Skype Community > Outgoing video resizes itself

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PascalSz

Thu May 1 2008, 14:14

Hey

I'm using Skype quite often, and used to use my webcam too. Under Ubuntu 7.10, there were no problems in using it: Skype + cam worked amazingly. Since I've upgraded to Ubuntu 8.04, when I'm starting my cam under Skype, it seems to work correctly, but a few seconds later, my video resolution changes and I can see/send only half the video. (It's like a zoom on the upper left corner.) And the most extraordinary about it: In the video-section of the options, everything's fine, the video doesn't resize, doesn't bug at all. (I've tested it during about half an hour.)
I don't know if it's due to Skype and an incompability to Ubuntu 8.04 or if it's due to Ubuntu 8.04 itself.
Does anyone have the same problem? Does anyone know how to solve it?
Thanks.
Best,
Pascal

OS: Ubuntu 8.04,
cam: Philips SPC200NC
version: Skype 2.0.0.68

ChristianF

Thu May 8 2008, 02:55

Hi Pascal,

yes, I have the exact same problem. I updated from Ubuntu 7.10 to 8.04 and ever since had this problem. I don't have a solution either, but since I didn't change anything about my Skype installation in between (even though I now also tried with the latest (non-beta) version, which shows the same problem) i don't think it has to do with Skype itself.

My next suspicion was that the video4linux driver had changed. So I ran a diff of the include/media/v4l-* files in the new kernel header directory against the old ones. But this didn't really give me anything, the files haven't changed much. Also the xserver-xorg-video-v4l package doesn't seem to have changed recently (the last changelog entry is from 2006). So I'm puzzled. It may be worth a try booting into an older or even self-compiled kernel. But testing is difficult, since we can't reproduce it without an actual Skype call.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted if I find something.

cheers,
Christian

nickless

Thu May 8 2008, 20:07

Hello, I also have pretty the same problem, but I'm using gentoo. I have this problem since 2.0.0.63 or 2.0.0.43 (not quite sure), but I waited in hope that it get resolved in the future versions.

Setup is 2x gentoo + skype-2.0.0.68 with Logitech QuickCam Messenger

CODE

Bus 005 Device 002: ID 046d:08da Logitech, Inc. QuickCam Messanger

(this is the one which makes problems) with gspcav1-20071224 driver
and Hercules DualPix Exchange

CODE

Bus 001 Device 002: ID 06f8:3005 Guillemot Corp.

with linux-uvc-0.1.0_pre173 driver.

It happens on every call (linux->linux), after 30-40 seconds, camera light switches off and on again, but now with smaller resolution and showing only a quarter of image, which is very annoing.
If both participants use camera, then both cameras switch off and on, but the Hercules camera returns to normal resolution and Logitech does not.

Here is the relevant part of /var/log/messages for one such call:

CODE

May  8 20:30:01 k7kt400 /var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: USB GSPCA camera found.(ZC3XX)
May  8 20:30:01 k7kt400 /var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: [spca5xx_probe:4275] Camera type JPEG

[cut]

May  8 20:30:01 k7kt400 /var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/Vimicro/zc3xx.h: [zc3xx_config:669] Find Sensor HV7131R(c)
May  8 20:30:01 k7kt400 /var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: [spca5xx_getcapability:1249] maxw 640 maxh 480 minw 160 minh 120
May  8 20:30:01 k7kt400 usbcore: registered new interface driver gspca
May  8 20:30:01 k7kt400 /var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: gspca driver 01.00.20 registered

[cut]

May  8 20:31:10 k7kt400 /var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: [spca5xx_set_light_freq:1932] Sensor currently not support light frequency banding filters.
May  8 20:31:10 k7kt400 /var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: [gspca_set_isoc_ep:945] ISO EndPoint found 0x81 AlternateSet 7
May  8 20:31:14 k7kt400 process `skype' is using obsolete setsockopt SO_BSDCOMPAT
May  8 20:31:34 k7kt400 /var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: [spca5xx_set_light_freq:1932] Sensor currently not support light frequency banding filters.
May  8 20:31:34 k7kt400 /var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: [gspca_set_isoc_ep:945] ISO EndPoint found 0x81 AlternateSet 7

[3 lines of cron output]

May  8 20:32:13 k7kt400 /var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: [spca5xx_set_light_freq:1932] Sensor currently not support light frequency banding filters.
May  8 20:32:13 k7kt400 /var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: [gspca_set_isoc_ep:945] ISO EndPoint found 0x81 AlternateSet 7
May  8 20:32:15 k7kt400 /var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: [spca5xx_set_light_freq:1932] Sensor currently not support light frequency banding filters.
May  8 20:32:15 k7kt400 /var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: [gspca_set_isoc_ep:945] ISO EndPoint found 0x81 AlternateSet 7
May  8 20:32:17 k7kt400 /var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: [gspca_set_isoc_ep:945] ISO EndPoint found 0x81 AlternateSet 7
May  8 20:32:20 k7kt400 /var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: [spca5xx_set_light_freq:1932] Sensor currently not support light frequency banding filters.
May  8 20:32:20 k7kt400 /var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: [gspca_set_isoc_ep:945] ISO EndPoint found 0x81 AlternateSet 7

This looks like a problem with the webcam driver, but does this cause the resize?

I can also provide call log/trace or other information if needed.

Thanks,
nickless

frodon

Fri May 9 2008, 09:42

Exactly the same here after upgrading to hardy (no problem before with gutsy) :

ubuntu 8.04
nvidia driver/7600GT
Logitech quickcam communicate STX

konrads

Mon May 19 2008, 16:38

I can confirm the error, also on Ubuntu hardy. I can add to the list of symptomes 100% utilisation of CPU. My video starts "normal" and then after a few seconds it shrinks to one resolution level below, while clipping the image.

Furthermore, when I choose to stretch the incoming video to double size, only the black canvas is extended, but not the video.

As of recently I am getting an echo loop that ends with high shriek. I suspect it is due to packets being dropped or processed with delay due to CPU maximisation.

It would be nice if someone on skype team would suggest further tests and resolved the issue.

Dave Smith

Wed May 21 2008, 22:03

Yep, happens to me too.

I finally got tired of it and came to see if anyone else is having the problem. I also have Ubuntu 8.04, and noticed it after my upgrade.

I had assumed it was a skype problem as I did a minor upgrade at that time, but I guess it isn't by the previous comments.

I have a intel dual core laptop, and notice that regular skype usage (with webcam) uses one of the cores entirely. The zoom problem only occurs if I have something that threatens to use the other core entirely. IE, firefox or some other process that I run. So it appears to be CPU load related in my case. Whenever I'm using Skype without sending video, my cpu load is low. When I stop sending video and start again, the video returns to regular size, so long as my other cpu core is quiet again.

Should we start petitioning Ubuntu for a fix, or has someone already got a solution that they wouldn't mind sharing.

Dave

pi_square

Sun May 25 2008, 19:26

Hi,

For information, the same applies to me for the INcoming video, with ubuntu hardy heron on an old Duron 1200MHz - 1Mb RAM - quickcam logitech communicate STX ...

A few days ago, skype was simply crashing ubuntu after few seconds of video communication.

The only thing I did in the mean time is the ubuntu updates ...

Bruno

foniopat

Mon May 26 2008, 20:29

With a ZenWalk 5.0 I'm having the same problem , kernel 2.6.23.12, driver gspca, about 30 seconds after connection, it's just like if webcam was zooming and meanwhile no sound is transmetted.
cam logitech quickcam communicate

Thanks

Hazor

Tue May 27 2008, 02:55

Receiving from a Hercules Dualpix Exchange, it happens being sen by both Windows Vista and Kubuntu 8.04. I'm receiving with Kubuntu 8.04. The time at which the resizing occurs seems random, sometimes it's after 1-2 seconds, sometimes it's after a few minutes. It becomes quite frustrating. Does anyone have ideas? Is it a Linux issue? Skype? Linux version of Skype? The chipset in those Logitech and Hercules cameras? Their drivers?

shido

Wed May 28 2008, 09:20

I have the same problem!!!

Skype 2.0.0.68
Kernel - Vanilla-sources 2.6.23.17
Gentoo linux/x86/2007.0/desktop
ATI_X700 - x11-drivers/ati-drivers-8.471.3

Logitech Communicate STX - Bus 003 Device 002: ID 046d:08d7 Logitech, Inc.

Driver - media-video/gspcav1-20071224

[dmesg]
/var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: USB GSPCA camera found.(ZC3XX)
/var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: [spca5xx_probe:4275] Camera type JPEG
/var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/Vimicro/zc3xx.h: [zc3xx_config:669] Find Sensor HV7131R©
/var/tmp/portage/media-video/gspcav1-20071224/work/gspcav1-20071224/gspca_core.c: [spca5xx_getcapability:1249] maxw 640 maxh 480 minw 160 minh 120

HELP - any solution !!!

ephman

Sat May 31 2008, 02:38

glad to hear i'm not alone... sort of sucks.

thanks,
ephman

theresegraversen

Sat May 31 2008, 23:06

I have the same problem, and it drives me nuts!

Specifications:

Xubuntu 8.04 (upgraded from Xubuntu 7.10)
Logitech QuickCam Communicate STX
I have not installed any drivers - just plugged the camera in the usb-port.

theresegraversen

Sat May 31 2008, 23:13

In addition to the above:

I just tried with another cam (Z-star Vimicro zc0301p)
and the exact same problem occurs.

ephman

Sat May 31 2008, 23:59

after about 3 minutes... zoom. i'm running ubuntu 8.04. i've downloade the .deb from here, i've used the one in the hardy channel, and the mediabuntu static version. and all 3 still has the issue. i've totally uninstalled the application as well as deleted skype in my home directory. nothing seems to work. has anybody found a real fix that works for this?

ubuntu 8.04
dell inspiron 6000
ati x300 video card
creative notebook pd1171 webcam

thanks,
ephman

frodon

Mon Jun 2 2008, 09:52

This is a gspca driver issue, gspca team as been informed of this for some time already but they don't seem to work on it.

Anyway you should follow the following bug report and try the proposed gspca patch, i tested it and had no success with it but i think that's worth trying it :
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/l...6.20/+bug/93417

nickless

Tue Jun 3 2008, 17:30

QUOTE (konrads @ Mon May 19 2008, 17:38)
Go to the original post

I can add to the list of symptomes 100% utilisation of CPU.

Didn't noticed that before, but I also have it.

QUOTE (frodon @ Mon Jun 2 2008, 10:52)
Go to the original post

Anyway you should follow the following bug report and try the proposed gspca patch

Great, the patch seem to work for me, thanks for pointing on this

Both cameras still turn off and on after a while, but the video is not cropped afterwards.

The 100% CPU usage is still there, but this is probably some another issue.

frodon

Tue Jun 10 2008, 16:06

Hello,

I was wondering if there's a way to force skype explicitly to use a fixed webcam resolution somewhere in a config file ?

If yes this would be really useful and would surely be a good workaroun for this bug.

Xechon

Tue Jun 24 2008, 01:58

Add to the list a Creative NX Pro FW2 Webcam, using Heron 8.04 I get the exact same bug. The video starts out just fine, but after 30-40 seconds it "zooms" to 1/4 its previous size. Mine seems to be centering on the original area of display. An update patch sure would be nice.

ArtPulse

Tue Jul 1 2008, 00:11

Hey there!

Since I upgraded to Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron, I started having this problem just like you all.

Just wanted to participate and show there's also someone else having this =P after 2, 3, maybe 5 seconds, ZOOM!. To reset it, I must stop and start my video.

Happens on Linux to Windows communication... couldn't ever try on Linux to Linux!

edit: i386 =P

ChristianF

Thu Jul 3 2008, 04:25

Hi all,

OK, I think I've got it solved. In a nutshell: the patch that can be found from the ekiga forum works in general, however, it doesn't do so out of the box, because ubuntu doesn't place the gspca driver in the default directory, and so it doesn't get removed when the patched version installs.

Do the following:
1. download the GSPCA driver source:
wget http://mxhaard.free.fr/spca50x/Download/gs...20071224.tar.gz

2. unpack the source:
tar xzf gspcav1-20071224.tar.gz

3. download the patch:
wget http://saillard.org/ekiga/gspcav1-20070508...e_mode_v3.patch

4. apply the patch:
cd gspcav1-20071224
patch -p1 < ../gspcav1-20070508_force_using_hardware_mode_v3.patch

5. remove the ubuntu gspca driver(!):
sudo rm -f /lib/modules/`uname -r`/ubuntu/media/gspcav1/gspca.ko

6. build and install the gspca driver:
sudo ./gspca_build

If you want to make double sure, use
locate gspca | grep ^/lib/modules/`uname -r`
in step 5 to verify that there are no gspca.ko drivers sitting around elsewhere. If there they do, remove them before proceeding to step 6.

You will probably have to re-apply this procedure after every kernel-upgrade. So just keep the source around and repeat steps 5 and 6 after a kernel-upgrade.

I hope this works for everyone. Please let me know if it doesn't -- just out of personal interest, I'm not affiliated with Skype or anything.

cheers,
Christian

baron162

Sun Jul 6 2008, 20:32

Hi,
I just wanted to say here that this fix did it for me.
I just today decided that the annoying resolution switch was annoying enough to resolve it

I am running Gentoo, so I simply had to download the Patch, create a local portage overlay and change the ebuild there.. (see more at Gentoo ebuild HowTo)

I changed the name of the patch to the gspca version, but no other changes were made.
My new ebuild looks like this:

CODE

/usr/portage/local/overlay/media-video/gspcav1 # cat gspcav1-20071224.ebuild
# Copyright 1999-2007 Gentoo Foundation
# Distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2
# $Header: /var/cvsroot/gentoo-x86/media-video/gspcav1/gspcav1-20070508.ebuild,v 1.3 2007/11/27 14:16:48 zzam Exp $

inherit linux-mod eutils

DESCRIPTION="gspcav1 driver for webcams."
HOMEPAGE="http://mxhaard.free.fr/download.html"
SRC_URI="http://mxhaard.free.fr/spca50x/Download/${P}.tar.gz"
LICENSE="GPL-2"
SLOT="0"
KEYWORDS="~amd64 ~ppc ~ppc64 ~x86"
IUSE=""
RESTRICT=""
DEPEND=""
RDEPEND=""

MODULE_NAMES="gspca(usb/video:)"
BUILD_TARGETS="default"
CONFIG_CHECK="VIDEO_DEV"

pkg_setup() {
        linux-mod_pkg_setup
        BUILD_PARAMS="KERNELDIR=${KV_DIR}"
}

src_unpack() {
        unpack ${A}
        convert_to_m "${S}"/Makefile
        cd "${S}"
    epatch "${FILESDIR}"/gspcav1-20071224_force_using_hardware_mode_v3.patch
}

src_install() {
        dodoc changelog
        linux-mod_src_install
}

Edit:
the only things I had to edit was insert in src_unpack() two lines:
cd .. and epatch ... to change into correct directory and then apply the patch.

I followed the gentoo ebuild HowTo, it was just too easy

Thanks for the help..

rotorcraig

Mon Aug 4 2008, 15:13

QUOTE

5. remove the ubuntu gspca driver(!):
sudo rm -f /lib/modules/`uname -r`/ubuntu/media/gspcav1/gspca.ko

QUOTE

If you want to make double sure, use
locate gspca | grep ^/lib/modules/`uname -r`
in step 5 to verify that there are no gspca.ko drivers sitting around elsewhere

When I use the "locate gspca" command I can see 2 or 3 gspca.ko drivers sitting around.

But when I use the "sudo rm" it appears to work in that there is no error message reported, however when I "locate gspca" again it's obvious that the rm had no effect; the gspca.ko drivers are still there.

Would you expect this to work from a terminal window under Gnome, or will I need to restart my machine in a command line only mode to delete these drivers?

Craig

lab rat

Wed Aug 27 2008, 04:09

locate works off a database that can get out of date. Running

CODE

sudo updatedb

will update the database. Then locate should show the modules were removed.

vag

Sat Sep 13 2008, 12:19

Thanks Christian! It worked great!

RobertPubler

Mon Nov 10 2008, 20:24

I have a intel dual core laptop, and notice that regular skype usage (with webcam) uses one of the cores entirely.

---------------
drogen

Ezy

Sun Nov 23 2008, 17:58

Hi Christain,

I was having the same video resize problem. I followed the steps you mentioned but after removing the ubuntu gspca driver in step 5 when I do step 6 I get an error. Here is the complete output:

CODE

ezy@ezy-laptop:~$ cd /home/ezy/Downloads/Webcam*/gspcav1-20071224
ezy@ezy-laptop:~/Downloads/Webcam driver/gspcav1-20071224$ sudo ./gspca_build
[sudo] password for ezy:

REMOVE the old module if present
ERROR: Module gspca does not exist in /proc/modules

CLEAN gspca source tree
rm -r -f *.o decoder/.gspcadecoder.o.cmd decoder/*.o \
.gspca.o.cmd *.o *.ko *.mod.* .[a-z]* core *.i \
*.symvers *.err

COMPILE gspca Please Wait ....!!

INSTALL gspca in the kernel binary tree
mkdir -p /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/usb/media/
rm -f /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/usb/media/spca5xx.ko
rm -f /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/media/video/gspca.ko
install -c -m 0644 gspca.ko /lib/modules/`uname -r`/kernel/drivers/usb/media/
install: cannot stat `gspca.ko': No such file or directory
make: *** [install] Error 1

LOAD gspca in memory
FATAL: Could not open '/lib/modules/2.6.24-21-generic/ubuntu/media/gspcav1/gspca.ko': No such file or directory

PRINT COMPILATION MESSAGES if ERRORS look kgspca.err
make -C /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build SUBDIRS=/home/ezy/Downloads/Webcam driver/gspcav1-20071224 CC=cc modules
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.24-21-generic'
make[1]: *** No rule to make target `driver/gspcav1-20071224'. Stop.
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.24-21-generic'
make: *** [default] Error 2
ezy@ezy-laptop:~/Downloads/Webcam driver/gspcav1-20071224$

Can anyone please help. Now I can not even see the resized image

frodon

Sat Dec 6 2008, 10:18

This is not an issue anymore for me since i upgraded to ubuntu intrepid ibex 8.10 whereas i had the bug with ubuntu hardy heron 8.04.

UserBoris

Tue Mar 10 2009, 01:50

QUOTE (ChristianF @ Thu Jul 3 2008, 05:25)
Go to the original post

I hope this works for everyone. Please let me know if it doesn't -- just out of personal interest, I'm not affiliated with Skype or anything.

Many thanks! This has solved the problem that I have struggled with on and off for half a year.

Boris

RobertPubler

Thu Apr 16 2009, 10:23

Hi, i choose to stretch the incoming video to double size, only the black canvas is extended, but not the video.
...........................
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