Question / Help Looking for info on using a camcorder as a webcam for OBS

[Deleted member 59113]

Few questions:
Is a camcorder as a webcam a viable alternative to the standard c920 etc?
If so what requirements are there because as far as I am aware most camcorders don't allow streaming to a pc via USB?
Is there a generic term to search for when looking for viable camcorders that allow this?
If the camcorder does not allow USB streaming, could a workaround be HDMI to capture card?
I have a 2pc setup, so would a HDMI splitter work in a cap card? I.e HDMI from both my gaming pc and camcorder going into a splitter that's plugged into the cap card?

Any advice appreciated.

 

[Sukiyucky]

Look into Elgato Camlink and make sure the camera you use is supported.

 

[Deleted member 59113]

Is the camlink neccessary for all camcorder and dslr cameras? to be honest adding £100 to the budget just to get a camlink takes me into territory of getting a camera that does not require one, unless i'm mistaken and they all need a camlink to work. I was under the impression some camcorders can stream directly to a pc like a webcam does.

 

[Narcogen]

Camcorders don't make good webcams, no. If the cost of the camlink is pushing your budget beyond the breaking point then you probably shouldn't be looking at camcorders, but rather at webcams.

 

[Deleted member 59113]

Okay thanks for the advice, It's not that it pushes the budget beyond breaking point, but that if you have a £179 camera + £100 camlink, I could easily buy a capable webcam for that price rather than messing around, that was my thinking.

 

[Narcogen]

You are correct.

Conversely, a camcorder that costs only 179 is likely not so much better than a good webcam that the improvement is worth adding a camlink in order to use it; in fact, in some respects, this combination may be worse than a good webcam.

 

[Pilgrim]

We use the following quite successfully with OBS:

https://www.avermedia.com/de/product-detail/GL310

If 1080p and 30 fps ist sufficient for your needs, this could be a less expensive alternative. At least in Germany it is cheaper that the Camlink.

If the camcorder does not allow USB streaming, could a workaround be HDMI to capture card?

As far as I know, that is the way to go.

I have a 2pc setup, so would a HDMI splitter work in a cap card? I.e HDMI from both my gaming pc and camcorder going into a splitter that's plugged into the cap card?

If I understand you correctly, you have two HDMI-Out that you want to stream? There are capture cards that have multiple HDMI-Inputs. Or, as we did it, we got multiple single capure cards. In our case it was less expensive at the time (even if it is a bit of a mess concerning cable management :D ).

 

[Narcogen]

You need to make sure a camcorder has "clean HDMI output" to be used this way. Otherwise you may end up with interface elements in your video feed that you can't remove.