Comments

Jsnkc wrote on 4/6/2004, 1:59 PM
You can do it as long as you connect via USB, most of the messaging services like Yahoo, MSN, ICQ, and things like that will not recognise your camera if it is connected via firewire. I know that Canon does have a program that is supposed to work with firewire, but I haven't tried it yet. The easies way is to get one of those...I can't believe I'm going to say this....but...get one of those cheap Dazzle USB analog capture cards and then run your camera into that and it should work fine.
Maverick wrote on 4/6/2004, 2:06 PM
Thanks for your help.

Apparently the comapny I am using has said it should work through firewire and I am suposed to use an image capture program called 'Microsoft WDM Image Capture'.

This does show on the menu but on cliccking onOK I just get a message informing me 'Webcam failed to initialise properly'

Cheers
Chienworks wrote on 4/6/2004, 2:14 PM
I've connected the composite video output of my camcorder to the video input on my ATI Rage VIVO card (any card with composite input should work the same). Every webcam software i've tried picks it right up with no problem, once i tell the software which video source to use.
johnmeyer wrote on 4/6/2004, 3:16 PM
I think XP may be able to handle Firewire for video conferencing and webcam, but don't quote me on that -- I haven't done it myself.

What I have done is purchase (on eBay) for next to nothing, a Belkin F5U208 device. It is USB 1.1 on one end and on the other end are two RCA audio jacks, an RCA jack for composite video, and an S-Video connector as well. Plug your camera's analog output into this. The quality is WAY beyond what you get with webcams.

The video is sampled down to 352 x 288, but is still far better than what you get with USB webcams (plus you get the autofocus, white balance, etc. of your good video camera).

Here is a link to a random vendor (first one I found on Google) that has it -- get it on eBay and save a lot of money:

Belkin F5U208
Liam_Vegas wrote on 4/6/2004, 8:23 PM
What you need is a little software add-in called WebCAMDV from OrangeMicro.


PeterWright wrote on 4/6/2004, 8:33 PM
You can also connect a Camcorder to one of the analogue - in type Capture cards, like the Pinnacle (Miro) dc 30+, but there may not be XP drivers for some such cards.

I used to use my 3CCD cam this way for Netmeeting, and when I cranked up the quality setting it always brought gasps of appreciation from relatives in England!
johnmeyer wrote on 4/6/2004, 9:37 PM
when I cranked up the quality setting it always brought gasps of appreciation from relatives in England!

I had the same experience, even using my Belkin setup. The spatial quality is a completely different experience from a Logitech-type webcam. I have been in the videoconferencing business at two different times over the past two years, and the quality you get from a camcorder camera is well worth the time and effort to get it set up.
Maverick wrote on 4/7/2004, 12:32 PM
Thanks for all the help - much appreciated.

I have tried connecting the analogue video out to the video in of my Pinnacle DC10+ card but still no luck.

I will down load the suggested software and try that.

I'll get back to you all.

Cheers