Microsoft Markets

Microsoft markets a line of webcams under the brand name LifeCam, all outside devices that connect to the computer by the USB port. Sometimes, these devices can yield blurry images when used to videoconference over the Net due to connectivity, interference from applications & the necessity for manual focus, among other issues.

Check the USB Connection
 feasible source of issues with outside webcam is the USB connection. Plug in the webcam in to a different USB port & wait for Windows to recognize it; the webcam application will start & show you a small video of what the webcam is capturing. LifeCam webcams have a resolution of 800 by 600 resolution or higher, & need 16-bit color at a minimum; if your video card or display are set to a lower resolution than this, the 16-bit color, the display may be blurry on your screen.

By hand Change the Focus
LifeCam webcams all have manual focusing mechanisms that work by rotating a ring around the lens mechanism clockwise or counter-clockwise to change the focal distance of the camera. Most also have an auto-focus feature; it is feasible, with autofocus, to sit at a distance from the Webcam that falls between of its standardized auto-focus settings. This will cause it to show a blurry picture that goes in & out of focus as your head moves closer or farther away from the camera. Another symptom to look for is a dirty lens. A fingerprint that you might not be able to see when the camera is pointed at you can still cause a blurry picture to show up on screen.

Net Connection Issues
Discrepancies between the quality of the video you see on your monitor & the quality of video your conversation partner sees are probably caused by your Net connection. Video cameras work by shooting lots of still photographs & sending only the knowledge that changes between specific frames; those specific frames, called key frames, are larger files, & in the event that they get dropped, the resulting video will be blurry. To exactly troubleshoot this issue, turn off any applications that might be uploading information in the background, like a file sharing application. You can set the camera to a lower resolution to reduce the size of the key frame images to combat blurry images.

Reload the Driver Program
Sometimes the best solution to solving a Webcam issue is to uninstall the drivers & controlling program & re-install them. This can remove corrupted files & clear out settings files that are causing conflicting instructions to be sent to the Webcam. Always unplug the camera from the computer before re-installing the program.