Video Capturer is the bridge between your computer and your PC camera while it is in its Video Mode. Video Capturer allows you to preview live video, capture (record and save) a video clip or single image frame, and then playback the captured video. The captured image or video is saved into a folder in MagicManager. After a video clip has been saved you can review or edit the clip using other software tools.

1. Control Panel
2. Preparations for Using the Camera in Video Mode
3. Capturing a Video Clip
4. Capturing a Single Frame of Video
5. The Options Dialog Box
   • Capture Parameters
   • Audio Capture Settings
   • Video Preferences
   • Video Source Settings

1. Before you use the camera for the first time in the PC video-camera mode, you must install the driver software. Refer to detailed information in the Camera User Manual.
2. To use the Camera in video mode, detach the USB Cable from your PC, slide the camera power switch to the "OFF" position and then re-connect the USB cable to your computer while the camera power switch remains in the "OFF" position. Refer to detailed information in Camera User Manual.
3. From MagicManager, click the "Video Capturer" icon to launch the Video Capturer Program. Aim the camera at a scene and the scene will be displayed in the Play window of Video Capturer.
4. When using the camera in video mode adequate lighting will make images clearer.
5. When you camera is tethered to your PC via USB port, power is provided to the camera by your PC. Therefore is not necessary to have batteries in the camera while in video mode. You may remove the camera batteries to prolong the life of the batteries.

Step 1: Click the "Record" button. Video capture will begin. Note the Red "Record LED".

Step 2: You can stop the capture process by either:

(a) Click on the "Stop" button in the main window of Video Capturer, or

(b) Satisfying the conditions you set in the Options dialog box, Stop Capture field, Capture tab.

Step 3: After capturing a video clip, you will be asked; "Do you want to Compress it ?". If you want to attach this captured video clip to an e-mail, click "Yes" and the video will be compressed to a smaller file size. Video compression reduces the size of a video file, but it also reduces the video quality. If video quality is important, and if you have enough hard disk space, click "No".

Step 4: Click the "Play" button to preview the captured clip.

Step 5: Click the "Save" button to save the video clip as a file in the AVI format. The clip will be discarded if you do not save it before the next capture, or if you exit the Video Capturer Program. If you save the clip, it will be available when you return to MagicManager. The clip will be stored in the video folder.

1. While the camera is presenting live video in the Play Window, click on the "Capture" button to capture the frame of video currently in the view window.
2. Click Save button to save this single frame of video. The frame will be discarded if you do not save it before next capture, or if you exit the Video Capturer Program. When you return to MagicManager, the frame will be stored in the Image folder as a JPG file.

The Options Dialog box includes four tabs. You may specify parameters for video and audio capture, video playback, and you may adjust camera video.

"Capture Tab"

1. Frame Rate: The frame rate of the captured clip. Higher frame rates exhibit smother playback, however, they require more CPU power and more disk space. For general use, 15 frames per second is adequate.
2. Capture Audio: Check this box if you also want to record audio while capturing video clip.
3. Stop Capture: You may specify the limits of any recording in terms of time or file size. The recording of a video will stop when a limit is reached. A that time you will be prompted to save your clip.

• "After a specified time of" allows you to specify the maximum recording time for a video clip. The default time setting is 10 seconds. When recording at a resolution of 320 x 240 (CIF resolution), the maximum recording time is three minutes. When recording at a resolution of 160 x 120 (QCIF resolution), the maximum recording time is five minutes.
• "After a specified file size" allows you to specify the maximum file size of the video clip raw data (before compression is applied to reduce the file size).
• "By user pressing" : Left mouse button, Right mouse button, or Esc. This feature allows you to stop the recording by clicking the left/right mouse button, or the Esc key according to your preference.

"Audio Tab"

The audio settings allow you to adjust the quality of audio that you may record with your video clip. Higher quality audio requires more system resources. Please note that higher audio quality may cause video frame dropping, as your computers system resources are used for both functions simultaneously.

(Of course, a sound card and microphone must be installed on your computer to record audio.)

1. Sample Size: Allows you to specify the resolution, or depth, of the recorded audio as either 8-bit or 16-bit.
2. Channels: Allows you to specify either mono or stereo recording.
3. Frequency: Allow you to specify the audio sampling frequency.

• The following table will help to understand some of the audio parameters.

"Note" : If you do not have a sound card in your PC, do not modify the "Audio" controls, as this may cause your computer to display a system error with message, such as; "Illegal Audio setting".

"Video Tab"

1. Size: The video size (resolution) you prefer to capture, in pixels. The larger size offers are larger video, at the expense of requiring more processing power and disk storage space.
2. Drivers: You may use any video capture device that has been installed on your computer. To use your new camera, specify the it by selecting it from the drop-down list box for current, connected cameras.

Video Source Tab (Device Settings)

1. Brightness: Adjusts the brightness of the video image.
2. Contrast: Adjusts the contrast of the video image.
3. Gamma: Adjusts the Gamma grade of the video image.
4. Sharpness: Adjusts the sharpness of the video image.
5. Invert : Inverts the color of the image (black to white, white to black.)