Built in Isight on MB Pro is pixelated

When my wife and video chat on Skype (ichat won't seem to work) the picture is pretty bad. It is very pixelated and the video is not smooth. Why might this be? When I was video chatting with my brother he was using a Microsoft HD webcam and it was very smooth and like a movie. I am considering buying these for my wife and myself, but I would rather use what the MBP came with. Any advice would be appreciated on how to fix this problem.

judsonc69 wrote:
Well, because we were both away from our house internet (where ichat says something is wrong) we decided to try ichat where we each were, 1300 miles apart. It worked! Pretty well! I would not say it was as smooth as my brothers HD camera, but it was better than the skype chatting. I think next we are going to try TokBox and see how that goes.
(1) If "ichat says something is wrong" for either of you when at home, your modem/network should be restarted.
If the only at home problem persists after restarting your modem, router, and Macs, check that your router's UPnP setting is enabled. If you need help with this, see the documentation for your router.
If the settings are correct but the problem persists for both, contact your home ISP to see if they can assure you that your internet service connection is working properly. If it is, you may need to replace either your modem or your router.
(2) If the contact comparison of "smooth" between your brother and your wife is via iChat, consider the possibility that your brother's Mac or internet connection may merely be better, faster, or different from your wife's.
If they are using iDentical Macs, perhaps your wife is running other apps simultaneously with her iChat or sharing (knowingly or unknowingly) her home bandwidth with another user? Perhaps your wife is connecting via an older, slower modem or wireless internet device?
Both should test upload and download speed with http://speedtest.net/ to rule out speed differences.
If connection speed is the same, and if your brother uses Snow Leopard but your wife does not, the difference you see may be due solely to the improvements in Snow Leopard's iChat 5.
(3) Please let us know how TokBox compares for you. That info might help someone suggest other possibilities.
EZ Jim
Mac Pro Quad Core (Early 2009) 2.93Ghz w/Mac OS X (10.6.2) MacBook Pro (13 inch, Mid 2009) 2.26GHz (10.6.2)
LED Cinema Display G4 PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11) iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9) External iSight

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Maximum FPS recording with built-in iSight on Macbook Pro

Does anyone know if the built-in iSight on the Macbook Pro has a limit on the recording frames per second? I'm trying to make record some clips using iMovie, but it only records at 15 fps. I tried Quicktime Broadcaster with settings at 29.97 fps, but only got slightly better (17 fps). Do I NEED QuickTime Pro in order to record at 30 fps (29.97) or is this a hardware limitation?
Thanks in advance!
J

Welcome to Apple Discussions, itjaslee
Until you hear from some MacBook users, here are two things you can try:(0) Best video quality requires much more light that what I (and most others) consider normal room light. Try using much brighter lighting.
As explained in this Apple kBase article, iSight switches to 15 frames-per-second to improve picture quality in what it considers "low-light conditions."
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93235
This Apple kBase article gives you some more particulars about best types of lighting, etc.:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93273
Both were written for the external iSight, but the same tips may help you.
(1) Best video quality requires lots of disk space and processor power. Your MacBook Pro has a very powerful processor, but any processor can be overloaded by the user.
Almost all external drives will be slower than your Mac's internal drive. Record direct to your internal (startup) drive. If your internal drive has less than 10 GB available, free up some space. OS X slows down when your drive gets too full.
If you have more than one applications running when you notice your problem, restart you Mac, launch only the application you are using to record, and check your frame rate again.If you need to post back for other suggestions, you might confirm that:
(a) your 15 fps is the actual recording speed versus the playback speed on your Mac.
(b) you have set the QT Broadcaster settings to 30 fps. To change the QTB frame rate, click the "Video" tab and check the box for "Enable Video Stream." Then set the frame rate and disable the video stream to make your recording.
(c) you have set iMovie HD's default frame rate per this help instruction:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=iMovie/HD/en/im172.html
Jim
G4 PB 1.67 GHz Mac OS X (10.4.9) G5 DP 1.8 External iSight

Wide angle lens for Built-In iSight? (MacBook Pro)

Hi,
I'm looking to use my MacBook Pro for a video conference, but the angle of the lens is so limited.
Are there any lenses you can put over the built-in camera that allow for a wider angle?
Right now, everyone has to sit one on top of another to be seen by the speaker. I would like to be able to create a little bit of a semi-circle so participants can see eachother while also seeing the speaker.
Any help? Anyone heard of anything?
I can imagine even a convex piece of plastic over the camera might do the trick. Don't know, but doesn't seem impossible. Even if there's mild distortion in the picture, the bigger view would be worth it.
Not really looking for a fish-eye, but more a wide angle or something that gives a bit more of a panorama effect.
Thanks.

Hello andintroducing
One disadvantage of the built-in iSight is its lack of any easy way to mount accessory lenses like those that can be used with an external iSight equipped with this Kaidan iSight Accessory Kit. This kit includes a threaded lens adapter ring that can be used to mount a 37-mm auxiliary wide-angle lens. The adapter ring can also be purchased separately.
On occasions when you need a wider field of view than your built-in iSight offers, other than rigging some wide-angle auxiliary lens to your MBP, the best I can suggest is to consider a second webcam that has a wide-angle lens. I have tested with a MacBook user who was comparing video from his built-in iSight with a QuickCam® Fusion™. The external camera offered a much wider field of view, and the video quality was fine. If you consider this alternative, I suggest you take your MBP with you when you shop. Doing so will let you "try-before-you-buy" so you can be certain whether the webcam is wide enough for your needs.
If you do not want to use a second camera, you can buy a wide-angle auxiliary lens for a camcorder and mount it in front of your built-in iSight.
Depending on your ingenuity and skills, you might want to mount the auxiliary lens with some kind of hanging mount like bent wire that would hold the lens in front of your iSight. Another simple method would be some kind of adhesive like double-sided tape or TAC Adhesive Putty.
Neither of these mounts would be very stable, esthetically pleasing, or permanent, but they could provide a quick, easy test to determine whether it would be worth the time and cost to develop a more elegant solution.
If you do try some of these suggestions, please post back your results. Whether you find what works or what does not, your information will be helpful to those who have the same need.
Cheers,
Jim
Mac OS X (10.4.9) G5 DP 1.8 External iSight

Using built in isight with quicktime pro to record video

Ho do I get quicktime pro to recognize my built in isight as the video recording device?
thanks

i rebooted

Built-in iSight for MacBook Pro OS X 10.4.11 Not working

This was working before, and all of a sudden it won't work! I can see it in the system profiler under USB, but in PhotoBooth it comes up as a green screen and in applications like Skype and iChat I just get a black screen (or once it showed that I did not have any video connected). All of my software is up to date, I have restarted a dozen times, I tried to take the battery out, but nothing works!
Let me know if anyone can help!

Hello MOVA
Thanks for that new info.
If you have not installed any new hardware since your Mac worked correctly, it is possible that your problem may be hardware related. However, here are a few other ideas that you can try before you take your Mac to an Apple Technician for service.
To avoid possible conflicts while you do your testing, disconnect all unnecessary peripherals, restart your Mac, and make sure you do not have any running "Login Items" that might conflict with iSight apps.
(1) It is worth trying another account. Use System Preferences to create a new account and test there. It will not take long and, if a new account corrects your problem, it is a much simpler remedy than some other possibilities.
(2) It sounds like you have followed the suggestions in the Troubleshooting link for the reset. If you are not CERTAIN, repeat the process to be sure.
(3) Some iNtel Mac laptop users have reported success after unplugging their Macs and leaving the battery out for half-an-hour to overnight. You might want to try disconnecting EVERYTHING, including both power and peripherals, for a few hours to see if it help you.
(4) If someone might have removed the QuickTime file shown in MacOS X Hints article to purposely disable your built-in iSight, you will need to restore the file to its correct location in order for your built-in iSight (or any other USB camera) to work.
(5) Apply the 10.4.11 Combo Updater. Use the following method:
• Backup your Home Folder, or at very least, your important files.
• Repair permissions. (Click here if you need help.)
• Then download and apply the Mac OS X 10.4.11 Combo Update (Intel).
• Finish with another Permissions Repair, and then check your iSight again.
Users have reported fixes to a variety of audio, video, connectivity, and software conflicts and unreliability issues after properly applying Combo Updates.
We will watch for your status update (and, hopefully, your notice of success.)
EZ Jim
PowerBook 1.67 GHz w/Mac OS X (10.4.11) G5 DP 1.8 w/Mac OS X (10.5.1) External iSight

Built-in iSight in Macbook Pro 4,1 not recognized.

Hi, just noticed iSight stopped working after trying Photo Booth days ago. I used before some months ago, so I cannot say for sure when stopped working. At first looking for in forums and Apple support pages, I tried reseting NVRAM and SMC controller twice and installed a clean OS in a different partition (Snow Leopard), but the problem occurs in Lion 10.7.2 as well.
At boot time, the Console log OS X trying to enumerate a bus but giving up later.
12/25/11 11:53:08.000 AM kernel: USBF:          0.612          [0xffffff800fe53c00] The IOUSBFamily is having trouble enumerating a USB device that has been plugged in. It will keep retrying. (Port 4 of Hub at 0xfd000000)
At boot time, the Console log OS X trying to enumerate a bus but giving up later.
12/25/11 11:53:08.000 AM kernel: USBF:          3.605          [0xffffff800fe53c00] The IOUSBFamily was not able to enumerate a device.
System Information/Profiler won't say there is an USB device recognized like sample bellow:
Previous I had this working as:
I suspect of a hardware problem but I am not sure if this is iSight component/part or logic board problem (maybe in USB controller). Have anyone seem this before and repaired or had a Mac serviced? I would like to try replacing iSight with a new part in after market before looking for replacing a logic board? Laptop is almost 4 years old so not valid Apple Care anymore. I can try getting both parts but cleared wanted try the iSight first as it costs about $30 plus shiping. Getting a new logic board is a way more expensive as I have to pay import duties to Brazil almost doubling the sale price. AASP probably charges $1800 to repair the laptop, mostly because of the expensive price to import a logic board. Weigthing my options considering machine age and fix costs.
Also, I have no tried running Boot Camp (which I don't have installed) to see if get it to work somehow.
Thanks!

Hi,
A Possible.
There used to be a document on resetting the Firewire ports.
Basically this involves shutting down the computer for 15 minutes with all the firewire devices disconnected.
For Laptops the Power card should also be removed.
The process allows for the numbering process to discharge so that the current numbering is lost.
All devices then get renumbered when they are reconnected.
It has never been that clear as to whether this also works for USB ports.
However it may be worth a try and it does not cost anything.
8:59 PM      Thursday; December 29, 2011
Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"
 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Lion 10.7.2)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

HT3964 my built-in isight camera will still not work on my macbook pro after completing smc reset. The green light comes on but no video.

my built-in isight camera will still not work on my macbook pro after completing smc reset. The green light comes on but no video.
Any Suggestions?

Restart the computer.

MacBook Pro no longer recognizes USB external hard drives or built-in iSight

I have an older MacBook Pro 17" Intel that I use with various external USB hard drives (8 of them). It is connected to my LG 720p 32" flatscreen and works perfectly. Recently, when visiting, I disconnected my external HDs and connected my MBP to my brother's LG 1080p and it was OK.
When I returned home and reconnected my external HDs and TV, it would not recognize the HDs and couldn't find my built-in iSight. Viewing System Information, the USB buses showed an assortment of items, such as the Apple Internal Keyboard/Trackpad, IR Receiver, and Bluetooth USB Host Controller in the buses. The High-Speed Bus showed an external HD as a Vendor-Specific Device, but none of these appeared on the desktop. I plugged in my external iSight to Firewire and it showed up in Photobooth, iChat, and Skype.
What is the problem and can I fix it myself or must I take it to be serviced?
Has anyone encountered the same problem? Got any answers?
I really would appreciate all the help I can get. Thanks.

I have never heard of this before, but the fact that your external iSight works shows that at least some parts of your Macv's AV circuitry are undamaged.
Depending on exactly how you "disconnected" your "external HDs and connected" your "MBP to" your "brother's LG 1080p", I suppose it is possible that your software settings have been compromised somehow. Here is what I would try if my system showed the symptoms you describe.
(0) Start by making a current backup if you do not already have one.
Then try any of the following you have not already considered or used. Use them in any order you think appropriate and test after each one to determine if the problem is resolved:
(1) Shut down (do not merely restart) your MBP. Wait a couple of minutes before starting.
(2) Test in a different user (NOT the "Guest") account: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/mtusr001.html
(3) Reset SMC http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964
(4) Reset PRAM: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/mh26871.html
(5) Repair your startup disk: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/mchlp1718.html
(6) Reinstall Lion and apply the 10.7.2 Combo Update: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1459
(7) Contact Apple or an Apple-Authorized Service Provider for service
Message was edited by: EZ Jim

Built-in iSight, MacBook Pro, Boot Camp, XP

Though the Apple website suggests that Boot Camp has support for the built-in iSight, I cannot seem to get it to function in XP on my MacBook Pro. Following is a summary of my configuration. The built-in iSight works perfectly within OS-X.
Here is my configuration summary...
Hardware: MacBook Pro
Software: Latest public release of OS-X, XP-Pro, and all patches for both.
Firmware: Latest public release
BootCamp: Latest public release, all drivers up to date
Access : Admin on both OS's
Using the Windows XP Device Manager, here is the status of the built-in iSight on my MacBook Pro.
System Properties: Hardware: Device Manager: Imaging devices: Apple Built-in iSight - Unprogrammed: General: Device status:
"Windows cannot initialize the device driver for this hardware. (Code 37)"
I've gone through uninstall / reinstall of the driver multiple times with no change in status.
Has anybody gotten the built-in iSight on a MacBook Pro to function properly in XP?
Thanks in advance, Randy
Macbook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Yes, the built-in iSight camera functions properly under Windows XP Pro on my 2.0 MHz MacBook computer. But the built-in iSight camera on my 1.83 GHz iMac does not function at all under Windows XP Pro.
There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why it does or doesn't work, so I can't tell you what you can do to solve the problem. I spent several hours trying to get functionality back (at one time it worked) on my iMac but eventually gave up pending the next release of Boot Camp.
Unless it's extremely important to you, you might be better off to wait for a fix from Apple.

MacBook Pro Built-in iSight not found.

As the title suggests the built-in iSight camera on my MacBook Pro has stopped working.
All i get when i try and start photobooth is "photobooth cannot open b/c no camera is attached or the camera is in use by another application. Make sure digital video camera is attached and turned on. If you are using the camera with another application close that application before opening photobooth again.", in Skype and iChat the camera just does not show up at all.
Things i have tried to figure this out;
- Restarted in safe mode and rebooted.
- Created a new user account.
- Cleared the PRAM.
- Reset the SMC.
I had gotten it working a few days ago via some random combination of the above, but it has gone again now and nothing i'm trying is bringing it back.
This has become a really annoying issue, esp. as it would be really nice for my girlfriend (currently in the US) to see me when we talk.
I'm going to make an appointment to see the techs at the Apple store, but i'd really like to get around this issue without it having to be sent off as i am a contractor and this is the machine i do all my on site work on.
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!
My comp;
MacBook Pro 15"
2.33 Core Duo 2
2Gb Mem
160Gb HD
OS 10.4.8
MacBook Pro 15" 2.33 CD2 Mac OS X (10.4.8)
MacBook Pro 15" 2.33 CD2 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Thanks for your reply Ralph.
This does seem to be a strange intermittent problem. On Wednesday i started Skype and the camera was working. It proceeded to work for an hour or so, then abruptly stopped working. I restarted and it worked again, until i moved the screen back a little, then it stopped again and i couldn't get it back.
Now this morning i start my laptop at work and photobooth is working again.
I haven't taken it to the store yet as i bet 9/10 it will work for them until i get home lol.
I was wonder also though if there could be some process running that would cause it to lock up. That or could it be a little more serious like loose wiring?
Thanks again,
Rei

MacBook Pro using WinXp and Built in iSight camera?

Can't seem to find a thread on this question? Is it possible to use the built in iSight camera on a MacBook Pro while running Win Xp Home SP 2?
Thanks
Dennis Moore

Hi Dennis Moore2,
Does not look like it's working yet. Looks like a driver problem:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2502129&#2502129
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2160883&#2160883
Good Luck,
John

Getting player to recognize Mac Book Pro built-in iSight as webcam

Flash Player 10 in Firefox 3 will not recognize the MBP's
built-in iSight camera as a web cam. I'm trying to view the virtual
hologram on this page:
http://ge.ecomagination.com/smartgrid/#/augmented_reality
It's so cool! I'd hate to think that my fellow Mac Book Pro,
Mac Pro, and iMac users can't check this out for themselves.
Any ideas?

Thanks punkin, but I tried that -- no go. I spent at least an
hour messing with it, so of course I started with the instructions
(followed by a call to my Mac IT buddy, then the Apple forums, but
it seemed to me to be a Flash issue, as the camera works
otherwise). It's as if the built-in is not recognized as a web
cam.

Video recording using the built in iSight camera on a MacBook Pro

Hello,
Where do I find directions to record video using the built in iSight camera on a MacBook Pro?
Thank you,
Deb

Hi macosxlover,
Those are the instructions.
Open iMovie
Move the slider to the camera (use it as a drop down if more than one cam is available)
Press the record button to add the video feed as a clip.
Edit as required.
12:00 AM Monday; June 12, 2006

Macbook Pro built-in iSight in Adium and MSN Messenger?

All of my contacts (about 100 or so) have MSN messenger accounts. Is there a way for me to use my built-in iSight as a webcam in Adium or MSN Messenger? It just seems pointless otherwise since I only know 2 or 3 other people with .mac or AIM accounts that I could chat to via iChat.
Thanks

Hi Statts,
Welcome To The Apple Discussion Pages.
You will need aMSN to Video over the MSN service.
3:43 PM Friday; May 19, 2006

MacBook Pro (Late 2007, 2.4/2.2GHz) - Built-in isight camera issue

I have a MBP (as mentioned, Late 2007) running Lion 10.7.2 (updated yesterday). And I have a problem with the built-in iSight camera
Same with photo booth and skype.
So far I have tried
1) shutdown, unplug power, remove battery, press power for 5 seconds, plug battery back, plug power, boot. No help. No LED's light up to make my day.
2) Press P R - Alt Cmd during boot (2/3 cycles like that)
Could anyone throw some light into this?
Much thanks in advance.

Try reinstalling Lion:
Reinstalling Lion
Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alterhatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion: Select Reinstall Lion and click on the Continue button.
Note: You can also re-download the Lion installer by opening the App Store application. Hold down the OPTION key and click on the Purchases icon in the toolbar. You should now see an active Install button to the right of your Lion purchase entry. There are situations in which this will not work. For example, if you are already booted into the Lion you originally purchased with your Apple ID or if an instance of the Lion installer is located anywhere on your computer.

Built in Isight on MB Pro is pixelated

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