Editing Webcam (section)

== History ==
{{See also|History of videotelephony}}
=== Early development (early 1990s) ===
[[File:Trojan Room coffee pot xcoffee.png|thumb|The [[Trojan Room coffee pot]], as displayed in XCoffee]]

First developed in 1991, a webcam was pointed at the [[Trojan Room coffee pot]] in the [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge University]] Computer Science Department (initially operating over a local network instead of the web). The camera was finally switched off on August 22, 2001. The final image captured by the camera can still be viewed at its homepage.<ref>[http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/coffee/coffee.html CoffeeCam] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313093700/http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/coffee/coffee.html |date=2012-03-13 }}, University of Cambridge.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.spiegel.de/static/popup/coffeecam/cam2.html|title=Trojan Room Coffee Pot – SPIEGEL ONLINE|access-date=29 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925043554/http://www.spiegel.de/static/popup/coffeecam/cam2.html|archive-date=25 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The oldest continuously operating webcam, [[San Francisco State University]]'s [[FogCam]], has run since 1994 and is still operating {{as of|lc=y|2025|01|post=.}} It updates every 20 seconds.<ref>{{cite web |title='World's oldest webcam' to be switched off |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-49408335 |website=BBC News |access-date=20 August 2019 |date=20 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820170350/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-49408335 |archive-date=20 August 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>[[File:Silicon Graphics camera IMG 4205.jpg|thumb|SGI IndyCam|left]]

The [[SGI Indy]], released in 1993, is the first commercial computer to have a standard video camera,<ref name="MD camera">{{cite magazine|date=August 13, 1993|title=Low-cost, high-speed SGI Indy comes with camera|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/217148786|magazine=Machine Design|volume=65|issue=16|page=84|id={{ProQuest|217148786}}|access-date=March 5, 2021|via=[[ProQuest]]|url-access=registration|archive-date=July 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713165154/https://www.proquest.com/docview/217148786|url-status=live}}</ref> and the first SGI computer to have standard video inputs.<ref name="ED Video input">{{cite magazine|author=DB|date=July 22, 1993|title=Video input becoming workstation standard.|url=https://web-b-ebscohost-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=d6805b5a-27de-4991-a527-b8d1649e6b8e%40pdc-v-sessmgr01&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=9311156271&db=f6h|magazine=Electronic Design|volume=41|issue=15|page=30|issn=0013-4872|access-date=March 5, 2021|via=[[EBSCO Information Services|EBSCO]]|url-access=registration|archive-date=August 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819104536/https://wikipedialibrary.wmflabs.org/?next_url=/ezproxy/r/ezp.2aHR0cHM6Ly93ZWIuYi5lYnNjb2hvc3QuY29tL2Vob3N0L2RldGFpbC9kZXRhaWw.dmlkPTAmc2lkPWQ2ODA1YjVhLTI3ZGUtNDk5MS1hNTI3LWI4ZDE2NDllNmI4ZSU0MHBkYy12LXNlc3NtZ3IwMSZiZGF0YT1Kbk5wZEdVOVpXaHZjM1F0YkdsMlpRJTNEJTNE#AN=9311156271&db=f6h|url-status=live}}</ref>

The maximum supported input resolution is 640×480 for [[NTSC]] or 768×576 for [[PAL]]. A fast machine is required to capture at either of these resolutions, though; an Indy with slower [[R4600|R4600PC]] CPU, for example, may require the input resolution to be reduced before storage or processing. However, the Vino hardware is capable of [[Direct memory access|DMA]]ing video fields directly into the frame buffer with minimal CPU overhead.

The first widespread commercial webcam, the black-and-white [[QuickCam]], entered the marketplace in 1994, created by the U.S. computer company [[Connectix]]. QuickCam was available in August 1994 for the [[Apple Macintosh]], connecting via a [[serial port]], at a cost of $100. Jon Garber, the designer of the device, had wanted to call it the "Mac-camera", but was overruled by Connectix's marketing department; a version with a PC-compatible parallel port and software for [[Microsoft Windows]] was launched in October 1995. The original Quick Cam provided 320x240-pixel resolution with a grayscale depth of 16 shades at 60 frames per second, or 256 shades at 15 frames per second.<ref>Edwards, Benj. [http://www.pcworld.com/article/199112/victorian_scifi.html History of Video Calls: From Fantasy to Flops to Facetime] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111010182111/http://www.pcworld.com/article/199112/victorian_scifi.html |date=2011-10-10 }}, [[PC World (magazine)|PC World Magazine]], June 17, 2010.</ref> These cam were tested on several [[Delta II launch]] using a variety of communication protocols including CDMA, TDMA, GSM and HF.

[[Videotelephony|Videoconferencing]] via computers already existed, and at the time [[Client–server model|client-server]] based videoconferencing software such as [[CU-SeeMe]] had started to become popular.

The first widely known laptop with integrated webcam option, at a pricepoint starting at US$ 12,000, was an IBM [[RS/6000]] 860 laptop<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ps-2.kev009.com/aixtp/Brochure/4249-860.pdf|title=RS/6000 Notebook 860|website=kev009.com|access-date=2020-12-30|archive-date=2021-02-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225170148/http://ps-2.kev009.com/aixtp/Brochure/4249-860.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2000-06-28|title=US - IBM RS/6000 Notebook 860 Model 860|url=https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_sm/0/897/ENUS7249-860/index.html|access-date=2020-12-30|website=www-01.ibm.com|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-09-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919231326/https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_sm/0/897/ENUS7249-860/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and its related [[ThinkPad 850]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=1996-07-09|title=IBM ThinkPad Power Series 820 and 850|url=https://www-01.ibm.com/common/ssi/printableversion.wss?docURL=/common/ssi/rep_ca/8/877/ENUSZG96-0188/index.html&request_locale=en|access-date=2020-12-30|website=www-01.ibm.com|language=en-US}}</ref> released in 1996.

=== Entering the mainstream (late 1990s)===
[[File:ISights (cropped).jpg|alt=Cylindrical metal camera mounted on a laptop|thumb|[[iSight]] webcam, released in 2003]]
One of the most widely reported-on webcam sites was [[JenniCam]], created in 1996, which allowed Internet users to observe the life of its namesake constantly, in the same vein as the reality TV series ''[[Big Brother (TV series)|Big Brother]]'', launched four years later.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/international/story/0,,1115262,00.html "Plug pulled on live website seen by millions"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819104528/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2004/jan/03/usnews.internationalnews |date=2022-08-19 }} by Oliver Burkeman in ''The Guardian'', January 3, 2004</ref> Other cameras are mounted overlooking bridges, public squares, and other public places, their output made available on a public web page in accordance with the original concept of a "webcam". Aggregator websites have also been created, providing thousands of live video streams or up-to-date still pictures, allowing users to find live video streams based on location or other criteria.

In the late 1990s, [[Microsoft NetMeeting]] was the only videoconferencing software on PC in widespread use, making use of webcams.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-05-24-9905240145-story.html|title=Video-Conference Program Allows More Private Face-To-Face Time|website=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=24 May 1999 |access-date=2021-07-03|archive-date=2022-04-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421193845/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-05-24-9905240145-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In the following years, [[instant messaging]] clients started adding webcam support: [[Yahoo Messenger]] introduced this with version 5.5 in 2002, allowing video calling in 20 frames per second using a webcam.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240047061/Yahoo-instant-messenger-unveils-broadband-Webcam|title=Yahoo! Instant messenger unveils broadband Webcam|access-date=2021-07-03|archive-date=2021-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709183222/https://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240047061/Yahoo-instant-messenger-unveils-broadband-Webcam|url-status=live}}</ref> [[MSN Messenger]] gained this in version 5.0 in 2003.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240049915/MSN-Messenger-gains-webcam-functionality|title=MSN Messenger gains webcam functionality|access-date=2021-07-03|archive-date=2021-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184853/https://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240049915/MSN-Messenger-gains-webcam-functionality|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 2000s–2019 ===
Around the turn of the 21st century, computer hardware manufacturers began building webcams directly into [[laptop]] and desktop screens, thus eliminating the need to use an external USB or [[FireWire]] camera. Gradually webcams came to be used more for telecommunications, or [[videotelephony]], between two people, or among several people, than for offering a view on a Web page to an unknown public.

For less than US$100 in 2012, a [[three-dimensional|three-dimensional space]] webcam became available, producing videos and photos in 3D [[anaglyph image]] with a resolution up to 1280 × 480 pixels. Viewers must use 3D glasses to see the effect of three dimensional image.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lanxon |first=Nate |url=https://www.cnet.com/pictures/3d-photos-minoru-3d-webcam-hands-on/ |title=3D photos: Minoru 3D webcam hands-on | work=[[CNET]] |date=July 16, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205030408/http://crave.cnet.co.uk/gadgets/3d-photos-minoru-3d-webcam-hands-on-49303012/ |archive-date=2010-12-05 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 2020–present ===

With [[remote work]] entering the mainstream, the built-in cameras of average laptops were sometimes considered inadequate. Consequently,
during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], a shortage of external webcams in retail occurred.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/9/21199521/webcam-shortage-price-raise-logitech-razer-amazon-best-buy-ebay |title=Webcams have become impossible to find, and prices are skyrocketing |work=[[The Verge]] |date=9 April 2020 |access-date=4 May 2021 |archive-date=19 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519105831/https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/9/21199521/webcam-shortage-price-raise-logitech-razer-amazon-best-buy-ebay |url-status=live }}</ref> Most laptops before and during the pandemic were made with cameras capping out at 720p recording quality at best, compared to the industry standard of 1080p or 4K seen in smartphones and televisions from the same period.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.techradar.com/news/computing-components/peripherals/what-webcam-5-reviewed-and-rated-1027972 |title=Best webcams 2021: Top picks for working from home |work=[[TechRadar]] |date=5 August 2021 |access-date=4 May 2021 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506195713/https://www.techradar.com/news/computing-components/peripherals/what-webcam-5-reviewed-and-rated-1027972 |url-status=live }}</ref> The backlog on new developments for built-in webcams is the result of a design flaw with laptops being too thin to support the 7mm camera modules to fit inside, instead resorting to ~2.5mm.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/25/17050098/huawei-matebook-x-pro-webcam-mwc-2018 |title=Huawei's new laptop has a mechanical pop-up webcam in the keyboard |work=[[The Verge]] |date=25 February 2018 |access-date=4 May 2021 |archive-date=4 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504002531/https://www.theverge.com/2018/2/25/17050098/huawei-matebook-x-pro-webcam-mwc-2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/laptops-need-better-webcams/|title = In the Age of Zoom, Bad Laptop Webcams Are a Big Problem|date = 8 April 2020|access-date = 4 May 2021|archive-date = 4 May 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210504002532/https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/laptops-need-better-webcams/|url-status = live}}</ref> Also the camera components are more expensive and not a high level of demand for this feature, <ref>{{Cite web |title=New MacBook Pro Finally Features a 1080p Webcam Within a Notch |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2021/10/18/new-macbook-pro-1080p-facetime-camera/ |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=MacRumors |date=18 October 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imore.com/macbook-air-2020-so-much-love-except-crappy-facetime-camera|title=Dear Apple, please stop putting crummy cameras on your MacBooks|date=19 March 2020|access-date=4 May 2021|archive-date=4 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210504002533/https://www.imore.com/macbook-air-2020-so-much-love-except-crappy-facetime-camera|url-status=live}}</ref> Smartphones started to be used as a backup option or webcam replacement, with kits including lighting and tripods or downloadable apps.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url = https://www.wired.com/story/use-your-phone-as-webcam/|title = How to Turn Your Smartphone into a Webcam|magazine = Wired|access-date = 2021-05-04|archive-date = 2021-05-13|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210513121455/https://www.wired.com/story/use-your-phone-as-webcam/|url-status = live}}</ref>