VIDEO CAPTURE SOFTWARE

Software captures video from any video device including USB cameras, capture cards, TV-boards, camcorders, and network cameras.

Software compresses video and audio to media stream and sends it to Our Media Server. Viewers connect to Media Server and get stream that is played by Media Player. No downloads on viewer's site are necessary.

Table of Contents

1. System Requirements
   
2. Installing Software
   
3. Connecting Video Devices
   
4. Watching Camera
   
5. Program Options
   
6. Captions on Image
   

System Requirements

The software needs the following computer configuration to run:

• A computer with 3 GHz single-core processor or 2 GHz dual-core processor;
• 1GB RAM;
• 1GB free disk space;
• Microsoft Windows XP, 2003 or Vista;
• A Web Camera or TV Card or frame grabber, or Network camera, or pre-recorded files.

Installing Software

On the computer's screen click Start, then Run and execute the Streaming Software installation file.

If you would like to install the software in a different directory, you can click the Browse button to change the installation folder. Click the Install button to continue installation.

When the installation is completed, a group named Our would be created in Programs under the Start menu.

Uninstalling the program

To remove the program from your computer:

1. Click Start, Programs then Our and click on Streaming Software Uninstall.
2. Click the Yes button to remove the software.

Connecting Devices

Installing Analog Video Capture Device

You need to have an analog video capture device installed on your computer to capture video from an analog video camera or from a VCR. When capture device is connected to an analog camera and is installed on a computer, it converts video signal into a digital format that the computer can recognize. That video can then be captured by the program.

Analog capture devices today are made in a variety of forms, such as a capture card that is installed on your computer, or as a USB dongle that you can connect to a USB port on your computer.

Installing Conexant Based Chipset Frame Grabber

1. Run the BtInstaller.exe installation utility.
2. When prompted, select the "Uninstall any previously installed driver" option. The installation utility will search your system for any Bt8x8 drivers and delete them.
3. Turn Off computer.
4. Install the capture card inside computer.
5. Turn On computer.
6. Windows detects there is new card and pop-ups the "Found New Hardware Wizard" window. Click the "Cancel" button in this window.
7. Run the BtInstaller.exe installation utility again.
8. Select the "Install" option.
9. Select "Generic Bt8xx with 4 Composite ins" when asked for a card type.
10. Select "No TV functions" in the TV Tuner list.
11. Finish the installation.
12. Restart computer and verify there are at least two items are shown as correctly installed in your "Control Panel", in the "System Properties", in the "Device Manager", under the "Sound, video and game controllers":
    Conexant's BtPCI WDM Video Capture
    Conexant's BtPCI WDM Audio Capture
    
13. Run the Streaming Software.

USB Camera

To connect a USB camera to your computer:

1. Install software which comes with camera.
2. After rebooting your computer, connect camera to USB Port on your computer.
3. Windows shows notification New Hardware Found and "Hardware Wizard" installs drivers for newly added hardware.
4. If "Hardware Wizard" cannot find drivers for this camera refer to the camera manual for additional information.
5. Run Streaming Software.

IP Camera

To connect to an IP camera:

1. Run Streaming Software.
2. Follow instructions at the Network Cameras topic to properly install and configure your IP camera.

Program's Folder Structure

The program's folder contains all the files you need to use Streaming Software.

Do not move or rename the Streaming Software folder or any folders within it. If you need to relocate the Streaming Software folder, you must uninstall and reinstall the program.

Streaming Software performs best when the application and its parts remain in the folder recommended during installation.

If you change folder names and/or locations using Windows Explorer or File Manager, Streaming Software might not be able to track files and links properly.

The sub folders organize files according to their use:

\Logs contains log files.

\NetCams Models contains configuration files for various types of Network cameras.

Starting the Program

To start Streaming Software:

On the Window's Start menu, click Programs, then MobiGarda.

About the Program's Window

The Streaming Software work area contains some panels that you can show or hide to get a more comfortable working place. Here are some of the most used components:

The Camera Window is used to control and preview camera.

The Information Panel displays useful information about the camera state.

The Log Panel collects a history about events and errors. It helps to troubleshoot a webcasting process. This information can be printed or saved to a file.

Tips for the Program's Window

Right-Click Context Menus

Right-clicking on an item, such as panel, grid, etc., opens a context menu which includes basic editing controls (e.g., Copy, Paste, or Modify).

Menus

All menu items have keyboard "access keys" (underlined letter in menu option). To open main menus, access keys use ALT+letter (e.g., File menu = ALT+F). To open an option on a menu, press only the access key (letter).

Program Options

Streaming Software has options that control the general appearance of user interface as well as options related to specific features.

To change Streaming Software options

1. Select Program Settings from the Tools menu. The Program Options dialog box appears.
2. Set desired options.
3. Press Ok.

The Program Options dialog box fields:

Click to select Start on Windows Startup if you want that a shortcut to the program will be created in Windows's Startup menu. It forces to run the program every time when Windows start up.

Click to select Run Minimized if you want the program to be in minimized state after start. The program displays an icon in the sys tool tray at the bottom right of your screen. This icon helps you to operate with the minimized program:

Click right mouse button on the icon to display a popup menu.

To show the Main window again, double click the icon with the left mouse button.

To have the program completely invisible when it minimized, click to select Run in "Stealth" mode. In this mode the program doesn't display any icon in the sys tool tray and it is not presented in the task bar tray. To make hidden program visible run the program again. This new started process sends hidden program a message to show up and be visible.

Click to select Hide the "Stealth Mode" Warning Box to force the program not to show a notification window when it's going to "Stealth Mode".

Click to select Protect with Password if you want the program to ask for password when a user clicks icon in the sys tool tray.

Setting up Camera

The program works with many video sources simultaneously. Every video source represented by Camera Window. A Camera Window can be connected to a Local camera (frame grabber or USB camera), or Network camera (Axis®, D-Link®, etc.).

Local Video and Audio devices

Click to select Local Camera if you want to work with video device connected directly to your computer.

Video Device

Choose a camera to work with, from the Video Devices drop-down list.

You can change image brightness, contrast, and size.

Network Cameras

Network cameras are devices in local network or in Internet that are answer with JPEG image by HTTP request.

To connect to Network Camera:

1. Click to select the Network IP Camera radio button. Select the network camera type from the Camera Model drop-down list. If your camera is not presented in this list, select Unknown.
2. In the IP Address box type the network address of your camera. Don't place the protocol prefix (like http://) in the IP address box, just four digits of IP address delimited by dots, like: 192.168.1.101. If your network camera has dynamic IP address, you can find the camera address in the DHCP table of your network router.
3. If network camera requires user name and password, type these values in the User ID and Password boxes.
4. Click the Connect button.

Captions on Image

The program has ability to place unlimited number of text, image and rectangular captions onto captured images.

The caption position can be specified in pixels or you can choose from the list of predefined positions like Top-Left, Top-Center etc. In this case the caption will stay at this position regardless of the image size.

To create new caption

1. Click the Captions tab.
2. Click to select the Caption Enabled check box.
3. Click appropriate button to add text, image, or rectangle caption.

Text Captions

To add text:

1. Click the Add Text button:
2. In the Caption Text box, type a text caption.

If you want to insert a date and time in the caption, it must be enclosed in the braces {}. Like: {dd/mm/yyyy}.

For example the text:

Captured on {dd/mm/yyyy} at {hh:nn:ss}

Captured on 10/08/2001 at 22:13:30

Time formatting macros

You can use the following data/time placeholders to display current date and time in the text captions:

Special wildcards:

{CAMERA} - displays camera number.

{VIDEODEVICE} - shows the video device name. This wildcard can be used to separate video records from different cameras when the Cycle through video devices option is active.

{IP_ADDR} - shows computer's IP address.

{EXTERNAL_IP_ADDR} - shows external IP address of computer. This is the address that the "outside world" sees.

Image Captions

To place an image overlay

1. Click the Add Image button:
2. Set the image file by clicking the Browse button.
3. Use appropriate controls to change the image position, opacity, and transparency.

Rectangles

The program allows you place rectangular areas onto image. You can set up the rectangle color and outline, as well as width, height, position, opacity, and transparency.

To draw a rectangle

1. Click the Add Rectangle button:
2. Use appropriate controls to change the rectangle size, position, opacity, and transparency.

Watching Camera

To watch your camera:

1. Open the http://www.mobigarda.com web site in your internet browser.
2. Click Login button.
3. Enter user name and password to login to your account.
4. If login successful you will see your camera.