What is virtual camera?
A virtual camera is software that pretends to be a webcam so apps receive processed video. How virtual cameras work — and the browser-level alternative.
A virtual camera is a software driver that creates a fake webcam device on your computer: applications that select it receive video that other software has processed, instead of the raw camera feed.
Virtual cameras sit between your real camera and your apps. Tools like OBS write their composited output — overlays, filters, effects — to the virtual device, and anything that selects “OBS Virtual Camera” receives that processed video as if it came from hardware.
The approach is powerful but heavy: it requires installing a kernel- or system-level driver, selecting the virtual device in every app, and managing yet another program during calls. When the driver crashes or updates break, your camera disappears from every app at once.
How CamTuner fits in
CamTuner adjusts your real camera's stream inside the browser instead — no driver, no second program, no device to select. Your apps keep using the normal camera; the video they receive is simply already framed.
virtual camera FAQ
Is CamTuner a virtual camera?
No. It's a browser extension that adjusts the camera stream inside the browser. That's why there's no driver to install and no device switch needed in Meet, Zoom or anywhere else.
When do I actually need a virtual camera?
When the app receiving the video runs outside the browser — desktop apps like the Zoom or Teams desktop clients, or OBS scenes feeding other programs. For browser-based calls, in-browser adjustment is lighter and simpler.