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Reddit as well.
As the COVID lock-down continues and more people have adopted Work from Home option, the Webcams are running out of stock and the manufacturers are busy selling them at higher prices.
Here's a an easy alternative to use a stand-by Android or iPhone as Webcam using the Phone App and connect from Linux, Windows or Mac PC using the client software.
I've been looking at
DroidCam and
iriun webcam as the options. The latter did well in Video resolution, auto-focus and picture quality. However, DroidCam overtook it with lots of desirable features though the video resolution is limited to 720p. You can set it to higher resolution in Linux client by editing /etc/modprobe.d/droidcam.conf.
Example: options v4l2loopback_dc width=1920 height=1080
Hence, DroidCam is the obvious winner.
The Pro version of both these come at around $5. The download links and installation documents are available at
dev47apps.com and
iriun.com respectively. Let's have a look at the Pros and Cons
DroidCam Pros
Editions: Free – DroidCam and Pro is DroidCamX
Connectivity: WiFi/USB
Connection Profile: Yes. Handy in case of multiple devices
Battery consumption: Relatively low (12% in 30 minutes) as compared to iriun
CPU heating: Low
Switch Front/Rear camera: Yes
Mirror image: Available in pro version
Auto Focus: Available in Free version
Continuous AF: Available in Pro version
Zoom: Yes, from client
Run the App in background: Available
Auto-Dim Display: Available
FPS Limit feature: Yes
FPS Boost feature (experimental): Available in pro version
WB Control: Available in Free version
Reconnects: Easily
Supported clients: Linux, Windows
HTTP streaming: Yes with TLS and user authentication
LED Flash control: Available in Free version
DroidCam Cons
Video resolution: Limits to 720p in both Free and Pro versions
Mirror image: Not available in Free version
Continuous AF: Not available in Free version
Supported clients: Does not support Mac OS
Iriun Pros
Editions: iriun free (In app purchase for Pro)
Connectivity: WiFi/USB
Switch Front/Rear camera: Yes
Video resolution: 4K video
Mirror image: Image mirroring feature is available in Free version
Auto Focus: Available in Free version
Continuous AF: Available in Free version
Supported clients: Linux, Mac and Windows support
LED Flash control: Available in Free version
Iriun Cons
Connection Profile: No Connection/Device Profile available. The client automatically connects the available device
Battery consumption: Relatively high (18% in 30 minutes) as compared to DroidCam
CPU heating: High
Zoom: Not available
Run the App in background: Not available
Auto-Dim Display: Not available
FPS Limit feature: Not available
FPS Boost feature: Not sure if it’s built-in. Looks like
WB control: Not available
Reconnects: lost connection will require a Screen unlock or App refresh to re-establish
HTTP streaming: Not available
