VideoLogic CaptivatorPro User manual

Brand: VideoLogic

Model: CaptivatorPro

Category: Audio cards

Type: User manual

Contents 1

User Guide

2 Captivator Pro & Captivator ProTV User Guide

be copied or distributed, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated

into any human or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,

magnetic, manual or otherwise, or disclosed to third parties without the express written

permission of VideoLogic Limited.

The trademarks and any copyright or other intellectual property rights of whatever nature that

subsist or may subsist in the Software Package referred to in this publication (including but

not limited to all programs, compilation of command words and other syntax contained

therein) are and shall remain the property of VideoLogic Limited absolutely.

DISCLAIMERS

VideoLogic Limited makes no representation or warranties with respect to the content of this

document and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for

any particular purpose. Further, VideoLogic Limited reserves the right to revise this

publication and to make changes in it from time to time without obligation of VideoLogic

Limited to notify any person or organization of such revision or changes.

CAPTURING AND REPURPOSING IMAGES

VideoLogic Ltd recommends that you observe the rights of the original artist or publisher

of the images you capture. If you plan to use a previously published image, contact the artist

or publisher for information on obtaining permission to reproduce/repurpose the image.

TRADEMARKS

Microsoft is a registered trademark, Windows, Video for Windows, VidCap and VidEdit are

trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Sound Blaster is a trademark of Creative Technology

Ltd. VideoLogic, the VideoLogic logo, Captivator Pro, Captivator ProTV, 928Movie,

PCI Movie, SmoothScale, and TV Snap are trademarks of VideoLogic Limited.

All other product names are trademarks of their respective companies.

PRODUCT NOTICES

Refer to Appendix D for information about radio and TV interference, EMC, product service,

warranty information, and details of the software license agreement.

CREDITS

This manual was written by Huw Geddes. It is a product of VideoLogic Limited, Home Park

Estate, Kings Langley, Hertfordshire WD4 8LZ, United Kingdom.

Printed in Singapore 47131

First Edition 15 November 1994

Contents 3

Contents

Introduction .......................................................................5

About Captivator Pro and Captivator ProTV ....................................................... 5

About this guide ................................................................................................. 5

About the Captivator Pro and Captivator ProTV hardware .................................. 6

About the Captivator Pro/TV software ................................................................ 7

System requirements........................................................................................... 8

What you should know ....................................................................................... 9

Conventions used in this guide ............................................................................ 9

Handling Captivator Pro/TV ..............................................................................10

Returning the registration card ...........................................................................10

Installing Captivator Pro/TV ................................................... 11

Before you start .................................................................................................11

Captivator Pro/TV Setup....................................................................................12

Running the Setup program ...............................................................................13

Installing the Captivator Pro/TV card .................................................................15

Connecting the external cables ...........................................................................18

Changing Captivator Pro/TV’s hardware settings .................................... 19

How to change Captivator Pro/TV’s base address or interrupt setting .................19

Displaying live video........................................................... 23

How to display live video in a window ...............................................................23

Capturing Video for Windows clips........................................... 29

Capturing full screen and full motion video........................................................29

4 Captivator Pro & Captivator ProTV User Guide

Capture performance ..........................................................................................30

Managing your hard disk ...................................................................................30

Mixing video and graphics.................................................................................31

Preview mode ....................................................................................................31

Snapping video stills........................................................... 33

Using TV Snap ..................................................................................................34

File formats supported .......................................................................................38

Tuning in TV channels ......................................................... 39

How to display the Captivator Pro/TV Tuner dialog ...........................................39

How to tune in TV channels ...............................................................................40

Troubleshooting ................................................................ 43

Error messages ..................................................................................................47

Appendix A - VideoLogic Captivator Pro/TV MCI command set ........... 49

Appendix B - Captivator Pro/TV technical details ........................... 53

Specifications ....................................................................................................53

Connectors ........................................................................................................54

Base address settings .........................................................................................55

Appendix C - Technical support ............................................... 57

Captivator Pro/TV checklist ...............................................................................58

Appendix D - Notices........................................................... 59

Index ............................................................................. 61

Contents 5Introduction

Introduction

About Captivator Pro and Captivator ProTV

Captivator Pro is a 16-bit ISA video-in-a-window and capture

card which, when connected to a graphics card that supports the

VESA Media Channel (VM-Channel), provides:

• Scaleable full motion video-in-a-window from Composite

and S-Video input in NTSC, PAL, or SECAM format. The

video window can be displayed on top of other active

windows and mirrored horizontally.

• Capture of video clips when used with a Video for Windows™

capture application.

• Still image capture from live input using TV Snap.

Captivator Pro is available with a TV tuner, as Captivator ProTV,

allowing you to display live video directly from a TV aerial,

cable set-top or satellite decoder. Captivator ProTV has an audio

output which can be connected to an external amplifier or

speakers, and an internal audio connector which can be

connected to a sound card. It is available in three variants which

provide support for major TV broadcasting systems.

Captivator Pro and Captivator ProTV can be connected to any

VM-Channel enabled graphics card, such as VideoLogic’s

928Movie or PCI Movie.

About this guide

This guide explains how to install Captivator ProTV and use the

software. If you have a Captivator Pro, follow the instructions for

installing and using Captivator ProTV, ignoring references to the

TV tuner and audio connections. References to Captivator Pro/

TV apply to both Captivator Pro and Captivator Pro/TV.

6 Captivator Pro & Captivator ProTV User Guide

About the Captivator Pro and Captivator ProTV hardware

The layout of Captivator Pro and Captivator ProTV is displayed

below.

phono

connector

3.5 mm jack

phono

connector

TV tuner

RF connector

16-bit ISA bus connector

Captivator ProTV

Captivator Pro

4-pin DIN

connector

4-pin DIN

connector

VM-Channel connector

VM-Channel connector base address jumper

base address jumper serial number

internal audio connector

Contents 7

About the Captivator Pro/TV software

The Captivator Pro/TV software, which you use with

Captivator Pro and Captivator ProTV, includes a Setup program

that installs the following program items in the VideoLogic

VM-Channel Options program group:

• Video Control Panel—which you use to configure Captivator

Pro/TV for your input and to adjust the video picture.

• TV Snap—which you use to capture still images from live

input.

• Video Window—a resizeable floating video window which

can be displayed on top of other active windows.

• A ReadMe file, in text format, that contains information that

was not available when this guide was written.

• Help—online Help files which explain in detail how to use

the Captivator Pro/TV Video Control Panel, TV Snap, and the

MCI commands that the VideoLogic Captivator Pro/TV driver

supports.

The VideoLogic Captivator Pro/TV driver, which controls

Captivator Pro/TV, supports Microsoft’s MCI video overlay

command set. This command set allows programmers to control

Captivator Pro/TV using applications developed with

programming languages or multimedia tools. The VideoLogic

Captivator Pro/TV driver also allows you to configure your

hardware without rerunning the Captivator Pro/TV Setup

program.

Introduction

8 Captivator Pro & Captivator ProTV User Guide

System requirements

Hardware

To run Captivator Pro/TV, you need a computer with a

33 MHz 386 SX processor or better, 4 MB of RAM, and a spare

16-bit ISA bus slot. You must have a graphics card with a

VM-Channel connector, such as VideoLogic’s 928Movie or

PCI Movie, installed in your computer.

To capture video clips we recommend that you use a PC with a

66 MHz 486 processor or better and a VL bus 928Movie or

PCI Movie graphics card.

If you have a Captivator ProTV and intend to use the TV tuner, it

is worth supplying a good strong signal—70dB µV for best

results. If the picture is weak and snowy, you may need a better

aerial/antenna or a booster. If you use a booster do not place it

too close to your computer. Your local aerial/antenna specialist

will be able to advise you on the optimum position for your

booster. If you need to share an aerial/antenna feed with a TV or

VCR, it is best to use a booster with two or more outputs. If you

use a splitter, make sure it is a low loss type as cheap passive

splitters usually lose too much signal.

Software

To use Captivator Pro/TV you need Windows 3.1 or above

running in enhanced mode. Microsoft recommend DOS 5.0 or

above for Video for Windows. If you are using a 928Movie you

need version 1.1.1 or above of the 928Movie software. If you are

using PCI Movie we recommend version 1.1 or above of the PCI

Movie software.

To capture video clips you need Video for Windows 1.1 and a

Video for Windows capture application.

To use TV Snap you need Video for Windows 1.1.

If you are capturing video clips to your hard disk, do not use

DoubleSpace, Stacker™ or any similar disk-doubling application,

to compress the data on your hard disk. We also recommend that

you defragment your disk regularly using the Defrag command if

you are using DOS 6.0 or later, or an application such as

SpeedDisk™ from the Norton Utilities.

Contents 9

What you should know

If you have never installed a card in your computer before, you

may need to refer to the documentation supplied with your

computer for instructions on removing the cover.

This guide assumes that you already have some knowledge of

Microsoft Windows 3.1 and are familiar with the Windows

User’s Guide.

If you are using Captivator Pro/TV to capture video clips and

you are not familiar with Video for Windows, it is important that

you have access to the Video for Windows User’s Guide and any

other documentation supplied with your Video for Windows

application.

If you are writing applications that use the MCI video overlay

commands, you should have access to the documentation for the

development system you are using. You may also want to refer to

Microsoft’s Digital Video Command Set for the Media Control

Interface. August 7 1992, Revision 1.0, Part # 098-37538. This

document is available on CompuServe (GO WINMM) in library

2 (MDK) in the files DVMCI1.ZIP and DVMCIT.ZIP. These

files are the same, except that DVMCI1.ZIP is in Word for

Windows format and DVMCIT.ZIP is in text format.

Conventions used in this guide

The following conventions are used throughout this document:

• Anything that you type appears in bold text.

• Text in italic is used for cross-references, or to identify a

placeholder for information you need to supply.

• The names of keys appear in small capital letters. For

example: ENTER, SHIFT, CTRL. A plus sign (+) between key

names indicates that you should press down the first key

while you press the second key.

Introduction

10 Captivator Pro & Captivator ProTV User Guide

Handling Captivator Pro/TV

Like other adapter cards, Captivator Pro/TV can be damaged by

electrostatic charges during handling. To minimize the risk,

follow these simple guidelines:

• Keep the card in its protective packaging until you are ready

to install it.

• Just before handling the card, touch the metal frame of your

computer to discharge any static electricity which may have

built up on you or your clothes.

• Hold the card by the adapter bracket or by its edges; do not

touch the printed circuit board.

• Do not place the card on top of your computer or on any

other metal surface.

• Prevent the card being accidently touched by anyone else.

Handle the card with care to avoid damage to the fragile

electronic components mounted on both sides of the circuit

board.

Returning the registration card

All VideoLogic products come with a registration card. Please

complete and return this as soon as possible so that we can

provide you with the best possible support and up-to-date

product information.

Contents 11

Installing Captivator Pro/TV

Run the supplied Setup program from Windows before fitting

Captivator Pro/TV inside your computer. See page 12 for

detailed information on the Setup program.

Before you start

Check the ReadMe file on the Setup disk before you install

Captivator Pro/TV. This file contains information that was not

available when this guide was printed.

Make a note of the serial number of Captivator Pro/TV on page

58.

Base address settings

Captivator Pro/TV is supplied with a base address jumper setting

of 350 hex that should suit most installations. If the jumper

position needs to be changed, the Setup program shows you how

to make the alterations before you install the card. Do not

reposition the jumper unless the Setup program recommends an

alternative setting. For further information on the jumper

settings, see Base address settings on page 55.

Installing VM-Channel enabled graphics cards with

Captivator Pro/TV

If you are installing a VM-Channel graphics card, such as

928Movie or PCI Movie, as well as Captivator Pro/TV, install the

graphics card with its software before installing the

Captivator Pro/TV software and card.

Installing multiple VM-Channel enabled cards

If you are installing more than one Captivator Pro/TV, or

Captivator Pro/TV with another VM-Channel enabled add-in

card, read the ReadMe on the Setup disk.

Installing Captivator Pro/TV

12 Captivator Pro & Captivator ProTV User Guide

Captivator Pro/TV Setup

Captivator Pro/TV is provided with a Setup program that:

• scans your computer system to make sure that

Captivator Pro/TV will not conflict with any other

components.

• tells you what, if any, adjustment to make to the jumper

setting on your card.

• allows you to choose whether you want to install the

Captivator Pro/TV software or not.

You can run Setup in one of two modes: Express or Custom.

If you are unfamiliar with installing computer software or

hardware choose Express install. This installs all the

Captivator Pro/TV software.

Check the following table to see which mode to choose:

Express install Custom install

Yes.

Software installed

automatically. No. You can choose

which components to

install.

Yes. Whole system

scanned.

System scanned

automatically. No. You can choose

the parts of the

system that are

scanned.

Yes.

Program Group

created. Yes.

Contents 13

Running the Setup program

Do not install the Captivator Pro/TV card before you run Setup.

If Captivator Pro/TV is installed first, Setup will not be able to

scan your system for free base address and interrupt settings.

Setup must be run from Windows. Before running Setup, close

any other applications that you have running as you will need to

switch off your computer after you have installed the software to

fit the Captivator Pro/TV card.

Follow these instructions carefully. We assume that you are using

drive A: as your default floppy drive. Substitute the correct drive

letter for your computer if necessary.

You can stop Setup by choosing the Exit button in a dialog box.

Press F1 or use the Help button if you need further information on

any of the options.

1. Start Windows.

2. Insert the Captivator Pro/TV Setup disk into drive A: of your

computer.

3. Choose Run from the File menu in Program Manager.

4. At the command line type a:\setup. Choose OK.

5. Setup checks that your system meets or exceeds the minimum

requirements and then displays the Welcome dialog box.

Choose Continue.

6. The Installation Mode dialog box is displayed.

Choose Express or Custom depending on your requirements.

Follow the instructions in the dialog boxes.

Installing Captivator Pro/TV

14 Captivator Pro & Captivator ProTV User Guide

When Setup has installed the software, it scans your system.

The program displays a dialog box showing you the correct

position of the jumper for the current base address.

Remove the Captivator Pro/TV card from its envelope, taking

care to discharge any static electricity from your body and

clothing beforehand. Compare the position of the jumper on

your card to that on the screen, and reposition the jumper as

necessary. Replace the card in its envelope.

Contents 15

Installing the Captivator Pro/TV card

Warning: Always switch off your computer before removing the

cover and observe the warnings specified in its documentation.

1. Exit Windows and switch off your computer, monitor and any

other peripheral devices, such as printers, connected to your

computer. Leave your computer power cable connected to the

outlet so that it is grounded.

2. Remove the cover from your computer. Refer to the computer

documentation if you are not sure how to do this.

3. Touch the bare metal chassis of your computer to discharge

any static electricity.

4. Locate an empty 16-bit expansion slot, preferably next to

your VM-Channel enabled graphics card. Remove the slot

cover and keep the screw.

If you are using Captivator ProTV and you intend to connect a

TV input to the TV tuner, install it next to your graphics card but

as far away as possible from the other cards in your PC. All PCs

and cards generate radio frequency (RF) noise and this noise can

affect the quality of your TV picture.

Installing Captivator Pro/TV

Expansion slot cover

VM-Channel connector

VM-Channel enabled graphics

card (e.g. 928Movie)

16-bit ISA bus slot 8-bit ISA bus slot

16 Captivator Pro & Captivator ProTV User Guide

5. Align Captivator Pro/TV with the slot you have chosen.

Firmly press the card into the slot. You may need to use some

pressure to push the card into place, but do not use excessive

force.

6. Secure Captivator Pro/TV using the screw which you

removed from the expansion slot cover.

If you are using the TV tuner, make sure that you fit all the

adaptor card fixing screws—particularly to Captivator ProTV—

and expansion slot covers to all unused slots to minimize RF

noise.

Captivator ProTV

VM-Channel enabled graphics card

(e.g. 928Movie)

Contents 17

7. Connect Captivator Pro/TV to your VM-Channel graphics

card using the VM-Channel cable supplied. Make sure that

you do not twist the cable.

8. If you want to connect your Captivator ProTV’s internal

audio output connector to the CD-in connector on your sound

card, do so now. You need to provide a cable—see Internal

audio connector on page 54 for further details. Captivator

ProTV’s audio out connector is shown on page 6.

Note: If you want to control the audio output from

Captivator ProTV using your sound card software, but the

CD-in connector on your sound card is connected to a

CD-ROM drive, connect the audio-out jack on

Captivator ProTV to the audio-in jack on your sound card.

See page 18 for further details on connecting the external

cables.

9. Replace the cover of your computer.

10. Switch on your computer.

Installing Captivator Pro/TV

VM-Channel connectors

Captivator Pro/TV

VM-Channel cable VM-Channel enabled

graphics card

18 Captivator Pro & Captivator ProTV User Guide

Connecting the external cables

Warning: Permanent or temporary hearing loss or impairment

may result from incorrectly running sound systems with

headphones. Before putting on a set of headphones, you should

set the volume while holding them away from your ears to avoid

injury from unexpected noise.

Connect a TV aerial, satellite decoder or cable set-top to the RF

socket at the top of the back plate. Connect a Composite video

source to the phono connector or the 4-pin mini-DIN connector;

an S-Video source to the 4-pin mini-DIN connector.

If you are using the external audio output on Captivator ProTV,

you can connect non-powered ‘Walkman’ type headphones,

self-powered speakers, or an amplifier to the 3.5 mm jack.

Alternatively, you can connect the audio-out jack on

Captivator ProTV to the audio-in jack on a sound card.

If you do not have a suitable cable, your computer supplier

should be able to supply one.

Composite in

(phono)

TV, satellite or cable in (RF

connector—Captivator ProTV

only)

Audio out (3.5 mm jack—

Captivator ProTV only)

S-Video or Composite in

(4-pin mini-DIN)

Contents 19

Changing Captivator Pro/TV’s hardware settings

This section explains how to reconfigure Captivator Pro/TV’s

base address and interrupt settings. Read this section if your

computer does not boot, Windows does not start, the

Captivator Pro/TV software is behaving in an unpredictable way,

or if you have installed another card which appears to conflict

with your Captivator Pro/TV.

Base address and interrupt clashes are two of the most common

problems that occur when installing cards. The symptoms for

each vary from one system to another, but typically:

• If you have just installed Captivator Pro/TV and your

machine will not boot or run Windows, you probably have a

base address clash.

• If you have just installed the Captivator Pro/TV software and

card and your Captivator Pro/TV applications freeze or quit

unexpectedly, or if you cannot capture video clips, you

probably have an interrupt clash.

How to change Captivator Pro/TV’s base address or interrupt setting

You can change Captivator Pro/TV’s hardware settings using the

Captivator Pro/TV Configuration dialog box, which can be run

directly from the Windows Control Panel. The following steps

explain how to change Captivator Pro/TV’s base address or

interrupt setting.

To prevent data-loss, we recommend that you quit any other

applications before changing base address or interrupt settings.

Changing Captivator Pro/TV’s hardware settings

20 Captivator Pro & Captivator ProTV User Guide

1. In the Control Panel window, choose the Drivers icon.

The Drivers dialog box appears.

2. In the Installed Drivers list, select [MCI] VideoLogic

Captivator Pro/TV 1.0.

3. Choose the Setup button.

The Captivator Pro/TV Setup dialog box appears.

This dialog box shows the current base address and interrupt

settings.

You can scan your system to find out which base addresses

and interrupts are available. Some of the options shown in the

Captivator Pro/TV Setup dialog box may be grayed out.

If you already know a free base address or interrupt, ignore

steps 4 and 5.

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VideoLogic CaptivatorPro User manual

Brand: VideoLogic

Model: CaptivatorPro

Category: Audio cards

Type: User manual

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