WDM Video Capture Driver
for Bt848 / Bt849 / Bt878 & Bt879 Chipsets.

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  • To perform video capture, you should have a fast computer, specially if you want to compress in realtime. I would suggest a PII-300 at least, to capture in MJPEG full size/full framerate with a software encoder. To Capture in MPEG1 or MPEG2 in real-time, even a faster one is required, not to mention if you want to capture full size, full framerate in DivX, or MPEG4, or Windows Media Video (WMV) (I think a PIII-800 should do MPEG2, a K7-1200or faster should do WMV in realtime). See www.jpg.com for the fastest software MJPEG encoder I have ever seen (very good quality), or www.ulead.com for MPEG2 capture in realtime, using Ulead's Media Studio Pro , (or Visual Studio). All these are comercial products (I have to say ,specially about the MJPEG encoder, a very good product, and it's very affordable!) . For Windows Media Video, see www.microsoft.com , specially their Windows media resource Kit. If you want MPEG4 (older technology , but the same as WMV, see www.divx.com for DivX video compressors.
  • I would recommend MJPEG if you want to edit video, but MPEG1/2/4 can give you an smaller captured file size of the same quality, at the expense of requiring a faster and faster computer.
  • Use YUY2 for MJPEG capture, and YV12 for MPEG1/2/4 capture (20-30% less CPU use required for the same framesize/framerate than the other modes... If you are running out of CPU power !)
  • In all DirectShow based applications, remember that you MUST set the preview resolution and ColorSpace, and the Capture resolution and ColorSpace independently. Please, don't tell me preview does not work in these apps, if you haven't tried first to reduce resolution in the preview pin. I would suggest to set the SAME resolution in both the capture and preview pins.
  • Also, before telling me your VideoNorm is not supported, or the image is washed, too white, too dark, please see the Video Capture Main Property Page. Remember that in Argentina, DirectShow will list the PAL N Combination as "Unknown" format (Bug of Microsoft, norm is supported by DirectShow).
  • To have a clean and detailed image, without noise, etc, you need a good video source. Video tapes are not such a good source. Even video cables can make a difference. Use a good quality shielded Video cable to connect your VCR to the line-in jack of the card (or a SVHS cable if your VCR and digitizer card support this, In this case, this is the best method), not one of those unshielded cheaper ones used for audio. To use the tuner input of the card to connect your VCR to it is the WORST THING you can do. Use a good quality Audio/Video shielded cable to perform this connection.
  • Under WinXP or Win2000, it is much better to use a DirectShow-based capture program than a VFW capture program, because WinXP is optimized for DirectShow. Despite the fact that VFW apps will work, you will very soon discover that you can get more CPU power to compress video (expect 20% more CPU power available for compressing) with DirectShow (AMCAP is a DirectShow based application)
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