Problem with webcam and skype

Slash

Slash

Member
Got the Logitech C270 HD (very standard) camera connected to Minix Neo u9-H. I'm getting one of the 2 situations:

either this green screen, and the other person can't see me at all:
1575971734767.png

or

This weirdly stretched / bad quality image:
1575971817583.png

The thing is, on my previous Minix (Neo X8-H) the same camera worked flawlesly, and I had no problems with skype whatsoever.. :(

Anybody had similar issues? Any ideas how to fix this?

It's extremely disappointing for me that the newer model has more issues than the older! :(
 
Hi.
I think there are very few users that use skype and also a webcam on a android device.

I don't use skype and webcam.

-You can try another skype version.
-Test the camera with another app and see if it works well

last resort :
-factory reset
-another firmware release (CE latest ROM for example).
 
notrui said:
Hi.
I think there are very few users that use skype and also a webcam on a android device.

I don't use skype and webcam.

-You can try another skype version.
-Test the camera with another app and see if it works well

last resort :
-factory reset
-another firmware release (CE latest ROM for example).
Click to expand...

Thanks, howerver, this was WORKING fine on the older minix, so my main issue is, that how is this now broken??

as for the skype version argument:
- the problem is that Skype will stop working unless you update to latest version, I can't use older version (or not for long_

as for another app argument:
- The webcam seems to work ok with the Android Camera app

as for the last resort:
- factory reset .. this was installed on brand new minix, so I don't think factory reset will help
 
Slash said:
Got the Logitech C270 HD (very standard) camera connected to Minix Neo u9-H. I'm getting one of the 2 situations:

either this green screen, and the other person can't see me at all:
View attachment 1288

or

This weirdly stretched / bad quality image:
View attachment 1289

The thing is, on my previous Minix (Neo X8-H) the same camera worked flawlesly, and I had no problems with skype whatsoever.. :(

Anybody had similar issues? Any ideas how to fix this?

It's extremely disappointing for me that the newer model has more issues than the older! :(
Click to expand...

The problem may not necessarily be that because the U9-H is a newer device to the X8-H, that your connected peripherals should be expected to interface flawlessly.

The Logitech C270 HD was released way back in 2010/2011, so the problem may in fact be that the more recent media hubs or their OS's don't interface as well with such an old webcam, hence why your C270 apparently worked well with the older X8-H but not so with the U9-H.

Ultimately, can you briefly borrow a more recent model webcam from a friend or family? See if it works OK with your U9-H (or not), & then proceed accordingly ;). Failing that, you could always order a more recent model webcam from Amazon, if it fails it's easy to return & try another model instead ;)!!
 
ArcticWolf said:
The problem may not necessarily be that because the U9-H is a newer device to the X8-H, that your connected peripherals should be expected to interface flawlessly.

The Logitech C270 HD was released way back in 2010/2011, so the problem may in fact be that the more recent media hubs or their OS's don't interface as well with such an old webcam, hence why your C270 apparently worked well with the older X8-H but not so with the U9-H.

Ultimately, can you briefly borrow a more recent model webcam from a friend or family? See if it works OK with your U9-H (or not), & then proceed accordingly ;). Failing that, you could always order a more recent model webcam from Amazon, if it fails it's easy to return & try another model instead ;)!!
Click to expand...

Thank you , actually I've tried that. bought a recent Web cam from Amazon, and it did not work... At all. No picture whatosower.
 
Slash said:
Thank you , actually I've tried that. bought a recent Web cam from Amazon, and it did not work... At all. No picture whatosower.
Click to expand...

You're welcome :).

What have Skype's support system had to say about this issue?

Remember, there's more to consider here than the hardware, obviously the software is as much of a factor. (I'm not saying the U9-H isn't a factor, I couldn't possibly know that, what I am saying is you need determine what the software developers have to say as well. (Knowing MS/Skype & their perceived infallibility I have no problem simply assuming exactly how their reply will read unfortunately. However, on the off chance this is something they can advise you on, I would also urge you to contact them as well.))

To me, it looks like Skype isn't correctly adopting the native resolution of your webcam, causing that odd stretched effect. I freely admit I haven't used a webcam (external/USB type) with Skype in Android for quite some time, but are there still options for adjusting the resolution/aspect ratio or have they long since been removed? Assuming you've already tried that as well (if applicable), what effect did that have if any?

I can certainly recall others mentioning they've used webcams with Skype on the U9-H without issues. Unfortunately, I can't remember the specifics of the particular webcams they actually used :(.

@Minix - Martin , are you able to please advise of a specific model of webcam you may have tested with the U9-H that this gentleman can look to purchase? Thanks :).
 
@Slash you can also what i suggested:

-newer CE ROM (i think you have marshmallow ROM)

And sometimes when we have a app that does not work no matter what we do the best is search for alternatives, i do that sometimes.

And search for alternatives (to skype) is good because you don't have to be " lock" to a app , etc...
 
notrui said:
@Slash you can also what i suggested:

-newer CE ROM (i think you have marshmallow ROM)

And sometimes when we have a app that does not work no matter what we do the best is search for alternatives, i do that sometimes.

And search for alternatives (to skype) is good because you don't have to be " lock" to a app , etc...
Click to expand...

The problem with easily finding alternative video conferencing apps is its completely dependant on all parties involved changing software as well!! In essence, you are kind of "locked" unless everyone agrees to change. Simply uprooting & moving to another app when others are involved in that process isn't always that simple unfortunately.

Google Duo or Google Hangouts would be an obvious choice but I'm guessing Skype is the preferred medium in this instance to tie in with other users.

The CE ROM is a possibility of course but for the average user the stock ROM is generally the best option unless there's evidence to suggest changing ROM's will definitely solve a specific problem or set of problems.

Ultimately, we really need a Skype user who's also currently using the CE ROM (or the stock ROM for that matter) to test Skype with a USB webcam to verify its efficacy, & confirm which webcam they're using.

@Slash . I have a Creative webcam somewhere of a similar age. If I can find it & I get a chance, I'll see if I can test it with both ROM's. I make NO promises, however!!! So don't rely on any results at all!!
 
Yes. i don't know if the other parts agree to change.

The few times i used skype (windows) the other person was using also skype (but i never used camera for that)

The problem is finding a user that have the same:

-u9h
-firmware (optional, but i don't know if it is important to this case)
-skype version
-camera

Maybe someone has.
 
ArcticWolf said:
You're welcome :).

What have Skype's support system had to say about this issue?

Remember, there's more to consider here than the hardware, obviously the software is as much of a factor. (I'm not saying the U9-H isn't a factor, I couldn't possibly know that, what I am saying is you need determine what the software developers have to say as well. (Knowing MS/Skype & their perceived infallibility I have no problem simply assuming exactly how their reply will read unfortunately. However, on the off chance this is something they can advise you on, I would also urge you to contact them as well.))

To me, it looks like Skype isn't correctly adopting the native resolution of your webcam, causing that odd stretched effect. I freely admit I haven't used a webcam (external/USB type) with Skype in Android for quite some time, but are there still options for adjusting the resolution/aspect ratio or have they long since been removed? Assuming you've already tried that as well (if applicable), what effect did that have if any?

I can certainly recall others mentioning they've used webcams with Skype on the U9-H without issues. Unfortunately, I can't remember the specifics of the particular webcams they actually used :(.

@Minix - Martin , are you able to please advise of a specific model of webcam you may have tested with the U9-H that this gentleman can look to purchase? Thanks :).
Click to expand...

Thanks you so much , really appreciate you taking time to answer this...

I think approaching this from Skype side would be a waste of time, as it's highly unlikely they would respond and actually do something about a particular user having hardware issues with particular webcam on a particular Android box. But... I will try anyway, as weirder things have happened!

Skype for Android has, unfortunately, NO settings whatsoever, there's no option (like in Skype for PC) to select video and audio source and tweak anything. It's simply "plug-and-pray", it either works or it doesn't.

My main concern isn't really that stretched effect, that's just preview of myself, it's stretched just for me , but the other party can see me ok..
The problem is that green screen. I get it half of the time, or a bit more than half of the time. Then the other side cannot see me, and I have to restart skype, or more often restart minix, etc..

And yes, getting info on a webcam model that actually works on UH-9 would be extremely useful. Preferably 1080p or at least 720p resolution :)
 
notrui said:
@Slash you can also what i suggested:

-newer CE ROM (i think you have marshmallow ROM)

And sometimes when we have a app that does not work no matter what we do the best is search for alternatives, i do that sometimes.

And search for alternatives (to skype) is good because you don't have to be " lock" to a app , etc...
Click to expand...

Thank you notrui, I have considered this, but to be perfectly honest, I don't think it's worth the effort. Flashing a new ROM isn't without risks and there's no guarantee that it will actually work, actually there's quite a little chance it will solve this problem if it's problem of skype AND webcam AND Minix HARDWARE. On the other side, other things / apps could start misbehaving, and there's a chance I could brick the box, need to faff around the unlocking bootloader, connecting this via usb to PC which is in a completely different room, maybe voiding the warranty etc etc..

So very little hope of this actually helping for too much effort and too much risk.

Also, Skype is probably only 3%-6% I'm using Minix for...

And as Arctic Wolf has said, I can't just simply change the Skype for some other video chat software, as it's other parties (particulary my and my wife's parents and my and my wife's sister) that's using the skype both on the phones and PCs so it wouldn't be worth or easy to switch, as other solutions might not be working as well on all the platforms...
 
@Slash
Ok.
But you have to think about this:

-the apps you use now will never work forever.
In the future you are forced to upgrade firmware, if you want to use a particular app (that need a newer API level of android) or that app will not work (unless you install a modified apk...)
 
Last edited:
Slash said:
Thanks you so much , really appreciate you taking time to answer this...

I think approaching this from Skype side would be a waste of time, as it's highly unlikely they would respond and actually do something about a particular user having hardware issues with particular webcam on a particular Android box. But... I will try anyway, as weirder things have happened!

Skype for Android has, unfortunately, NO settings whatsoever, there's no option (like in Skype for PC) to select video and audio source and tweak anything. It's simply "plug-and-pray", it either works or it doesn't.

My main concern isn't really that stretched effect, that's just preview of myself, it's stretched just for me , but the other party can see me ok..
The problem is that green screen. I get it half of the time, or a bit more than half of the time. Then the other side cannot see me, and I have to restart skype, or more often restart minix, etc..

And yes, getting info on a webcam model that actually works on UH-9 would be extremely useful. Preferably 1080p or at least 720p resolution :)
Click to expand...

You're welcome :).

OK, I've attempted a test for you this A.M. However, as I feared my Creative external webcam is so old nothing (with Android) is even detecting its presence full stop. (Skype, the default Android camera app, several 3rd party camera apps, or external USB webcam apps I downloaded from the Play Store.)

I had a feeling that might be the case. Even a brief test in Windows was dicey at best without any specific drivers for Win 10, (the most recent I could find were for Win 7 which shows when the webcam was last used lol).

I continue to test/use the CE ROM on a second U9-H but for the most part I still use the stock ROM on my primary U9-H, (there may be some gains but there are some losses too). I prefer the 6.0.1 ROM as I actually completely lose the availability of some of my paid apps with 7.1.2 rather than ensuring their continuity. Obviously I won't be alone there!! (Something else you may also wish to consider when ceaselessy recommending the 7.1.2 ROM @notrui !! If an app has actually lost support in an older OS then yes, consider the change. Otherwise, I see little point in changing firmware purely because some apps "might" not work in the future. (Typically, app users are often given advanced warning if an app will cease to be supported in an older version of Android. Most users are far better off waiting until they find out this will definitely be happening, or that it has already happened.)) Change when or if that change is necessary rather than doing it arbitrarily.

Slash said:
as for another app argument:
- The webcam seems to work ok with the Android Camera app
Click to expand...

It may still be worth trying to contact Skype. You said yourself that the camera seems to work OK with the Android camera app which would indicate that the U9-H isn't completely incompatible with your webcam. You also just mentioned that when you experience this problem, sometimes just restarting Skype itself is enough to clear the problem & immediately carry on with your video conference :).

If this were truly a "hardware" problem, we'd expect to see your camera completely/consistently fail in ALL apps as my webcam has, rather than working well in some & failing just "some of the time" in others.

A restart apparently clears the problem as well which also points to a software problem, (whether that's Skype itself or the firmware remains to be seen without additional info from other users but again, you've previously mentioned the webcam working fine with the Android camera app without any problems & some of the time with Skype).

You've also mentioned it's just the small "preview" window (of yourself) that experiences the odd stretching effects & that your chat partners actually see you normally & as expected. (This would indicate Skype itself is simply failing to correctly display the native resolution of your camera for the "preview window" alone, as in other apps or the camera image that your connected party actually sees you appear perfectly normally without that stretched effect.) Otherwise, the camera is also working "some of the time", whilst other times a reboot is required too. Again, if a true hardware problem outright, you generally wouldn't expect it to work at all.

Wait & see what Skype come back with, "stranger things" indeed lol ;). Given other users have previously mentioned that they have successfully used external webcams with Skype & other apps with the U9-H, you may just need to wait in the hope these users happen to see this thread to comment. Alternatively, create a new more specific thread to ask other forum members what webcam's they're using with their U9-H's :).

Hope you find a solution one way or the other :).
 
Well said AW, that same chant with regard update to the New Community Rom, which in my opinion doesn't come anywhere near the Minix U9-H FW008 and that's not decrying the NEW Rom that notrui has been avidly promoting it's just that it does not fulfill it's promise in many areas and the rush for" The latest" is somewhat madness that has pervaded the last decade. I tried the new rom and will continue to watch it's development but right now the state of play in my opinion is FW008.

With regard using Skype on the U9-H, I use it to communicate and send update APK to apps that my friends request, this is something that is not easily done on other platforms. So I recommend Skype to my clients and friends using Minix hardware and we send and receive APK info and updates from all over the world.
 
gdf said:
Well said AW, that same chant with regard update to the New Community Rom, which in my opinion doesn't come anywhere near the Minix U9-H FW008 and that's not decrying the NEW Rom that notrui has been avidly promoting it's just that it does not fulfill it's promise in many areas and the rush for" The latest" is somewhat madness that has pervaded the last decade. I tried the new rom and will continue to watch it's development but right now the state of play in my opinion is FW008.

With regard using Skype on the U9-H, I use it to communicate and send update APK to apps that my friends request, this is something that is not easily done on other platforms. So I recommend Skype to my clients and friends using Minix hardware and we send and receive APK info and updates from all over the world.
Click to expand...

Are you or any of those you mention able to advise on a working webcam with Skype & the U9-H at all please gdf?

Exactly, it's not to take anything away from the extreme hard work & effort the guys voluntarily put in to developing the CE ROM for the benefit of others at all :). Not to mention the previous ROMs they've worked on or any other ROMs they're continuing to work on in their spare time as well :). It's often a thankless task that they undertake & I have no doubt that there's a long list of users with multiple devices that are better off for their efforts too.

The rest obviously is a completely different topic or it's already been covered.

@Slash . In addition to the possible choices @CybeRider posted above for you too, I remembered this U9-H review from (nearly) a couple of years ago that specifically mentioned the use of a working "UVC" webcam with the U9-H & Skype.

https://www.cnx-software.com/2017/0...b-review-part-2-android-6-0-firmware-kodi-17/

Could be a long shot but might be worth dropping CNX a quick email to ask exactly which cam he uses for his tests, or read some of his other reviews to see if he specifies his "test webcam". (It seems some of his test equipment has been the same spanning countless tests over relatively long periods of time.) You might get lucky ;)!!??

Hopefully, you have some alternatives to try out at least :). Fingers crossed!!
 
We use the C270 and ensure that Chrome is the stock version and don't update it, doing the latter resolved issues with another app that was green screening as shown in the thread. I am waiting for members of my community to get back to me with regard their Skype usage and as soon as I have info to share I will but being this special time of year many will be preoccupied I expect well into the New year.
I use several apps for video communication outside of Skype via the Minix U9-H, Neo U1 and a Samsung phone "Google Duo" and "Whats App" are what I use, my communications take place across Europe, Asia, Australia and America and rarely encounter issues. I hope "Slash" will soon get a solution to the problem.
 
gdf said:
We use the C270 and ensure that Chrome is the stock version and don't update it, doing the latter resolved issues with another app that was green screening as shown in the thread. I am waiting for members of my community to get back to me with regard their Skype usage and as soon as I have info to share I will but being this special time of year many will be preoccupied I expect well into the New year.
I use several apps for video communication outside of Skype via the Minix U9-H, Neo U1 and a Samsung phone "Google Duo" and "Whats App" are what I use, my communications take place across Europe, Asia, Australia and America and rarely encounter issues. I hope "Slash" will soon get a solution to the problem.
Click to expand...

Indeed. Undoubtedly, many will be preoccupied given the time of year :). (Thanks for the assistance nevertheless :).)

@Slash , read the above post (#17) by @gdf :). It's perhaps another glimmer of hope before you pull the trigger on a replacement webcam. (Or, pull the pin & frag your U9-H!! ;) :ROFLMAO:.)

(If memory serves, some users experienced the "green screen" issue watching YouTube through a browser(s), & if Chrome had essentially been updated beyond the factory version(?????).) I can certainly recall scanning over the threads that discussed the green screen issue but I just didn't digest that info, or it didn't even occur to me for a second that it could also potentially affect Skype as well!!! It would be seriously odd if this known issue does affect Skype too but you just never know do you lol!!!!?? (If it's fixed the same problem for @gdf too, it's certainly worth exploring further @Slash :).)

Additionally, check these out too @Slash.

https://theminixforum.com/index.php?threads/some-tv-stream-apps-freeze-with-green-screen-u9-h.2023/

https://theminixforum.com/index.php...creen-becomes-green-and-the-video-stops.1217/

I haven't reread back through them in this instance (it's been one of those days lol), but they may just contain some of the info/answers that you've been looking for :). Fingers crossed (again) ;).
 
Well I have used my webcam (C270) to call another Skype account I setup on my Samsung phone and all is good .. U9-H on FW008, Chrome 77.****, Skype 8.55.0.123, using Logitech C270, video both ends of conversation very good. Attached two photos of same.
I might add that I keep the U9-H up to date, apart from the mentioned Google Chrome ... I also do not use Mobdro as that caused me issues with two apps ... I hope the information is of use and can lead you to identify where things are going wrong in the setup you have .. It may be another unrelated app that is causing the issues, but I am confident that the C270 along with the U9-H are working together.
 

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