Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

Webcam and live streaming help for low light and good video

Dec 18, 2014 12:50AM PST

Hi,

Im in need of a new webcam for a specific project.

I live stream a ferret nest box through the breeding season. So it is focused from about 3 ft away on a 2ft square most of the time and then as the kits get bigger i switch a larger view ... aprox 5 ft square. The picture needs to be crisp and clear but the lighting needs to be low.

I have used several Logitech cams with varying success uploading and streaming through third party sites like JustinTV and LiveStream.

One of the issues i have had is when the lights are down low the video gets choppy or pixelated and i dont have the tech knowledge to figure out WHERE the problem is.

Do i need a better camera?

Is it a problem with the laptop i have it connected to? ( its a 4 yr old dell with Vista)

Is it the Encoder i use? I've used ManyCam, FME and Wirecast with varying degrees of success

or is it down to the streaming service i'm using?

Is there a resource that can help me find these answers?

Is there a better camera that i could be using? maybe an IP camera? or is there another option out there i've not stumbled on at all?

Thanks for the help!

Heather

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Answer
First, low light camera questions are now in the millions.
Dec 18, 2014 1:03AM PST
- Collapse -
Answer
Don't know much about this
Dec 19, 2014 6:47PM PST

but have seen some nest box streams from the Cornell lab of ornithology that use IR cameras for nighttime vision. They produce some light that's not visible to the critter being observed. I don't know about ferrets but some can birds can see into the UV spectrum but not IR so the light being used by the camera doesn't bother them. Of course it streams in B&W when switching to that mode.