How to Emulate a Webcam

The people on the other end of your video chat session may not be real if they're using webcam emulation software. These programs give you the ability to broadcast videos and images on any website, chat service or program that requires a webcam. For instance, if you record a video of yourself talking, you could use a webcam emulator to play that video in a video chat session. Your chat partner would think you were communicating live using a real webcam.

Emulate Using Perfect Fake Webcam

Perfect Fake Webcam simulates a webcam and comes with a webcam recorder tool. If you have a real webcam, you can use the recording tool to record what your real webcam sees. The program saves recordings as AVIs but you can set Perfect Fake Webcam up so that it compresses recordings you make. If you like webcam effects, use one of the bundled effects the software has to enhance your virtual webcam broadcasts and video chat sessions.

Let Magic Camera Become Your Webcam

Install Magic Camera and you can also use it to emulate a physical webcam. It has special effects and pop-up animations you can display in your video broadcasts. You can use the program’s picture-in-picture effect to overlay one video on top of another. If you need additional effects, you can download them from the company's website. Magic Camera includes a virtual sound card tool that gives your computer to record any sound that you can hear.

Use Fake Webcam to Fake a Webcam

Like many other webcam emulators, Fake Webcam lets you participate in video chat sessions without attaching a real webcam to your computer. Fake Webcam comes with a feature that gives you the ability to switch between a real webcam and Fake Webcam whenever you like. After you launch the program, you can choose a video you'd like to broadcast and enhance it with built-in special effects.

Webcam Emulation Tips

After you install a webcam emulator program, review its instructions to learn how to use it. These programs have user interfaces that help you configure settings, choose videos to broadcast and add special effects to them. If you'd like to test your webcam emulator, visit an online website such as the YouTube's site that lets you use your webcam to record a YouTube video (link in Resources). After you give the site permission to access webcam emulator, you'll see what the emulator is broadcasting. You'll need a YouTube account to perform this task.