Question / Help 3 C920 Logitech webcams on OBS mac - 3rd cam freezes

[RuiFradinho]

Hello all,

My name is Rui and I've been doing a video radio show from my home to FB live but having some issues.

As I'm new to this forum, I'm going to try and be as descriptive as I can.

Downloaded OBS for mac, installed, working well with 2x Logitech C920 webcams but when I hook up a 3rd one, it goes black and or it freezes (I've even tried using a mains powered USB3 hub but still with the same issue!)

Does anyone else have issues connecting more than 2 web cameras?

My setup:

OSX El Capitain 10.11.6

MacBook Pro 15 inch (mid 2015)
Processor: 2.8GHz Intel Corei7
Memory: 16GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Graphics: Intel Iris Pro 1536 MB
1TB internal SSD drive

3 x Logitech C920 web cameras (which are all assumed fine when I start the "Webcam Setting" app - I can control all the parameters on all 3 of them)

1 x USB3 mains powered hub

1 x Serato SL3 USB interface (to feed audio from my analogue mixer to OBS studio)

The Serato is connected via USB with the 3 Logitech cameras to one USB3 hub but whenever I connect the 3rd camera, it comes up with a black screen or it freezes throughout the whole broadcast.

Any help / feedback would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Rui Fradinho

 

[c3r1c3]

That's because you have 4 interrupt heavy devices sitting on 1 USB root.

You could try lowering the resolution of the webcams until all 3 work, but that can be hit-or-miss as well, in part because it's not just bandwidth, but also interrupts on the USB root that can be a part of the problem.

 

[RuiFradinho]

Thanks for your input! I have already lowered he resolution of the webcams but it's till happening!
I will try to plug the USB audio interface on one of the macbook pro USB ports and the 3 webcams on the other USB port nd see if this makes it better! Will update this thread with my results (but I'm tempted to invest in a USB video switcher with HDMI inputs so I can direct and mix the video sources outside OBS, only sending one "final" video feed to OBS)
Thanks again!
Rui

 

[m.foucault]

Hi Rui Fradinho, Can you say me what "Webcam Setting" app are you using, on my mac I have 2 C920 plugged but with the "Logitech Camera settings 1.2" I have only access to one webcam.
Thanks a lot

 

[RuiFradinho]

m.foucalt, apologies for the late reply! The app is called "Webcam Settings" (it's not from Logitech) and you get it through the App store
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/webcam-settings/id533696630?mt=12

As an update on my own setup, I've tried a powered USB3 hub but the 3rd camera still kept freezing.
As my mac only has got 2 separate USB ports, I'm now using the audio interface on one and the two webcams on the other via a USB hub. I'm still to try and get another hub and hook up the 3rd camera to the same USB port as the audio interface is connected.