the Best Webcam

When shopping for the best webcams in the market, you should put the following factors into account:

  • Camera Resolution: For the crispest visibility, go for a webcam with a high resolution, like 1080p or 4K.
  • Affordability: Consider your bargaining power and pricing range and look for a webcam that delivers the best value for your money’s worth. Some webcams are very cheap but they offer only little functionality.
  • Compatibility: Before even deciding to put your money on webcams for sale, it is important that you check and test that the webcam is compatible with your computer or any other equipment you intend to use it with.
  • Field of View: Consider the webcam’s field of view if you want a camera that can record a wide space for group meetings or you just want a broader field when recording.

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