Dumb question but ...

[MilesAhead]

Dumb question but I'm wondering why when I run Camera on my Laptop I get the same perspective as when I look in the mirror?  In other words, since it's video and not a mirror I would expect the display to show me as others see me, not reversed.  If I pick up my right hand and wave, it shows in the video as my "left hand" just as if it were a plain reflection.  Strikes me as strange.

[Curt]

may be, but that is how we see you;
when you lift your right hand, I am seeing it to your left
from where I am situated.

[Curt]

sorry, my first post was too hasty and superficial

-------------

Now I am your camera
when you look at me, I am not looking at me but at you
It may seem that you and I are looking in opposite directions
when you look to the left, I will look to the right
Well, how come I am not looking down, when you are looking up?
- "Strikes me as strange" -
When you are looking to the left, you are not looking to the right
- eh, that sounds stupid to even mention -
but it is the point!
We are not looking in opposite directions,
we are just looking from different positions!
we are both looking at different targets, and from different locations
So it would be more strange, if what we saw, were the same.

[crabby3]

Dumb question but I'm wondering why when I run Camera on my Laptop I get the same perspective as when I look in the mirror?  In other words, since it's video and not a mirror I would expect the display to show me as others see me, not reversed.  If I pick up my right hand and wave, it shows in the video as my "left hand" just as if it were a plain reflection.  Strikes me as strange.

Just tried my camera.  When I lift my right hand, the image of me lifts his right hand as well, which is on the left side of the screen.

It is not a mirror image.

Maybe your camera settings include a flop-image?  Mine does not but it would sure make combing ones hair easier.  

[cranioscopical]

If I try that my camera just shuts down — it's too frightened by what it sees 

[anandcoral]

HI MilesAhead, not a dumb question.

I too have this peculiar problem in my Dell Win 8 Touch.

When I start 'camera' from metro it shows as if I am sitting before a mirror. When I touch the screen to take the screen shot, it saves the image flipped horizontally.

I searched and downloaded many utilities including some from Dell, but till date I do not have courage to install any. I have accepted it as default behavior. I can manipulate a screen shot image if I like.

Regards,

Anand

[Vurbal]

My first inclination is to suspect the webcam software may be flipping the image for local display but sending it the right way around to other programs. That would be the first thing I'd check anyway.

If that's the case, hopefully there would be some sort of settings you could adjust to control that behavior, although that doesn't appear to be the case for a Dell webcam under Windows 8. A quick search suggests they dropped their Webcam Central program for Windows 8 in favor of reliance on the Microsoft Camera app.

[anandcoral]

If that's the case, hopefully there would be some sort of settings you could adjust to control that behavior, although that doesn't appear to be the case for a Dell webcam under Windows 8. A quick search suggests they dropped their Webcam Central program for Windows 8 in favor of reliance on the Microsoft Camera app.

Yes that's what I found out about Dell. For Win7 they have the webcam utility and some suggested to use it. I downloaded it, and also drivers from Dell, but till date am afraid to run any on Win8, lest my webcam just stops.

If other people see me correct in the webcam, I do not have in any problem to manipulate captured images.

Regards,

Anand

[MilesAhead]

If I try that my camera just shuts down — it's too frightened by what it sees 

Aiiyyy!!  I just had my picture taken this morning.  It's more horrible than anything you can imagine.  All I can compare it to is if Clint Eastwood had a mustache, was deceased, allowed to rot for 2 months, and propped up in a chair.  Then he'd look almost as bad as this photo. 

[MilesAhead]

My first inclination is to suspect the webcam software may be flipping the image for local display but sending it the right way around to other programs. That would be the first thing I'd check anyway.

If that's the case, hopefully there would be some sort of settings you could adjust to control that behavior, although that doesn't appear to be the case for a Dell webcam under Windows 8. A quick search suggests they dropped their Webcam Central program for Windows 8 in favor of reliance on the Microsoft Camera app.

Unfortunately the settings consist of Video Mode on/off and the bit depth.  That's it.  No flip or rotate.  I guess I need to download some desktop freeware.  But it definitely is a mirror image. 

[app103]

If I try that my camera just shuts down — it's too frightened by what it sees 

Aiiyyy!!  I just had my picture taken this morning.  It's more horrible than anything you can imagine.   All I can compare it to is if Clint Eastwood had a mustache, was deceased, allowed to rot for 2 months, and propped up in a chair.  Then he'd look almost as bad as this photo. 

Perhaps you should have checked yourself in your "webcam mirror" first. :-P

[MilesAhead]

If I try that my camera just shuts down — it's too frightened by what it sees 

Aiiyyy!!  I just had my picture taken this morning.  It's more horrible than anything you can imagine.   All I can compare it to is if Clint Eastwood had a mustache, was deceased, allowed to rot for 2 months, and propped up in a chair.  Then he'd look almost as bad as this photo. 

Perhaps you should have checked yourself in your "webcam mirror" first. :-P

The opportunity was not extended.  They click you at your worst.. like when you blink.

[ewemoa]

If I try that my camera just shuts down — it's too frightened by what it sees 

Ha ha ha

[MilesAhead]

I installed YawCam.  It doesn't give the 16x9 of the App. But the image is the right way around at least. 

[crabby3]

I installed YawCam.  It doesn't give the 16x9 of the App. But the image is the right way around at least. 

So is your non-mirror self looking better?  My test video of me was alarming.   Guess you're satisfied with YawCam?  I see one needs Java for it to work.

[MilesAhead]

I installed YawCam.  It doesn't give the 16x9 of the App. But the image is the right way around at least. 

So is your non-mirror self looking better?  My test video of me was alarming.   Guess you're satisfied with YawCam?  I see one needs Java for it to work.

I don't really do anything other than check how good a shave I got that morning.  I haven't seen how the output looks from another computer.  One criticism, it seems like unsupported resolutions cause it to just go away.  There's probably more sophisticated freeware out there for Windows.

[crabby3]

There's probably more sophisticated freeware out there for Windows.

Lots of freeware for Windows out there but I couldn't find any for real-time video... just pre-recorded stuff.
I did read about one that flips a video, plays the frames in reverse order, from the end to the beginning.  Who the hell would want that? 

[MilesAhead]

There's probably more sophisticated freeware out there for Windows.

Lots of freeware for Windows out there but I couldn't find any for real-time video... just pre-recorded stuff.
I did read about one that flips a video, plays the frames in reverse order, from the end to the beginning.  Who the hell would want that?  

That reminds me of a regular feature on the old Steve Allen Show.  He would do some stupid stuff, like slide down a rope, shoot arrows into a target, break a dozen eggs, throw jugglers pins behind his back into a basket etc..  then play the film backwards.  The pins would jump out of the basket into his hand behind his back, eggs come together, arrows jump from target to the bow, then he'd put them in the quiver... when done he slid up the rope.  Pretty cool because he always had in mind how it would look backwards.

Read your profile but I couldn't tell if you're old enough to know who Steve Allen was.  

[crabby3]

Read your profile but I couldn't tell if you're old enough to know who Steve Allen was. 

Yes I know who Steve Allen was.  I grew up watching Alan King on The Ed Sullivan Show.  Which aired directly opposite Steve Allen. 
My family was more interested in variety than slapstick.

The TV is full of this type of video editing.  It was cool, the first few times I saw it but not now.  Old hat.
If a show I'm watching starts this rewind stuff it only stays on that channel for about 2 seconds.    I'm sure their sponsors would love to hear this.

p.s.  I believe The Steve Allen Show was taped so it should have been relatively easy to rewind stuff.  Even back then.

[40hz]

Like the old kid TV show host (Sandy Becker? Chuck McCann? Fred Hall? Sonny Fox? - it was one of them) used to do with his character Mr. Backwards.

[MilesAhead]

Like the old kid TV show host (Sandy Becker? Chuck McCann? Fred Hall? Sonny Fox? - it was one of them) used to do with his character Mr. Backwards.

What was the joke?  Professor Backwards was killed in a mugging today in NYC.  Passers by ignored his cries of "pleh, pleh."

[MilesAhead]

Yeah, Steve Allen did plenty of schtick.  But what I liked as a kid were the "man in the street" interviews.  He had quite a crew with Tim Conway, Louis Nye, Tom Poston and several others who went on to do TV comedy for quite some years.

Later on I appreciated the jazz musicians he had on.  Also talent like Lenny Bruce, Jack Kerouac etc..