Using a Gear 360 (2017) as webcam

[PERP]

Hello.
I am interested in buying the Gear 360 (2017).
I wonder if it works as PC Webcam and if it is possible to use it on MAC.

[davidcarrolldev]

I just got my Samsung Gear 360 and can confirm the following:

• It does not work as a PC Webcam. This was confirmed on another thread: Using the gear 360 as a pc camera.
• There is software for both Mac and Windows PC that will allow you to edit videos already captured on the Samsung Gear 360.
  • However, from what I can tell, there are no options to do any of the following:
    • Use this as a PC webcam.
    • Use the PC as a remote viewfinder. 
    • Record directly from the Samsung Gear 360 to the PC (or phone).

You might also want to know there does not appear to be any builtin storage with this camera. Therefore, it doesn't appear possible to record any video without an SD card - not included with this packaging.

That said, I have been able to use my phone as a remote viewfinder without an SD card. You just cannot record anything or take snapshots until an SD card is installed.

From one consumer to another, I hope this was helpful.

[chrp101]

can you try this >> https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00066610/

[davidcarrolldev]

Hi @chrp101... What specifically are you asking me to try?

The link you provided: Connecting the Gear 360 to a PC is related to transfering files from the Gear 360 to a PC. This thread is related to using the Gear 360 as a webcam.

[XcelentTom]

I had contact today with the Samsung Technical Support in the US, calling from the Netherlands. Whether this was possible, it would also be really easy to create since there is support for live streaming. So why not redirect that same video signal to a webcam driver. Support also redirected me to this thread and to the connecting to PC thread.

The only thing I know is that they claim that they're looking into it or something.

[WannesFey]

Hi, It depends on what you call PC Webcam. With the Sasmung Gear 360 ActionDirector software (free) you can stream from the Gear 360 in 180 or 360 degrees in several resolutions. But the signal will go straight to Facebvook, YouTube, Samsung VR or Custom output via the Samsung software, no native PC drivers. 

So a direct webcam as hardware is not possible, it does not show up in your hardware list. 

But. 

You can use software as OBS to make a virtual webcam from the screengrab and you will have a splendid webcam

with a stellar viewingfield. OBS is hassle free and can be used to feed Teams, Zoom, etcetera. I do it...... 

So all in all, yes you can use the 360 as a webcam. It is high-res and does ok in low light. The 2017 version that is.....

Wannes

[WannesFey]

David, the 2017 vesion has some options, see my post below. 

[WannesFey]

Hallo Tom. 

The Gear 360 2017 verison is very cheap and a really good buy It streams, as you probably know via Samsung ActionDirector, which is a but of a bummer, but with a VirtualCam in OBS that is easliy solved. So all in all, yes it can be used as a (pretty good) webcamn although not natively. See below. 

Regards from always zonnig Texel.... ^^

[gsember]

WannesFey, I've just begun looking into this.

The concept of using a 360 degree camera with Zoom or Teams via OBS is quite interesting.

However, the question I have is more regarding Zoom/Teams software than Gear 360: Does either the Zoom or Teams software understand that it's receiving a 180 degree or 360 degree picture (similar to YouTube when you check "this is a 360 stream" for live streaming) and present interface to users to navigate the 360 degree stream?

gsember

[WannesFey]

No, 

You can crop the feed from a Gear360 to use as a webcam in Teams via OBS. 
It is extreme wide angle and quite good quality. It needs cropping because
of the metadata in the borders. 

Using it interactive as a 360' camera like within Facebook is nog possible, 
it is a static feed. 

The interactive 360' interface is, as far as i am concerned, the big lack of the Gear360. 
It is simply hardly available. Pictures or video taken with the Gear360 are simply 2 spheres
that I cannot do anything with in Lightroom, standard webpage or even my Samsung phone. 

The succes of the Gear360 would have been much bigger if the viewer software would have 
been more available.