Webcam turning blacks in to purple

[Dodgexander]

Hi I just purchased a new laptop from hp.com and everything has been great apart from one thing, the webcam seems to be attrocious. It makes everything black purple!!

To use an example, see the below picture of my t-shirt. The first picture is the HP webcam, the second is how it should look.

I have never come accross something as bad as this before. Searching online provides no answer, with only a solution for an envy notebook provided using software that isn't installed on my laptop.

I also read by searching on here that people have been unable to solve this problem with their notebooks sometimes 5+ years ago.

I have reverted driver versions, used different software and it remains the same, how can something like this even not be spotted in design testing?

Please I don't want to have to return my laptop because of this silly fault, its a great laptop. Surely this is something that can be sorted out?

HP webcamNormal phone camera

[Photoray002]

Hello Dodgexander

Im afraid you are going to have to contact Support for this anyway. Its a physical problem. Ive rarely seen anything like that but its not fixed with software or drivers.

Either the cable is wonky or the camera itself is bad.

Only other thing you could do is reset Windows back to factory but I doubt it will help.

Since its new, you wont lose anything important I assume by doing so.

Contact HP Worldwide | HP® Official Site

[Dodgexander]

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@Photoray002wrote:

Hello Dodgexander

Im afraid you are going to have to contact Support for this anyway. Its a physical problem. Ive rarely seen anything like that but its not fixed with software or drivers.

Either the cable is wonky or the camera itself is bad.

Only other thing you could do is reset Windows back to factory but I doubt it will help.

Since its new, you wont lose anything important I assume by doing so.

Contact HP Worldwide | HP® Official Site

That really sucks, I love this laptop otherwise. Its going to be horrible having to return it because of such a silly problem. I know its not the worse problem, but a stupid one...

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[Photoray002]

Could you contact the HP Store you bought it from since its brand new, and have them send you and exchange?

If they will, it would be faster.

[Dodgexander]

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@Photoray002wrote:

Could you contact the HP Store you bought it from since its brand new, and have them send you and exchange?

If they will, it would be faster.

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Thanks I raised it with HP support and they took control of my computer and couldn't solve it.

I can somewhat aleviate the issue by changing the hue in the old Skype's webcam config that seems to save system wide but it also makes my face blue.

The conclusion after they were unable to solve the problem was to escalate it to a manager. I was promised a call back in an hour but didn't receive one.

I'm not sure really what they are going to offer/do about it, I am warey just from searching on here that this is an issue with quite a few HP laptops and one that has never been solved, even on reports first posted in 2010. I even read someone returned their HP envy only to receive it back again with a new webcam with the same problem...just search yourself for purple webcam here on the forum.

By just getting an exchange I am going to end up with another one with the same fault.

I basically need to decide whether its a big enough issue to bother returning it or not and for a refund or exchange. I have 14 days since purchase to decide by law here and I purchased it on Monday.

Its so strange because it only happens in certain light. So its really hard to even test. I thought at first it was incandescant light only because in my bedroom it shows and earlier in daylight in the living room it was doing it but now when I test in a different room with an incasdescant light it doesn't show.

Makes me sound really pedantic, but its such an annoying problem!

Meh decisions decisions 😕

[Photoray002]

Its so strange because it only happens in certain light. So its really hard to even test. I thought at first it was incandescant light only because in my bedroom it shows and earlier in daylight in the living room it was doing it but now when I test in a different room with an incasdescant light it doesn't show.

Oh Ok, I thought it was constant. I don't know what to tell you then. Webcams are not high quality cameras and for what ever reason, that sensor doesn't like certain light conditions.

I assume this is happening when Low Light is used and a certain bulb with a certain Kelvin temp like a fluorescent tube?

The purple shirt image was very very grainy/noisy, indicating there was very little light.

The black shirt image was much cleaner, indicating the light source was brighter.

Strange phenomena can happen with color reproduction in low light with certain light sources on cheap webcams.

If you're streaming for a live show like Twitch or something, use lots of light. Otherwise the image will be grainy and look like crap.

Personally If I need to stream, I use a higher end USB cam for that and point some cheap flood lamps into the ceiling to bounce more light into the room.

Good Luck on what ever you decide.

[DevWarrior]

Hey man, I have the exact same problem! I just got the laptop in the mail just 3 days ago! Also looking for an answer to this problem. I'll try to keep you updated if I ever found a solution

[Dodgexander]

Hey!

As nice as HP support was they could not find a solution. Their argument was they didn't believe it to be an issue on all their product's with this webcam so they would only take the laptop back for repair.

I had a choice to do that, exchange it at the shop or do nothing.

In the end I just accepted it will probably be the same no matter an exchange or repair, I believe it's not an isolated fault at all, just that people rarely care or use the webcam.

Let me know how it goes for you anyway, if you don't have any luck be sure to return it if you feel you can't live with it.

The other day I plugged in my old Microsoft lifecam 3000. A budget model from years ago. Immediately people comment how the change in quality is so much better.

So faults aside the webcam isn't all that anyway, seems it's only good use is windows hello!

Poor from hp really! But overall the laptop is very nice.. Just a few annoying issues like this.