Webcams have been used on theInternet as early as 1993, and the first widespread commercial one became available in 1994. Early webcam usage on the Internet was primarily limited to stationary shots streamed to web sites. In the late 1990s and early 2000s,instant messaging clients added support for webcams, increasing their popularity in video conferencing. Computer manufacturers later started integrating webcams intolaptop hardware. In 2020, theCOVID-19 pandemic caused a shortage of webcams due to the increased number of peopleworking from home and children attending school remotely.
First developed in 1991, a webcam was pointed at theTrojan Room coffee pot in theCambridge University Computer Science Department (initially operating over a local network instead of the web). The camera was finally switched off on August 22, 2001. The final image captured by the camera can still be viewed at its homepage.[1][2] The oldest continuously operating webcam,San Francisco State University'sFogCam, has run since 1994 and is still operating as of October 2025.[update] It updates every 20 seconds.[3]
SGI IndyCam
TheSGI Indy, released in 1993, is the first commercial computer to have a standard video camera,[4] and the first SGI computer to have standard video inputs.[5]
The maximum supported input resolution is 640×480 forNTSC or 768×576 forPAL. A fast machine is required to capture at either of these resolutions, though; an Indy with slowerR4600PC CPU, for example, may require the input resolution to be reduced before storage or processing. However, the Vino hardware is capable ofDMAing video fields directly into the frame buffer with minimal CPU overhead.
The first widespread commercial webcam, the black-and-whiteQuickCam, entered the marketplace in 1994, created by the U.S. computer companyConnectix. QuickCam was available in August 1994 for theApple Macintosh, connecting via aserial port, at a cost of $100. Jon Garber, the designer of the device, had wanted to call it the "Mac-camera", but was overruled by Connectix's marketing department; a version with a PC-compatible parallel port and software forMicrosoft Windows was launched in October 1995. The original Quick Cam provided 320x240-pixel resolution with a grayscale depth of 16 shades at 60 frames per second, or 256 shades at 15 frames per second.[6] These cams were tested on severalDelta II launch using a variety of communication protocols including CDMA, TDMA, GSM and HF.
Videoconferencing via computers already existed, and at the timeclient-server based videoconferencing software such asCU-SeeMe had started to become popular.
The first widely known laptop with integrated webcam option, at a price point starting at US$ 12,000, was an IBMRS/6000 860 laptop[7][8] and its relatedThinkPad 850,[9] released in 1996.
One of the most widely reported-on webcam sites wasJenniCam, created in 1996, which allowed Internet users to observe the life of its namesake constantly, in the same vein as the reality TV seriesBig Brother, launched four years later.[10] Other cameras are mounted overlooking bridges, public squares, and other public places, their output made available on a public web page in accordance with the original concept of a "webcam". Aggregator websites have also been created, providing thousands of live video streams or up-to-date still pictures, allowing users to find live video streams based on location or other criteria.
In the late 1990s,Microsoft NetMeeting was the only videoconferencing software on PC in widespread use, making use of webcams.[11] In the following years,instant messaging clients started adding webcam support:Yahoo Messenger introduced this with version 5.5 in 2002, allowing video calling in 20 frames per second using a webcam.[12]MSN Messenger gained this in version 5.0 in 2003.[13]
Around the turn of the 21st century, computer hardware manufacturers began building webcams directly intolaptop and desktop screens, thus eliminating the need to use an external USB orFireWire camera. Gradually webcams came to be used more for telecommunications, orvideotelephony, between two people, or among several people, than for offering a view on a Web page to an unknown public.
For less than US$100 in 2012, athree-dimensional space webcam became available, producing videos and photos in 3Danaglyph image with a resolution up to 1280 × 480 pixels. Viewers must use 3D glasses to see the effect of three-dimensional images.[14]
Withremote work entering the mainstream, the built-in cameras of average laptops were sometimes considered inadequate. Consequently,during theCOVID-19 pandemic, a shortage of external webcams in retail occurred.[15] Most laptops before and during the pandemic were made with cameras capping out at 720p recording quality at best, compared to the industry standard of 1080p or 4K seen in smartphones and televisions from the same period.[16] The backlog on new developments for built-in webcams is the result of a design flaw with laptops being too thin to support the 7mm camera modules to fit inside, instead resorting to ~2.5mm.[17][18] Also, the camera components are more expensive, and there has not been a high level of demand for this feature.[19][20] Smartphones started to be used as a backup option or webcam replacement, with kits including lighting and tripods or downloadable apps.[21]
Image sensors can beCMOS orCCD, the former being dominant for low-cost cameras, but CCD cameras do not necessarily outperform CMOS-based cameras in the low-price range. Most consumer webcams are capable of providingVGA-resolution video at aframe rate of 30 frames per second. Many newer devices can produce video in multi-megapixel resolutions, and a few can run at high frame rates such as thePlayStation Eye, which can produce320×240 video at 120 frames per second.[22] Most image sensors are sourced fromOmnivision orSony.
As webcams evolved simultaneously with display technologies, USB interface speeds and broadband internet speeds, the resolution went up gradually from 320×240, to 640×480, and some now even offer 1280×720 (aka720p) or 1920×1080 (aka1080p) resolution.[23][24][25] Despite the low cost, theresolution offered as of 2019 is impressive, with now the low-end webcams offering resolutions of720p, mid-range webcams offering1080p resolution, and high-end webcams offering 4K resolution at 60 fps.
S-mount lens, designed to attach to the webcam'sPCB
Various lenses are available, the most common in consumer-grade webcams being a plasticlens that can be manually moved in and out to focus the camera.Fixed-focus lenses, which have no provision for adjustment, are also available. As a camera system'sdepth of field is greater for small image formats and is greater for lenses with a largef-number (small aperture), the systems used in webcams have a sufficiently large depth of field that the use of a fixed-focus lens does not impact image sharpness to a great extent.
Most models use simple, focal-free optics (fixed focus, factory-set for the usual distance from the monitor to which it is fastened to the user) or manual focus.
Webcams can come with different presets andfields of view. Individual users can make use of less than 90° horizontal FOV for home offices and live streaming. Webcams with as much as 360° horizontal FOV can be used for small- to medium-sized rooms (sometimes even large rooms). Depending on the users' purposes, webcams in the market can display the whole room or just the general vicinity.
As theBayer filter is proprietary, any webcam contains some built-inimage processing, separate from compression. Digital video streams are represented by huge amounts of data, burdening its transmission (from the image sensor, where the data is continuously created) and storage alike. Most if not all cheap webcams come with built-inASIC to dovideo compression in real-time.
Support electronics read the image from the sensor and transmit it to the host computer. Most webcams come with a controller that translates video overUSB from Sonix, Suyin,Ricoh,Realtek or others. Typically, each frame is transmitted uncompressed inRGB orYUV or compressed asJPEG. Some cameras, such asmobile-phone cameras, use a CMOS sensor with supporting electronics "on die", i.e. the sensor and the support electronics are built on a singlesilicon chip to save space and manufacturing costs. Most webcams feature built-inmicrophones to makevideo calling andvideoconferencing more convenient.
Various proprietary as well as free and open-source software is available to handle the UVC stream. One could useGuvcview orGStreamer and GStreamer-based software to handle the UVC stream. Another could use multiple USB cameras attached to the host computer the software resides on, and broadcast multiple streams at once over (Wireless) Ethernet, such as MotionEye. MotionEye can either be installed onto a Raspberry Pi as MotionEyeOs, or afterwards on Raspbian as well. MotionEye can also be set up on Debian, Raspbian is a variant of Debian. MotionEye V4.1.1 ( Aug '21 ) can only run on Debian 10 Buster ( oldstable ) and Python 2.7. Newer versions such as 3.X are not supported at this point of time according to Ccrisan, founder and author of MotionEye.
Various software tools in wide use can be employed to take video and pictures, such as PicMaster and Microsoft's Camera app (for use withWindows operating systems),Photo Booth (Mac), orCheese (withUnix systems). For a more complete list seeComparison of webcam software.
The most popular use of webcams is the establishment ofvideo links, permitting computers to act asvideophones orvideoconference stations. For example,Apple'siSight camera, which is built into Apple laptops, iMacs and a majority ofiPhones, can be used for video chat sessions, using theMessages instant messaging program. Other popular uses include security surveillance,computer vision, video broadcasting, and recording social videos.
Webcams can be added toinstant messaging, text chat services such asAOL Instant Messenger, andVoIP services such asSkype, one-to-one live video communication over the Internet has now reached millions of mainstreamPC users worldwide. Improved video quality has helped webcams encroach on traditional video conferencing systems. New features such as automatic lighting controls, real-time enhancements (retouching, wrinkle smoothing and vertical stretch), automaticface tracking and autofocus, assist users by providing substantial ease-of-use, further increasing the popularity of webcams.
Webcams can also encourageremote work, enabling people to work remotely via the Internet. This usage was crucial to the survival of many businesses during theCOVID-19 pandemic, when in-person office work was discouraged. Businesses, schools, and individuals have relied on video conferencing instead of spending on business travel for meetings. Moreover, the number of video conferencing cameras and software have multiplied since then due to their popularity.
Webcams allow for inexpensive, real-timevideo chat andwebcasting, in both amateur and professional pursuits. They are frequently used inonline dating and for online personal services offered mainly by women whencamgirling. However, the ease of webcam use through the Internet for video chat has also caused issues. For example, moderation system of various video chat websites such asOmegle has been criticized as being ineffective, with sexual content still rampant.[26] In a 2013 case, the transmission of nude photos and videos via Omegle from a teenage girl to a schoolteacher resulted in achild pornography charge.[27]
The popularity of webcams among teenagers with Internet access has raised concern about the use of webcams forcyber-bullying.[28] Webcam recordings of teenagers, including underage teenagers, are frequently posted on popular Web forums andimageboards such as4chan.[29][30]
Webcams can be used assecurity cameras. Software is available to allow PC-connected cameras to watch for movement and sound, recording both when they are detected. These recordings can then be saved to the computer, e-mailed, or uploaded to the Internet. In one well-publicised case,[31] a computer e-mailed images of the burglar during the theft of the computer, enabling the owner to give police a clear picture of the burglar's face even after the computer had been stolen.
In December 2011, Russia announced that 290,000 Webcams would be installed in 90,000 polling stations to monitor the2012 Russian presidential election.[32] Webcams may be installed at places such as childcare centres, offices, shops and private areas to monitor security and general activity.
With very-low-light capability, a few specific models of webcams are very popular to photograph the night sky by astronomers and astro photographers. Mostly, these are manual-focus cameras and contain an old CCD array instead of comparatively newer CMOS array. The lenses of the cameras are removed and then these are attached to telescopes to record images, video, still, or both. In newer techniques, videos of very faint objects are taken for a couple of seconds and then all the frames of the video are "stacked" together to obtain a still image of respectable contrast.[33]
A webcam's CCD response is linearly proportional to the incoming light.[34] Therefore, webcams are suitable to record laser beam profiles, after the lens is removed. The resolution of alaser beam profiler depends on the pixel size. Commercial webcams are usually designed to record color images. The size of a webcam's color pixel depends on the model and may lie in the range of 5 to 10 μm. However, a color pixel consists of four black and white pixels each equipped with a color filter (for details seeBayer filter). Although these color filters work well in the visible, they may be rather transparent in the near infrared. By switching a webcam into the Bayer-mode it is possible to access the information of the single pixels and a resolution below 3 μm was possible.[35]
Tape over the built-in laptop webcam to block spies from viewing activities
Many users do not wish the continuous exposure for which webcams were originally intended, but rather prefer privacy.[36] Such privacy is lost whenmalware allowmalicious hackers to activate the webcam without the user's knowledge, providing the hackers with a live video and audio feed.[37] This is a particular concern on many laptop computers, as such cameras normally cannot be physically disabled if hijacked by such aTrojan Horse program or other similarspyware programs.
Cameras such asApple's older externaliSight cameras include lens covers to thwart this. Some webcams have built-in hardwiredLED indicators that light up whenever the camera is active, sometimes only in video mode.[38] However, it is possible, depending on the circuit design of a webcam, formalware to circumvent the indicator and activate the camera surreptitiously, as researchers demonstrated in the case of aMacBook's built-in camera in 2013.[38]
Various companies sell sliding lens covers and stickers that allow users to retrofit a computer or smartphone to close access to the camera lens as needed.[38] One such company reported having sold more than 250,000 such items from 2013 to 2016.[38] However, any opaque material will work just as well.[38]
The process of attempting to hack into a person's webcam and activate it without the webcam owner's permission has been calledcamfecting, aportmanteau ofcam andinfecting. The remotely activated webcam can be used to watch anything within the webcam's field of vision. Camfecting is most often carried out by infecting the victim's computer with acomputer virus.
Mühlbach, Lothar; Böcker, A; Prussog, A (June 1995). "Telepresence in Videocommunications: A Study on Stereoscopy and Individual Eye Contact".Human Factors.37 (2):290–305.doi:10.1518/001872095779064582.ISSN0018-7208.PMID7642183.S2CID31369406. Gale Document Number: GALE|A18253819. Accessed December 23, 2011 via General Science eCollection (subscription).
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
