Telescope Reviews: Microsoft LifeCam Cinema HD Webcam Modification

Gary,
I have a system with connected Lifecam and all actions performed as you did. However, I'm not getting 1280*720 YUY @30fps setting.
I think this is important for you and others to establish the reason. Maybe MSFT changed hardware implementation from version of your cam to mine. I'm experienced on software side and just proposing my free help. If you don't want it -- fine.
But if you do, lets investigate what exact device is connected to yours USB port and what capabilities it has.
To do that, please, download UVCView.exe from this site ftp://ftp.efo.ru/pub/ftdichip/Utilities/UVCView.x86.exe and run it. You should see all your USB ports on the left pane and you should see USB Composite device at places of connection. So, click on each and find the one that will show "Microsoft® LifeCam Cinema(TM)" in Product Name in the right pane. On my machine beginning of looks like that:

---===>Device Information<===---
English product name: "Microsoft® LifeCam Cinema(TM)"

ConnectionStatus:
Current Config Value: 0x01 -> Device Bus Speed: High
Device Address: 0x01
Open Pipes: 1

===>Endpoint Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x07
bDescriptorType: 0x05
bEndpointAddress: 0x83 -> Direction: IN - EndpointID: 3
bmAttributes: 0x03 -> Interrupt Transfer Type
wMaxPacketSize: 0x0008 = 1 transactions per microframe, 0x08 max bytes
bInterval: 0x08

===>Device Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x12
bDescriptorType: 0x01
bcdUSB: 0x0200
bDeviceClass: 0xEF -> This is a Multi-interface Function Code Device
bDeviceSubClass: 0x02 -> This is the Common Class Sub Class
bDeviceProtocol: 0x01 -> This is the Interface Association Descriptor protocol
bMaxPacketSize0: 0x40 = (64) Bytes
idVendor: 0x045E = Microsoft Corporation
idProduct: 0x075D
bcdDevice: 0x0100
iManufacturer: 0x01
English (United States) "Microsoft"
iProduct: 0x02
English (United States) "Microsoft® LifeCam Cinema(TM)"
iSerialNumber: 0x00
bNumConfigurations: 0x01

===>Configuration Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x09
bDescriptorType: 0x02
wTotalLength: 0x0595 -> Validated
bNumInterfaces: 0x04
bConfigurationValue: 0x01
iConfiguration: 0x00
bmAttributes: 0x80 -> Bus Powered
MaxPower: 0xFA = 500 mA
...

So scroll down in the right pane untill you see first
===>Video Streaming Uncompressed Format Type Descriptor<===

It should show something like that:

===>Video Streaming Uncompressed Format Type Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x1B
bDescriptorType: 0x24
bDescriptorSubtype: 0x04
bFormatIndex: 0x01
bNumFrameDescriptors: 0x0C
guidFormat: {32595559-0000-0010-8000-00AA00389B71} = YUY2 Format
bBitsPerPixel: 0x10
bDefaultFrameIndex: 0x00
bAspectRatioX: 0x00
bAspectRatioY: 0x00
bmInterlaceFlags: 0x00
D0 = 0x00 Interlaced stream or variable: No
D1 = 0x00 Fields per frame: 2 fields
D2 = 0x00 Field 1 first: No
D3 = 0x00 Reserved
D4..5 = 0x00 Field patterns -> Field 1 only
D6..7 = 0x00 Display Mode -> Bob only
bCopyProtect: 0x00 -> Duplication Unrestricted

This is descriptor for YUY2 Format.

After that it should show all supported YUY2 formats each in its separate:
===>Video Streaming Uncompressed Frame Type Descriptor<===

So, scroll down until you find section where
wWidth: 0x0500
wHeight: 0x02D0

This section of YUY2 descriptor is 1280*720 (converted to hex).

On my machine that section looks like that:
===>Video Streaming Uncompressed Frame Type Descriptor<===
bLength: 0x22
bDescriptorType: 0x24
bDescriptorSubtype: 0x05
bFrameIndex: 0x02
bmCapabilities: 0x01
wWidth: 0x0500
wHeight: 0x02D0
dwMinBitRate: 0x06978000
dwMaxBitRate: 0x08CA0000
dwMaxVideoFrameBufferSize: 0x001C2000
dwDefaultFrameInterval: 0x000F4240
bFrameIntervalType: 0x02
===>Additional Discrete Frame Type Data
dwFrameInterval[1]: 0x000F4240
dwFrameInterval[2]: 0x00145855

...
Do you see that there are 2 dwFrameIntervals there
dwFrameInterval[1]: 0x000F4240
dwFrameInterval[2]: 0x00145855

Those are in ns units
0x000F4240 is equal to 1000000 decimal
0x00145855 is equal to 1333333 decimal

So to convert to FPS we should
10000000/1000000 = 10fps
10000000/1333333 = 7.5fps

So those are only two possibly available speeds reported by my LifeCam hardware for 1280*720 YUY2. Remember, this has nothing to do with what drivers you are using ==> this is pure hardware information reported by USB device during connection.

So, please check this on your working system and see if this matches mine and/or there are some differences.

Edited by igor1960 (01/13/10 04:43 AM)