Support Multiple Camera AnglesTM with EasyCam!

New for 2004! Looking for an easy way to get an edge on the competition? If you're using a simple "plug-and-play" USB (universal serial bus) webcam on your PC, plug in a few more of those inexpensive webcams into the remaining USB ports on your PC. (Most PCs have up to four USB ports, and iFriends' EasyCam technology can simultaneously show your members up to four of your webcams, live.) If your cameras' cables are too short to provide the best multiple-camera-angle experience you'd like to provide, your local computer store can hook you up with USB Extension Cables for just a few dollars each, or you can order online; even Amazon.com carries USB extender cables. (And if you experience technical problems, check our troubleshooting section at the bottom of this page.)

When you log into iFriends to host your next live videochat, select the "EasyCam" Livestream hosting option, and choose the new "Extras" feature, "Support Multiple Camera Angles?". Here's what your members will see (assumes you have four webcams plugged into your single PC):

If you haven't already guessed it, here's the good news: iFriends members LOVE IT! It's one of iFriends' hottest and most in-demand features ever. Many users take advantage of the special live-room search facilities on the FanClubs Home Page to zero in on only those hosts who support the Multi-Angle option. Multi-Camera-Angle video chatrooms – with the "Extras" icon – are so crowded and overflowing that customers practically have to wait in line to make an appointment!

It's just the latest in a long line of iFriends 'Firsts'.

Note: EasyCam support for Multiple Camera Angles is not limited only to USB webcams. (It's just that USB webcams are typically the easiest to install and maintain on your PC). EasyCam will support most webcam video devices that your PC recognizes, including many capture cards and parallel-port cameras.

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE:

Image Static (click 2 zoom):
What causes it: Image static like this is usually the result of "too much traffic on your USB bus". What's that mean? Most commonly, it means that the USB bus on your PC is an older version, such as 1.0 or 1.1, and you either have too many webcams for it, or the webcams you have are too fast for it. Newer PCs come with the faster "high speed" USB version 2.0 bus, usually marked as "USB enhanced" or, "USB High Speed", or simply, "USB 2.0".

What to do about it:

  1. Some PCs come with two different USB buses (typically, one in the front of the PC and one in the back of the PC), and you can divide your webcams between each bus, to reduce the amount of traffic being carried by each bus.
  2. Reduce the number of webcams you offer. If you currently offer 4 cams, consider offering only 2 or 3.
  3. Reduce the transmission quality of each cam. The less data moving across your USB bus, the better.
  4. Upgrade your PC to USB 2.0. There are expansion cards you can buy. And best of all, consider buying a new USB 2.0 webcam that makes full use of your USB 2.0 bus. Click here for one online vendor that specializes in USB peripherals.

 
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