FaceTime cameras: Noise problems with certain Macs under Sequoia
Users of the current macOS Sequoia version are reporting heavy image noise in video chats. Apparently Apple is already working on this.
FaceTime noise in macOS 15.1: Improvements in the next version?
(Image: Screenshot Different Perspective / YouTube)
Apple's webcam built into the iMac, Studio Display, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, known as the FaceTime HD or (with higher resolution) center-stage camera, does not have a particularly good reputation. To put it politely, the illumination, resolution and color reproduction are only considered semi-good. This makes it all the more annoying when software errors creep in, as is now apparently the case with certain Mac models running macOS 15.1, the latest version of the current Sequoia operating system.
Even more pixelated than usual
Various users in forums, on Apple pages and YouTube videos are complaining that darker areas appear very noisy and pixelated since the update –, and even noisier and more pixelated than we are already used to. As iFun.de writes, MacBook Pro models with M1 SoC, i.e. those still equipped with a FaceTime HD camera, seem to be particularly affected.
Videos by heise
Apparently less affected are the more modern center-stage camera models, such as those built into the new MacBook Pro M4, which has just gone on sale. In a direct comparison between the built-in webcam and other devices – including the iPhone – used via the Continuity Camera function ("integration camera"), the difference is significant. It is therefore not due to the illumination. The typical softness of the camera image is underlaid with a lot of background noise.
The bug is fixed with the beta
"The macOS 15.1 update destroyed my MacBook M1 camera," wrote a YouTuber a month ago. He also assumed that the bug mainly affected M1 devices. It remains unclear exactly what Apple has changed – The problem is not yet reported to occur in macOS 15(.0.1). As various security vulnerabilities have been patched in macOS 15.1, it is important to consider whether to stick with the old version.
At least there is some good news: macOS 15.2, which will probably be released by next Monday, should fix the bug. At least it no longer occurs in the current beta, the image is the same as before. Nevertheless, it is generally advisable to consider switching to an iPhone as a Mac webcam – using a suitable adapter, for example. The quality is significantly higher, regardless of whether you use a center-stage camera or not.
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