External Webcam Squished On Some Programs

altermetax · 2020-06-03 12:11:20

Hello. I've got an external "DBPOWER" USB webcam, which works on Windows (although sometimes it can't find it without disconnecting and reconnecting it).
The same happens on Linux, but that's not a huge drawback.

The main problem on Linux is, when I connect the webcam, two devices get created (/dev/video2 and /dev/video4; I have /dev/video* from 0 to 5, where 0 is the laptop internal webcam, while 1, 3 and 5 can't be read via guvcview).
/dev/video2 is really bad - it appears horizontally squished from 16:9 to 4:3 and with a low resolution and framerate. /dev/video4 works well, but the problem is that many programs, like Zoom, Discord or Microsoft Teams, only see /dev/video2.

Is there a way to solve this?

EDIT: I just found that, by manually removing the /dev/video2 file, Zoom and Microsoft Teams now see the webcam correctly, while Discord now sees nothing. However this feels like a VERY hacky way to do this, lol.

Last edited by altermetax (2020-06-03 12:40:10)

Lone_Wolf · 2020-06-04 15:01:32

It may be possible to use custom udev rules. I'm bad at that, but can help you gather info to find out what's possible.

Please post a dmesg and/or journalctl -b after unplugging / plugging in the webcam .

Also the output of

$ v4l2-ctl --list-devices  # comes with v4l-utils
$ v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video2 --list-ctrls
$ v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video4 --list-ctrls

altermetax · 2020-06-04 22:03:23

dmesg after connecting:

[21000.090570] usb 1-1.4: new high-speed USB device number 11 using xhci_hcd
[21000.186297] usb 1-1.4: New USB device found, idVendor=2aad, idProduct=6353, bcdDevice= 1.00
[21000.186303] usb 1-1.4: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[21000.186307] usb 1-1.4: Product: iCatchtek SPCA6350
[21000.186310] usb 1-1.4: Manufacturer: iCatchtek Co Ltd 
[21000.186313] usb 1-1.4: SerialNumber: 01.00.00
[21000.190188] uvcvideo: Found UVC 1.00 device iCatchtek SPCA6350 (2aad:6353)
[21000.192278] uvcvideo 1-1.4:1.0: Entity type for entity Extension 3 was not initialized!
[21000.192284] uvcvideo 1-1.4:1.0: Entity type for entity Processing 2 was not initialized!
[21000.192287] uvcvideo 1-1.4:1.0: Entity type for entity Camera 1 was not initialized!
[21000.192474] input: iCatchtek SPCA6350 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-1/1-1.4/1-1.4:1.0/input/input35

dmesg after disconnecting:

[38131.399439] usb 1-1.4: USB disconnect, device number 15

journalctl -b after connecting:

giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch kernel: usb 1-1.4: new high-speed USB device number 17 using xhci_hcd
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch kernel: usb 1-1.4: New USB device found, idVendor=2aad, idProduct=6353, bcdDevice= 1.00
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch kernel: usb 1-1.4: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch kernel: usb 1-1.4: Product: iCatchtek SPCA6350
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch kernel: usb 1-1.4: Manufacturer: iCatchtek Co Ltd 
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch kernel: usb 1-1.4: SerialNumber: 01.00.00
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch kernel: uvcvideo: Found UVC 1.00 device iCatchtek SPCA6350 (2aad:6353)
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch kernel: uvcvideo 1-1.4:1.0: Entity type for entity Extension 3 was not initialized!
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch kernel: uvcvideo 1-1.4:1.0: Entity type for entity Processing 2 was not initialized!
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch kernel: uvcvideo 1-1.4:1.0: Entity type for entity Camera 1 was not initialized!
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch kernel: input: iCatchtek SPCA6350 as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-1/1-1.4/1-1.4:1.0/input/input46
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch mtp-probe[61442]: checking bus 1, device 17: "/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-1/1-1.4"
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch mtp-probe[61442]: bus: 1, device: 17 was not an MTP device
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch systemd-udevd[51794]: controlC3: Process '/usr/bin/alsactl restore 3' failed with exit code 99.
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (II) config/udev: Adding input device iCatchtek SPCA6350 (/dev/input/event31)
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (**) iCatchtek SPCA6350: Applying InputClass "evdev keyboard catchall"
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (**) iCatchtek SPCA6350: Applying InputClass "libinput keyboard catchall"
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (**) iCatchtek SPCA6350: Applying InputClass "system-keyboard"
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (II) Using input driver 'libinput' for 'iCatchtek SPCA6350'
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[579]: (II) config/udev: Adding input device iCatchtek SPCA6350 (/dev/input/event31)
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[579]: (**) iCatchtek SPCA6350: Applying InputClass "evdev keyboard catchall"
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[579]: (**) iCatchtek SPCA6350: Applying InputClass "libinput keyboard catchall"
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[579]: (**) iCatchtek SPCA6350: Applying InputClass "system-keyboard"
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[579]: (II) Using input driver 'libinput' for 'iCatchtek SPCA6350'
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch mtp-probe[61464]: checking bus 1, device 17: "/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-1/1-1.4"
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch mtp-probe[61464]: bus: 1, device: 17 was not an MTP device
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (II) systemd-logind: got fd for /dev/input/event31 13:95 fd 91 paused 0
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (**) iCatchtek SPCA6350: always reports core events
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event31"
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (**) Option "_source" "server/udev"
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[579]: (II) systemd-logind: got fd for /dev/input/event31 13:95 fd 26 paused 1
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[579]: (II) systemd-logind: releasing fd for 13:95
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (II) event31 - iCatchtek SPCA6350: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (II) event31 - iCatchtek SPCA6350: device is a keyboard
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (II) event31 - iCatchtek SPCA6350: device removed
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (**) Option "config_info" "udev:/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:14.0/usb1/1-1/1-1.4/1-1.4:1.0/input/input46/event31"
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "iCatchtek SPCA6350" (type: KEYBOARD, id 23)
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (**) Option "xkb_layout" "it"
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch rtkit-daemon[782]: Supervising 12 threads of 3 processes of 2 users.
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (II) event31 - iCatchtek SPCA6350: is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (II) event31 - iCatchtek SPCA6350: device is a keyboard
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch rtkit-daemon[782]: Successfully made thread 61465 of process 41445 owned by '1000' RT at priority 5.
giu 05 00:01:25 alterarch rtkit-daemon[782]: Supervising 13 threads of 3 processes of 2 users.
giu 05 00:01:26 alterarch gnome-shell[41461]: shell-volume-mixer@derhofbauer.at | Card added 6 alsa_card.usb-iCatchtek_Co_Ltd_iCatchtek_SPCA6350_01.00.00-03
giu 05 00:01:26 alterarch discord-canary.desktop[41989]: [30930:329] [42038] (audio_send_stream.cc:285): Failed to set up send codec state.
giu 05 00:01:27 alterarch dbus-daemon[520]: [system] Activating via systemd: service name='org.freedesktop.Avahi' unit='dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service' requested by ':1.1952' (uid=976 pid=61443 comm="/usr/lib/colord-sane ")
giu 05 00:01:27 alterarch dbus-daemon[520]: [system] Activation via systemd failed for unit 'dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service': Unit dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service not found.
giu 05 00:01:28 alterarch dbus-daemon[520]: [system] Activating via systemd: service name='org.freedesktop.Avahi' unit='dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service' requested by ':1.1953' (uid=976 pid=61443 comm="/usr/lib/colord-sane ")
giu 05 00:01:28 alterarch dbus-daemon[520]: [system] Activation via systemd failed for unit 'dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service': Unit dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service not found.

journalctl -b after disconnecting:

giu 05 00:02:09 alterarch kernel: usb 1-1.4: USB disconnect, device number 18
giu 05 00:02:09 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (II) config/udev: removing device iCatchtek SPCA6350
giu 05 00:02:09 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (**) Option "fd" "91"
giu 05 00:02:09 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (II) event31 - iCatchtek SPCA6350: device removed
giu 05 00:02:09 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (II) UnloadModule: "libinput"
giu 05 00:02:09 alterarch /usr/lib/gdm-x-session[41412]: (II) systemd-logind: releasing fd for 13:95
giu 05 00:02:09 alterarch gnome-shell[41461]: shell-volume-mixer@derhofbauer.at | Card removed 7 alsa_card.usb-iCatchtek_Co_Ltd_iCatchtek_SPCA6350_01.00.00-03
giu 05 00:02:09 alterarch discord-canary.desktop[41989]: [30973:329] [42038] (audio_send_stream.cc:285): Failed to set up send codec state.
giu 05 00:02:10 alterarch dbus-daemon[520]: [system] Activating via systemd: service name='org.freedesktop.Avahi' unit='dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service' requested by ':1.1959' (uid=976 pid=61517 comm="/usr/lib/colord-sane ")
giu 05 00:02:10 alterarch dbus-daemon[520]: [system] Activation via systemd failed for unit 'dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service': Unit dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service not found.
giu 05 00:02:12 alterarch dbus-daemon[520]: [system] Activating via systemd: service name='org.freedesktop.Avahi' unit='dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service' requested by ':1.1960' (uid=976 pid=61517 comm="/usr/lib/colord-sane ")
giu 05 00:02:12 alterarch dbus-daemon[520]: [system] Activation via systemd failed for unit 'dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service': Unit dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service not found.

➜  ~ v4l2-ctl --list-devices
iCatchtek SPCA6350 (usb-0000:00:14.0-1.4):
	/dev/video2
	/dev/video3
	/dev/video4
	/dev/video5

HP Wide Vision HD: HP Wide Visi (usb-0000:00:14.0-4):
	/dev/video0
	/dev/video1

The two --list-ctrls commands output nothing.
Note the outputs were not always from the same connection/disconnection cycle, but they are always constant anyway.
HP Wide Vision is the laptop's internal webcam.

Last edited by altermetax (2020-06-04 22:16:20)

HackBug · 2020-09-03 17:39:19

Hi all, I'm having a similar issue as the poster here. I think I even have the same camera. Did OP ever find a solution to this?

In particular, Zoom and any other VC app seem to have the "squished" look, but when I view the camera through mpv with the command

$ mpv --demuxer-lavf-format=video4linux2 --demuxer-lavf-o-set=input_format=mjpeg av://v4l2:/dev/video2

It seems to work fine. Any ideas?

EDIT: Forgot to mention that I'm on a desktop, so like OP I get 2 different video inputs that seem to have an output, but they are /dev/video0 and /dev/video2 instead of 2 and 4

2nd EDIT: Removing /dev/video0 didn't help as OP mentioned, but a quick hack of symlinking video2 to video0 tricked zoom into using the right input. That will work for now but I'd really like to have a persistent configuration if possible

Last edited by HackBug (2020-09-03 17:51:26)

Arch Linux

#1 2020-06-03 12:11:20

External Webcam Squished On Some Programs

#2 2020-06-04 15:01:32

Re: External Webcam Squished On Some Programs

#3 2020-06-04 22:03:23

Re: External Webcam Squished On Some Programs

#4 2020-09-03 17:39:19

Re: External Webcam Squished On Some Programs

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