GoPro two-for

This blog post is a GoPro two-for. First I will prove that there are only two user-selectable settings that can be made using the GoPro HERO4 Black action camera set for Video Mode / “Time Lapse Video” submode. Second I will demonstrate two settings that you should make under Setup Mode in order to use your GoPro camera as a Webcam.

I used a relatively inexpensive MavisLink Video Capture Card to connect my GoPro HERO4 Black to an Apple MacBook Air. Open Broadcaster Software (OBS Studio) was used to record two video clips showing the small LED screen on the front of the HERO4 Black.

Video Mode / “Time Lapse Video” submode

The following short video (0:34) shows all of the settings that can be made in Video Mode / “Time Lapse Video” submode. First I cycled through all of the submodes under Video Mode. Next I cycled through all of the setting options under “Interval.” Finally, I cycled through the settings under “Resolution.”

Like I said in my last blog post, there are two user-selectable settings in the “Time Lapse Video” submode: Interval; and Resolution.

At the end of the video clip, the screen goes black (there was a lens cap on my camera) except for information displayed in white text at the top and bottom of the LCD screen. GoPro calls that “On Screen Display”; some people refer to it as a “heads up display.” More about that in the next section.

“Clean HDMI”

“Clean HDMI” output and continuous power are considered to be essential if a camera is suitable for repurposing as a Webcam. Two settings are recommended in “Setup Mode” in order to use the HERO4 Black as a Webcam.

Use the Power/Mode Button (front of camera) to scroll down through the menu items until you reach “On Screen Display.” This setting can be toggled ON or OFF; set it to “OFF” by pressing the Shutter/Select Button (top of camera). The next menu item is “Auto Off”; set it to “Never” so the camera won’t power-off automatically. Finally, press the Settings/Tag Button (side) to exit the Setup menu.

Notice the “On Screen Display” is gone when the screen goes black at the end of the video. Ah, “clean HDMI!”

Thanks to YouTuber “Tech Explores NYC” for showing me how to setup my GoPro HERO4 Black for use as a Webcam!

Related Resources

• MavisLink Video Capture Card
• Open Broadcaster Software (OBS Studio)

Copyright © 2022 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.