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I have a Surface Pro 6 with a Windows Hello integrated infrared camera. Months ago, while using app.houseparty.com, a video calling service that has since been shut down, I discovered that it let you change the camera source to the IR camera, called "Microsoft IR Camera Front," and it would turn on the flashing IR light (hurt my eyes a bit) and show the funny camera feed like this (not my face, from here). But now the website is gone, and I can't find any other software that can see the camera. "Microsoft IR Camera Front" appears in Device Manager as a System Device, along with the main front and back camera.

I was wondering if there was any way to get the camera image directly or if there were any software that would see the camera. This use isn't urgent or extensive, I just think it would be funny.

Tbw
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  • Try the Google Duo website where you might be able to select the IR Camera. This might only work on Chromium/Chrome/Edge. The Google Hangouts website is another possibility, as well as Facebook Messanger and https://webcamtests.com/. – harrymc Nov 28 '22 at 21:01
  • VLC, file, open capture device, change vide device drop down, click show me options checkbox, mess with options at each prompt (like 4 of them) before it shows you a feed from the camera. I believe the built-in Windows Camera app may be able to open these settings – gregg Nov 29 '22 at 03:13
  • neither of these worked – Tbw Nov 30 '22 at 19:27

2 Answers2

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Could OBS Studio or OBS Studio with some plugin achieve that?

EDIT: Added more detailed answer

OBS can be downloaded from their website: https://obsproject.com/download

Instructions:

Click the + symbol under the 'Sources' section. You should see the 'video capture device' option, click on that.

Select the webcam from the 'devices' drop down and specify the desired resolution. For more advanced settings, uncheck the 'use preset' box.

Source from Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/obs/comments/d3ejhm/ir_night_vision_camera_options/

Powerful Cat
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    Your answer could be improved with additional supporting information. Please [edit] to add further details, such as citations or documentation, so that others can confirm that your answer is correct. You can find more information on how to write good answers [in the help center](/help/how-to-answer). – Community Nov 28 '22 at 20:08
  • While this link may answer the question, it is better to include the essential parts of the answer here and provide the link for reference. Link-only answers can become invalid if the linked page changes. - [From Review](/review/late-answers/1159072) – Rohit Gupta Nov 28 '22 at 20:43
  • This solution did not work for me. Do you know of any additional plugins that may support this feature? – Tbw Nov 29 '22 at 01:07
  • I remember there being a plugin for this, but I has been years since I've seen it. And for the life of me can't find it. I assume you're running W11, there has been some post about users wondering same thing as you. It could be that the camera being visible was just fluke on MS side, and now they removed it. A user on Reddit is saying that it could be accesed by using C#/C++, but I personally have no idea how it's done. Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/ryip6o/how_do_i_access_the_microsoft_ir_camera/ – Powerful Cat Nov 29 '22 at 08:58
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I used to play with it on webcamtests, yes it could be selected in some video conferencing apps and probably in OBS.

Anyway, the playtime is over, MS team has probably hidden it behind the scenes so that people do not scare the others on some vital meeting

However it can still be accessed in C# and C++, please see the reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/Surface/comments/ryip6o/how_do_i_access_the_microsoft_ir_camera/

Some more info on Media Foundation and Universal Windows Platform.

DiMithras
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  • I have never used C# or C++. I won't ask anyone to write a program for me, but how easy would it be for me to do this starting with zero knowledge – Tbw Nov 30 '22 at 04:13
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    @Tbw I'm afraid this is not the easiest topic to start with. Generally using UWP should not be a big problem, there might even be some pre-made solutions for this. The other options is to downgrade your system. I have playing with NIR camera on my task list, will do it sometime, can keep you updated. I have a Surface Book (gen. 1) – DiMithras Nov 30 '22 at 05:59