by Amber Benge

Created on: February 26, 2008   Last Updated: March 24, 2011

As the internet rises to dominate the world, webcams are part of the quest. Anyone who surfs the net can identify at least a site or two that uses webcams. You can find live webcam feeds from all kinds of locations, from jail to the inside of a fish tank. They range from silly to serious, from space shuttles to pet kittens. There are surveillance cams, business cams, personal cams, traffic cams, and the list goes on and on.

In the world of busy webcams, have you joined the party? If you are thinking of setting up a live webcam, there are a few things you need to know. Webcams range from simple to complicated, but the basic idea is always the same. Simple setup begins with a digital camera attached to your computer through a USB port. The webcam function of the camera comes from webcare software that grabs frames from your camera at pre-set intervals. To achieve the best webcam results, you need a fast internet connection and a 30 frames per second ratio. Once your camera captures the frames, the software broadcasts the images over your internet connection.

In order to set up a simple webcam, you will need three things: a camera connected to the computer, software for webcams, and a way to broadcast your images onto the internet. If you have your own website, you can use it to post your webcam images.

HowStuffWorks.com set up a webcam to demonstrate the simplest way to get one up and running. Here are their steps, which seem to work perfectly!

1. Go buy the Intel Pro Video PC Camera.
2. Install the software from the camera onto your computer.
3. Go to www.webcam32.com and download the program called webcam 32. You can get the demo version for free or pay about 40 bucks for the full version.
4. Install webcam 32 by following the easy steps outlined in the setup prompt.
5. Your webcam should now be up and running!

After your webcam comes to life, you can experiment with lots of different features. The best part of Webcam32 is that it supports the AutoCam feature, which will let you create a free webcam page on the company's server. This is the simplest way to experiment with webcams and see if you enjoy the latest trend in internet entertainment.

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