Camera redirection with third party Win32 apps

[NotMacGyver]

Hi all,

Running into an issue with web camera redirection in WVD/Azure and I'm hoping someone may be able to assist. 

What we're seeing is that the RDP redirected camera device is available on the session host and usable with most first party apps, like the Windows 10 Camera app or Microsoft Teams. The camera is also accessible from installed web browsers (Chrome, Edge, etc.) after being prompted to allow access.

However, all other installed third party apps return errors that the camera device is inaccessible and may already be in use.

So far we've tested and confirmed the issue with VLC Media Player, TechSmith Camtasia, WebEx Meetings, and Skype for Business when using these apps to access to the redirected webcam.

Our session hosts are running the Windows 10 1909 multi-session Gen1 image from the gallery and the OS and apps are fully patched. Have also tested using the Windows 10 1809, 1903, and Gen2 multi-session images and all have exhibited the same issue. Camera privacy settings are configured to allow access for all desktop and native apps, and we've confirmed RDP policy settings are configured to allow additional pnp and RemoteFX USB device redirection on both ends.

We've deployed standalone, and non-domain joined, Azure virtual machines running Windows 10 images from the gallery (non-multi-session) and still see this behavior when using RDP to connect, so the issue may not be limited to WVD. 

Confirmed camera redirection works normally for all apps when using RDP to remote to physical Windows 10 1809 or later systems. 

Has anyone else run into this or able to confirm they're seeing similar behavior? 

Appreciate the assist.

[#2]

We seem to have traced this issue to the RemoteFX camera driver.

When connecting to the host pool via the Windows Desktop client (1.2.1009.0), it seems the RemoteFX driver isn't initialized / installed on the session host. If we connect to the session host directly via MSTSC and select the camera device under Local Resources -> More -> Other supported RemoteFX USB devices, it seems the required/missing driver is installed. From that point on, all users connecting to that host via the Windows Desktop client are able to use their redirected cameras with all installed apps.

We have the following RDP properties configured for the pool:

camerastoredirect:s:*

audiocapturemode:i:1

audiomode:i:0

devicestoredirect:s:*

Have tried manually installing usbvideo.inf on the session host but it seems SecureUSBVideo.dll isn't registered until a RemoteFX camera is redirected over MSTSC.

Will continue to update as we learn more, but appreciate any thoughts or suggestions.

[#3]

We were having the same issue and fixed the problem by disabling this GPO setting:

Computer Configuration / Administrative Templates / Windows Components / Remote Desktop Services / Remote Desktop Session Host / Device and Resource Redirection / Do not allow supported Plug and Play device redirection.

I hope this helps someone.