Canon Eos R Randomly Freezing in Streamlabs OBS, using Webcam Utility

[itsjonmackey]

Hey there folks,

I just recently purchased a Canon EOS R after reading about it's capabilities as a high quality webcam with the Webcam Utility.  

I have been experiencing a really frustrating issue though, i stream on twitch, and in the first stream I did, using the EOS R, I experienced intermitent freezing from the Webcam Utility.  It happened probably 10 or so times in three hours, but with no real regularity, and lasted for about 5-7 seconds, and then it would go back to normal.  

I have the power saving settings off, and I'm using a dummy battery pack connected to an outlet.  It's also connected to the PC through the USB C port, running Windows 10.  When the freeze happens, the camera display shows the icon it displays when it's connecting to a computer.  It's very frustrating!  Does anyone know if this is a known issue, and if so is there an easy fix?

Thanks in advance for any help anyone may be able to offer!  

[Nick2020]

Hi itsjonmackey,

Thanks for checking in with us!

We recently updated EOS Webcam Utility, moving the Windows version out of beta. If you haven't done so yet, I recommend that you get the latest version from the link below:

https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/support/self-help-center/eos-webcam-utility

It might also help if you try different USB ports, since some are stronger than others on certain computers. Make sure you are connecting directly to the computer, and not to a USB hub.

If problems persist, please elaborate on your computer setup and whether you have other imaging devices, like a webcam, built in or connected to your computer.

[itsjonmackey]

Ive got the full version installed! I’ve tried three different USB ports including the sole USB C port on my PC, as well as USB 3 and USB 2 but the issue persists.

My set up runs through Streamlabs OBS, with a variety of different scenes— one containing the EOS R inset in a 1080p stream from an Elgato HD60, another with a screen capture window with the EOS R inset. I’ve got some other peripherals attached, but as far as video components, that’s it. I also simultaneously record an output from SL OBS as well.

I’ve done some troubleshooting and it seems as if what APPEARS to be happening is, every so often the camera disconnects from the computer and then quickly reconnects, which causes the momentary freeze— the little computer icon flashes on the onboard display of the camera— and the little alert sound plays on my PC signaling the camera has connected.

I’ve also made sure drivers and firmware are all updated already as well. I appreciate the reply and hope we can find a solution! Thank you!

[Waddizzle]

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@itsjonmackey wrote:
Ive got the full version installed! I’ve tried three different USB ports including the sole USB C port on my PC, as well as USB 3 and USB 2 but the issue persists.

My set up runs through Streamlabs OBS, with a variety of different scenes— one containing the EOS R inset in a 1080p stream from an Elgato HD60, another with a screen capture window with the EOS R inset. I’ve got some other peripherals attached, but as far as video components, that’s it. I also simultaneously record an output from SL OBS as well.

I’ve done some troubleshooting and it seems as if what APPEARS to be happening is, every so often the camera disconnects from the computer and then quickly reconnects, which causes the momentary freeze— the little computer icon flashes on the onboard display of the camera— and the little alert sound plays on my PC signaling the camera has connected.

I’ve also made sure drivers and firmware are all updated already as well. I appreciate the reply and hope we can find a solution! Thank you!

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That could just as easily be a computer problem as a camera problem.  Do you experience this issue with another camera, if you have one?  Why don't you just simply use the clean HDMI output from the camera to a HDMI to USB adapter?

[itsjonmackey]

I don't experience this issue with a logitech c920, which I used for months before I got the EOS R.

I'd have to buy adapters to try to run hdmi to usb, which i can do... but since Im using the software for it's intended purpose, I'd love to have a solution that doesn't require any extra purchases.

I ran some tests today to see if there were hardware issues in my PC that could be causing it, but everything else seems to be working fine...

[Waddizzle]

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@itsjonmackey wrote:

I don't experience this issue with a logitech c920, which I used for months before I got the EOS R.

I'd have to buy adapters to try to run hdmi to usb, which i can do... but since Im using the software for it's intended purpose, I'd love to have a solution that doesn't require any extra purchases.

I ran some tests today to see if there were hardware issues in my PC that could be causing it, but everything else seems to be working fine...

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I certain that your Logitech C920 does not add to the CPU load compared to the Canon Webcam Utility.

[wq9nsc]

You could try leaving task manager active on your PC and check to see if there is a specific heavy change in CPU, memory, or disk load when this freeze occurs and which process is responsible, ctrl alt del will allow you to launch task manager.  On the average PC there are a lot of processes running in addition to all of the Win 10 garbage and something else may be intermittently grabbing a lot of resources causing the streaming freeze.

Potentially a better way to diagnose this but more involved is to use the Performance Monitor built into Windows which can be set to capture and save an ongoing log of activity of selected parameters.  There are several websites that explain how to setup and use this Windows tool.

Rodger