uStream Defaults to iSight, cannot use Logitech Quickcam

This isn’t a review, the issue I came across was a client trying to broadcast using uStream.tv was caught in the middle of a fight between the built-in iSight and the external Quickcam vie’ing for uStreams.tv app’s attention. So the customer of Tidal Consulting couldn’t use his new Logtiech QuickCam Vision Pro webcam because his MacBook Pro’s iSight would become the video source and he couldn’t choose the QuickCam.

Occasionally there isn’t a fix that delivers the 100% functionality you are after.  However with a few added steps, or some modification to your routine, can get you back up and running until a true fix is available.

Here’s the issue:

The QuickCam Vision Pro is driverless — at least it does not use any drivers produced by Logitech — it uses the built-in drivers in OS X (10.5 Leopard) and as best I can tell, it is the same drivers that run the built-in iSight camera in most modern Apple hardware. The issue comes up when useing the Flash based application in uStream.tv which sees your iSight as “USB Video Class Video” unfortunately it also sees the Logitech Webcam as the same thing.  My testing showed some inconsistencies between using a Unibody MacBook Pro and a previous generation MacBook Pro.  The Unibody MacBook Pro will choose the Logtiech QuickCam over the iSight, allowing me only to use the external webcam, however earlier MacBook Pros will only choose the iSight and not give the option of switching to the QuickCam.

The workaround:

The idea is to preoccupy the built-in iSight so when you launch the uStream.tv app,  uStream cannot use the iSight and and allows the Quickcam to become available under the option of  ”USB Video Class Video” . It turns out that Apple’s Photo Booth application will only use the iSight and if you launch Photo Booth before uStream.tv, the external webcam will be available to the uStream.tv application.

Have an issue you can’t get around. Contact Tidal Consulting and find out if we can help.