How to record video and audio from webcam using ffmpeg on Windows?

Question

I want to record video as well as audio from webcam using ffmpeg,

I have used the following codes to know what devices are available:

ffmpeg -list_devices true -f dshow -i dummy

And got the result:

ffmpeg version N-54082-g96b33dd Copyright (c) 2000-2013 the FFmpeg developers
built on Jun 17 2013 02:05:16 with gcc 4.7.3 (GCC)
configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --disable-w32threads --enable-av
isynth --enable-bzlib --enable-fontconfig --enable-frei0r --enable-gnutls --enab
le-iconv --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libcaca --enable-libfreetyp
e --enable-libgsm --enable-libilbc --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmp3lame --ena
ble-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-l
ibopus --enable-librtmp --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libsoxr --enable-libsp
eex --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvo-aacenc --enable-libvo-
amrwbenc --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libx264 --enable-libxavs --
enable-libxvid --enable-zlib
libavutil      52. 37.101 / 52. 37.101
libavcodec     55. 16.100 / 55. 16.100
libavformat    55.  8.103 / 55.  8.103
libavdevice    55.  2.100 / 55.  2.100
libavfilter     3. 77.101 /  3. 77.101
libswscale      2.  3.100 /  2.  3.100
libswresample   0. 17.102 /  0. 17.102
libpostproc    52.  3.100 / 52.  3.100
[dshow @ 024eb460] DirectShow video devices
[dshow @ 024eb460]  "Sirius USB2.0 Camera"
[dshow @ 024eb460]  "Vimicro USB Camera (Altair)"
[dshow @ 024eb460] DirectShow audio devices
[dshow @ 024eb460]  "Microphone (Realtek High Defini"
dummy: Immediate exit requested

I am using the following codes to get more details about the device:

ffmpeg -f dshow -list_options true -i video="Vimicro USB Camera (Altair)"

And i am getting the following results:

ffmpeg version N-54082-g96b33dd Copyright (c) 2000-2013 the FFmpeg developers
built on Jun 17 2013 02:05:16 with gcc 4.7.3 (GCC)
configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --disable-w32threads --enable-av
isynth --enable-bzlib --enable-fontconfig --enable-frei0r --enable-gnutls --enab
le-iconv --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libcaca --enable-libfreetyp
e --enable-libgsm --enable-libilbc --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmp3lame --ena
ble-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-l
ibopus --enable-librtmp --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libsoxr --enable-libsp
eex --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvo-aacenc --enable-libvo-
amrwbenc --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libx264 --enable-libxavs --
enable-libxvid --enable-zlib
libavutil      52. 37.101 / 52. 37.101
libavcodec     55. 16.100 / 55. 16.100
libavformat    55.  8.103 / 55.  8.103
libavdevice    55.  2.100 / 55.  2.100
libavfilter     3. 77.101 /  3. 77.101
libswscale      2.  3.100 /  2.  3.100
libswresample   0. 17.102 /  0. 17.102
libpostproc    52.  3.100 / 52.  3.100
[dshow @ 0249b3e0] DirectShow video device options
[dshow @ 0249b3e0]  Pin "Capture"
[dshow @ 0249b3e0]   pixel_format=yuyv422  min s=640x480 fps=30 max   s=640x480 fp
s=30
[dshow @ 0249b3e0]   pixel_format=yuyv422  min s=640x480 fps=30 max s=640x480 fp
s=30
[dshow @ 0249b3e0]   pixel_format=yuyv422  min s=352x288 fps=30 max s=352x288 fp
s=30
[dshow @ 0249b3e0]   pixel_format=yuyv422  min s=352x288 fps=30 max s=352x288 fp
s=30
[dshow @ 0249b3e0]   pixel_format=yuyv422  min s=320x240 fps=30 max s=320x240 fp
s=30
[dshow @ 0249b3e0]   pixel_format=yuyv422  min s=320x240 fps=30 max s=320x240 fp
s=30
[dshow @ 0249b3e0]   pixel_format=yuyv422  min s=176x144 fps=30 max s=176x144 fp
s=30
[dshow @ 0249b3e0]   pixel_format=yuyv422  min s=176x144 fps=30 max s=176x144 fp
s=30
[dshow @ 0249b3e0]   pixel_format=yuyv422  min s=160x120 fps=30 max s=160x120 fp
s=30
[dshow @ 0249b3e0]   pixel_format=yuyv422  min s=160x120 fps=30 max s=160x120 fp
s=30
video=Vimicro USB Camera (Altair): Immediate exit requested

When i am trying following codes to get video and audio stream:

ffmpeg -f dshow -s 320x240 -r 30 -vcodec mjpeg -i video="Vimicro USB Camera (Altair)" e:\output.mp4

I am getting an error message as "Could not set video options video=Vimicro USB Camera (Altair): Input/output error"

Following are the error details:

ffmpeg version N-54082-g96b33dd Copyright (c) 2000-2013 the FFmpeg developers
built on Jun 17 2013 02:05:16 with gcc 4.7.3 (GCC)
configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --disable-w32threads --enable-av
isynth --enable-bzlib --enable-fontconfig --enable-frei0r --enable-gnutls --enab
le-iconv --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libcaca --enable-libfreetyp
e --enable-libgsm --enable-libilbc --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmp3lame --ena
ble-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-l
ibopus --enable-librtmp --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libsoxr --enable-libsp
eex --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvo-aacenc --enable-libvo-
amrwbenc --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libx264 --enable-libxavs --
enable-libxvid --enable-zlib
libavutil      52. 37.101 / 52. 37.101
libavcodec     55. 16.100 / 55. 16.100
libavformat    55.  8.103 / 55.  8.103
libavdevice    55.  2.100 / 55.  2.100
libavfilter     3. 77.101 /  3. 77.101
libswscale      2.  3.100 /  2.  3.100
libswresample   0. 17.102 /  0. 17.102
libpostproc    52.  3.100 / 52.  3.100
[dshow @ 002f78e0] Could not set video options
video=Vimicro USB Camera (Altair): Input/output error

And i am unable to find where i am doing wrong.

So if anybody can find where i am doing wrong or how to record video as well as audio from webcam using ffmpeg please help me to solve this problem.

Answer 1

Try this command: ffmpeg -y -f dshow -i video="Vimicro USB Camera (Altair)":audio="Vimicro USB Camera (Altair)" out.mp4

For more detail please check: https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/DirectShow

PS. FFmpeg has changed a lot, now my version is 5.1.2