Adjust webcam colors on Spectre X360

[EddyK]

@proxyx, I completely understand your frustrations considering that I went through the same experience. However, your request to find an official reply/solution will most likely be futile. 

This is a peer-to-peer forum therefore the DIY forum that you are referencing is technically the correct description of this forum. The only intervention HP has in this forum are the robotic replies made by the support agents and the occasional escalations. 

@Beloculus thank you for providing your solution which is also cost effective.

@BAmsterdam thanks for proposing a solution.

I have to agree with most of @David_J_W's comments. While the lack of a solution by HP is annoying, webcams attract little to no customer interest. Instead, the market is demanding bezeless, powerful, thin & light, and aesthetically pleasing laptops - not laptops that have good webcams. If you're truly looking for a high quality webcam, one of HP's business lineup laptops may be in your interest. And yes, this is a premium device, but getting this furious over probably the most underused component by most consumers is a bit nonsensical. 

Furthermore, HP does not release official notes or investigation details publicly on the forum. A concept similar to this which is released to the public are Advisory Documents which usually deal with more concerning matters.

If @BAmsterdam's solutions truly works, I could try to request for this firmware internally and share it here although I'm honestly a tad bit skeptical.

- Eddy

[BAmsterdam]

Top = after Bottom = before with error.

As you can see the distortion of color I experienced was similar. My shirt is darkblue, but appeared purple. The boxes in my closet are coca cola red and black, but appeared pink and purple. And my hat is black and seemed pink. You can imagine why I have opted to switch to grayscale before I applied the fix Roberto gave me.

My assumption on how this fix worked for me is that because the laptop also has infra-red LEDs for authentication (Windows Hello) the webcam is set for different frequencies of light where it shouldn't. But then again, that's only an assumption. 

I have uploaded the ZIP exactly as the HP support rep downloaded it to my computer here:

https://ufile.io/wmd52 

Please note that this file will be deleted after 30 days because uploadfiles.io will then require me to pay which I have chose not to. I assume that by that time someone from HP will post a link to it here. Use the file at own risk.

ps. He downloaded it using an USA FTP server with a username that ends with some identical numbers.  Maybe this info can help the HP rep find it internally. If not he or she can PM or email me for my casenumber, so we can find exactly which rep at which time. Roberto was his name and he spoke Dutch with me. If you read this Roberto, thanks! 🙂 

[proxyx]

EddyK,

I may agree only with the first part of what you wrote "Instead, the market is demanding bezeless, powerful, thin & light, and aesthetically pleasing laptops - (but not this >> )not laptops that have good webcams. " If so why they don't do away with useless and seemingly unneeded and unimportant webcams? Are cell webcams also unneeded? Why not kill their web functionality? Start a campaign.

Very unfortunate that in order to keep product they generally like some have to forego a webcam. Seems only in HP.

You're going too far.

We all paid for the product and have an expectation for laptop webcam to perform on widely accepted level.

But does it deliver on this level? Show me one review saying that this webcam is performing on par with its laptop price level peers. Show me those satisfied users (with proof, pictures). To my knowledge it's been widely and universally condemned. Making a statement that this is nonsensical goes against expectations of mine and posters indicating there is a problem. Say it to C_Brooks and alike. Net connectivity is the key nowadays. If you don't care, fine, but don't preach to those who do care and expect it to work properly. I have a reasonable expectation and don't like carrying extra webcam to achieve acceptable results.

Again, I paid for the product, have warranty and HP support, which this forum is a part of, and expect HP to fix what was overlooked, ignored or broken.

[Jones88]

Can you post a link where WebcamFW.exe can be downloaded?  Unfortunately I am hearing impaired and only speak US English, which is a problem when it comes to calling HP support

Thanks

[BAmsterdam]

Keep up Jones88, I have already, two comments before your question. 🙂

[David_J_W]

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@BAmsterdam wrote:
Keep up Jones88, I have already, two comments before your question. 🙂

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The forum software has garbled the clickable link. Copying and pasting the text of the link into a browser should work.

[proxyx]

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@BAmsterdam@ BAmsterdam wrote:

Top = after Bottom = before with error.

quote: "As you can see the distortion of color I experienced was similar. My shirt is darkblue, but appeared purple. The boxes in my closet are coca cola red and black, but appeared pink and purple. And my hat is black and seemed pink. You can imagine why I have opted to switch to grayscale before I applied the fix Roberto gave me.

My assumption on how this fix worked for me is that because the laptop also has infra-red LEDs for authentication (Windows Hello) the webcam is set for different frequencies of light where it shouldn't. But then again, that's only an assumption. "

BAmsterdam, it seems I can confirm it by testing in LED light. If I use cell flashlight to cast a light onto myself I notice colors are more or less correct. 

Looks like this camera is set or optimized for LED light source. Daylight or typical incadescent/halogen light will cause pink cast and mess everything up. Only LED's seem to deliver the light this camera likes. I did confirm it with several different light sources. LED emitters are the only ones that show proper colors.

Regarding your FW modifier... have you tested the webcam in daylight or incadescent light vs. cell flashlight afterwards? This process is most likely irreversible so could you please post your test results in different lighting?

What is the original purpose of this FW modifier, as it was explained to you?

Btw. besides possibly affecting Windows Hello have you noticed any other effect? 

[BAmsterdam]

This is me this morning in natural light. As you see the color has changed significantly. Only around the edges of the camera image I see some purple. I don't look like I'm going to a Hello Kitty party anymore and for me the image I have now is sufficient. I'm sure that if someone finds the sourcecode of the file Roberto gave me we can finetune it even further. 

I have tested it with Windows Hallo and the red lights left and right of my camera turn on when searching for my face and the login works like before, no difference in speed.

@David_J_W: You're right. Maybe this shortened version of the URL stays intact: click

[EddyK]

Well this sounds promising.

If anyone here with similar models can confirm that the software works then it'd be great to have an accepted solution.

@proxyx HP will gladly set up a repair if you can prove to them that there is a hardware issue which is somehow making the laptop unusable or if the laptop is showing faults which may lead to greater issues in the future. The problem with this complaint is that this is more of a performance issue of an underemphasized component. 

BTW @BAmsterdam, I can gladly upload this file to my school OneDrive account where it'll be good for another 2 years before I move it to my personal OneDrive. 

Fingers crossed this is a good fix.

- Eddy

[proxyx]

EddyK,

if you read other related posts and threads you'll find out that on number of occasions ppl were turned down at service centers for the reason "there is no fix". I have no time for this. I'm here to look for and participate in finding a solution while pressuring whoever still cares at HP to put some back into it.

If I couldn't prove it I wouldn't be here. I'm not delusional. The problem has been experienced in US, Canada, Europe... look at the posts, what more do you need? What does it tell you? "Underemphasized component performance issue..."??? this is your definition, not mine. Webcams are present on every laptop sold for good 10 years, so how is it underemphasized? Maybe in your world... They are as important as any other laptop component, unless you can prove that HP has thrown it in as a free "extra". Was it free? Can I get a partial refund for an awful webcam?

I'm hugely disappointed that this issue has gathered ZERO interest from HP, and the only action they took is deletion of forum posts flagging it, and locking threads.

We may be able to patch up one way or another a webcam color issue but that doesn't address abysmal low light performance, blurriness even in full light etc. All this amounts to the lowest note this webcam gets from me.

I bought Acer laptop same day (my picture) as well which puts HP Envy to absolute shame. How is this possible? Are Acer designers that much smarter? This extends onto most other manuf. Only HP trails the market in this regard far far behind the rest with no interest in stepping in. Even though I see a huge benefit in what we do here I still clearly see HP's indifference and mediocrity. 

If we suppose the problem (likely) was to flash webcam FW to cut the IR than this is even more shameful for HP.

Btw. I appreciate your offer... but not yet. THX.