There are many different types of webcam software, which are usually developed to function with a particular webcam or for a specific purpose. Many webcams have software that allows a computer to effectively connect to the camera and display images captured by that camera. There are also programs that can be used to make a webcam part of a network or to access a webcam on a computer from a remote location. Some types of webcam software are developed to allow a webcam to function in a particular way, such as creating a motion detection feature or forcing a video cam to capture still images rather than video.
Webcam software typically refers to software programs that can be installed onto a computer for use with a webcam, or web camera. One of the most common types of programs is a piece of software that allows a webcam to be used with a computer. Some webcams can be used as “plug and play” hardware, which means they can be connected to a computer and then used with software that may already exist on the operating system (OS) of that computer. Other webcams may require webcam software to allow the computer to recognize the webcam and effectively capture and display images from the camera.
There is also webcam software designed to make a webcam usable for security or surveillance purposes. This type of software can be used, for example, to connect a webcam to a larger network, rather than a single computer. By connecting a webcam to a network, the webcam can be made accessible to multiple users on a network, or from any computer on that network, which can be used to create a home or business security system. Some webcam software can also be used to establish a dynamic Internet address for a webcam, allowing it to be accessed by any computer on the Internet, usually through the use of a private username and password.
Webcam software can also be used to enable features in a webcam that may not be part of the default options enabled on a webcam. Some software, for example, can be used to enable motion detection. This means that when the webcam is connected to an active system, it will begin recording images as soon as motion is detected by the camera. There are also webcam software programs that can be used to alter how the camera captures images, such as allowing a camera that captures video to instead take a still image every 10 seconds.