Creative wc3-pg Product Manual

Product Guide

Product Guide

Creative Video Blaster WebCam 3

Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Creative Technolog y Ltd. No part of this
manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electron ic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose
without the writte n permis sio n of Crea tive Technology Ltd. The software de sc ribed in this docu me nt is furnishe d und er a licens e agreement and may be used
or copied only in accordance with the term s of the license agreement. It is against the law to copy the softwar e on any other medium except as specifically
allowed i n the license agreement. The licensee may make one copy of the software for backup pu rp os es .

Copyright © 1998-1999 by Creative Technology Ltd. All rights reserved.
Version 1.0

July 1999
Sound Blaster is a registered trademark of Creative Technology, Ltd. Blaster is a trademark of Creative Technolo gy Ltd.

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
Microsof t, MS-DOS, Windows, and the Windows Logo are registered trademarks of Mic rosoft Corporation.

All other pro ducts are trademarks or re gistered trademarks of their respectiv e owners.

Creative End -User Soft ware Licens e Agreement

PLEASE READ THIS DOCUMENT CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THE SOFTW ARE. BY USING THE SOFTW ARE, Y OU A GREE TO BE BOUND
BY THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT . IF Y OU DO NOT A GREE TO THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT, DO NO T OPEN THE SEALED DISK
PACKAGE, INSTALL OR USE THE SOFTWARE. PROMPTLY RETURN, WITHIN 15 DAYS, THE SOFTWARE, ALL RELATED
DOCUMENTATION AND ACCOMPANYING ITEMS TO THE PLACE OF ACQ UISITION FOR A FULL REFUND.

This is a lega l agree ment bet ween you and

Tec hno lo gy Ltd.

This Agreement states the terms and conditions
upon which Creative offers to license the software
sealed in the disk package together with all related
documentation and accompanying items including,
but not limited to, the executable programs, drivers,
libraries and data files associated with such
programs (col lectively, the “Software”).

LICENSE

1.

Grant of License

The Softwa re is licensed, not sold, to you for use
only under the te rms of this Agreemen t . You own
the disk or other media on which the Software is
originall y or subsequently recorded or fixed; but,
as between you an d Creative (and, to the extent
applicable, its licensors), Creative retains all title
to and ownership of the Software and reserves all
rights not expressly granted to you.

2.

For Use on a Single Computer

The Softwa re may be used only on a single
computer by a single user at any time. You may
transfer the machi ne-readable portion of the
Software f rom one co mputer to a nothe r computer ,
provided that (a) the Software (includ ing any
portion or copy thereof) is erased fro m the first
computer and (b) there is no possibility that the
Software will be used on more than one computer
at a time.

3.

Stand-Alone Basis

You may use the Software only on a stand-alone
basis, such that the Software and the functions it

and its subsidiaries (“Creative”).

Creative

Vers ion 2.0, Ju ne 1998

provides are accessible only to persons who are
physically present at the locati on of the comp uter
on which the Sof tware is loaded. You may not
allow the Softw are or its funct ion s to be access ed
remotely, or transmit all or any portion of the
Software through any network or communication
line.

4.

Copyright

The Software is owned by Creative and/or its
licensees and is protected by United States
copyr ight l aws an d inter nat ional treaty pro visio ns.
You may not remove th e copyright notice from
any copy of the Software or any copy of the
written materials, if any, accompanying the
Software.

5.

One Archival C opy

You may make one (1) archival copy of the
machine-readable portion of the Software for
backup purpo ses o nly in s upport of your use of the
Software on a single computer, pro vided that you
reproduce on the copy all copyright and other
proprietar y r ights notices included on the
originals of the Software.

6.

No Merger or Integration

You may not merge any portion of the Software
into, or integrate any portion of the Software with,
any other program, except to the extent ex pressly
permitte d by the laws of the jurisdic tio n where
you are located. Any portion of the Software
merged into or inte grated with a nother pr ogram, if
any, will continue to be subject to the terms and
conditio ns of th is Agre em ent, and you must

reproduce on the merged or integrated portion all
copyrig ht and other propriet ary rights notices
included in the originals of the Software.

7.

Network Version

If you have purchased a “network” version of the
Software, this Agreement applies to the
installation of the Software on a single “file
server”. It may not be copied onto mult iple
systems. Each “node” connected to the “file
server” mus t also have its own license of a “node
copy” of the Software, which becomes a licens e
only for that specific “node”.

8.

Transfer of License

You may transfer your l icense of the Software,
provid ed that (a) you transfer all por tions of the
Software or copies thereof, (b) you do not retain
any port i on of the S o f tw are or any co py t he r e o f ,
and (c) th e transfer ee read s and ag rees to be bound
by the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

9.

Limitat ions on Using, Cop yi ng , an d Modi fyi ng
the Software

Except to the extent expressly permitted by this
Agreement or by the law s of the jurisdiction
where you acquired the Software, you may not
use, copy or mod if y th e Software . Nor may you
sub-license any of your rights under this
Agreement.

10.

Decompiling, Disassembling, or Reverse

Engineering

Y ou ackn owle dge that the Softw are contain s trade
secrets and other proprietary inf ormation of
Creative and its licensors. Except to the extent

expressly permitted by this Agreement or by the
laws of t he jur isdiction where you are located , you
may not de c o m pile, di s a s semble or otherw is e
rever s e engineer the Software , or engage in any
other activities to obtain underlying information
that is not visi ble to the user in connecti on w ith
nor m al use of t h e S o f tw are.

In particular, you agree not for any purpose to
transmit the Software or display the Software's
object code on any computer screen or to make
any hardcopy memory dumps of the Software's
object code. If you believe you req uire
information related to the interoperability of the
Softwar e w it h other programs, you sh all not
decompile or disassemble the Software to obtain
such information, and you agree to request such
information from Cr eative at the address list ed
below. Upon receiv ing such a request, Creative
shall determine whether you require such
information for a legitimate purpose and, if so,
Creative will provide such information to you
within a reasonable time and on reasonable
conditions.
In any event, you will notify Cr eative of any
info rmatio n de r i ve d fr om revers e eng i n e ering or
such other acti vities, and the results thereof will
constitute the confidential information of Creative
that may be used onl y in connection with the
Software.

TERMINATION

The license granted to you is effective until
terminated. You may ter m inate it at any time by
returning the Software (including any portions or
copies thereof ) to Creative. The lic ens e w ill also
terminate automatically without any notice from
Creative if you fail to comply with any term or
condition of this Agreement. You agree upon such
termination to return the Software (including any

portions or copies thereof) to Creative. Upon
termination, Creative may also enforce any rights
provided by law. The provisions of this Agreement
that protect the proprietary rights of Creative will
continue in force after termination.

LIMITED WARRANTY

Creativ e w arrants, as the sole warranty, that the
disks on whic h the So ftware is furni shed wil l be free
of defects, as set forth in the Warranty Card or
printed manual included with the Software. No
dist r ibutor, deal e r or a ny other en ti ty or pers o n is
authorized to expand or alter this warranty or any
other provisions of this Agreement. Any
representation, other than the warranties set forth in
this Agreemen t, w ill not bi nd Creative.

Creative does not warrant that the functions
contained in th e Sof tware will meet your
requirements or that the operation of the Software
will be uninterrupted, error-free or free from
malicious code. For purposes of this paragraph,
“malicious code” mea ns any program c ode desi gned
to contam inate other com puter progr a m s or
computer data, consume computer resources,
modify , de stro y, record, or tran smit da ta, or i n som e
other fashion usurp the normal operation of the
computer , computer system, or co mputer network,
including viruses, Trojan horses, droppers, worms,
logic bombs, an d the like. EXCEPT AS STATED

ABOVE IN THIS AGREEMENT, THE
SOFTW ARE IS PROVIDED AS-IS WITHOUT
WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT
NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY
AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE. CREATIVE IS NOT OBLIGATED
TO PROVIDE ANY UPDATES, UPGRADES
OR TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR THE
SOFTWARE.

Further, Creative shall not be liable for the accuracy
of any inf or m a t i o n pr ov ided by Cr e a tiv e or th i r d
party technical support personnel, or any damages
caused, either directly or indirectly, by acts taken or
omissions made b y you as a result of such techni cal
suppor t.

You assume full respo n sibi lity for the selection of
the Softw are to achieve your intended result s , and
for the ins tallation , use an d results o btained from the
Software. You also assume the entire risk as it
applies to the qualit y and perf orma n ce of the
Software. Should the Software prove defective, you
(and not Creative, or its distributors or dealers)
assume the entire cost of all necessary servicing,
repair or correction.

This warr anty gives you specific legal rights, and
you may also hav e ot her rig ht s which vary from
country /state to country/sta te. Some countries/stat es
do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so
the above exclusion may no t apply to you. Creative
disclaims all warranties of any kind if the Software
was customi zed, repackaged or altered in any way
by any thir d party ot he r th an Crea ti ve .

LIMITATION OF REMEDIES AND
DAMAGES
THE ONLY REMEDY FOR BREACH OF
WARRANTY WILL BE THAT SET FORTH IN
THE WARRANTY CARD OR PRINTED
MANUAL INCLUDED WITH THE
SOFTWARE. IN NO EVENT WILL
CREATIVE OR ITS LICENSORS BE LIABLE
FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
OR FOR ANY LOST PROFITS, LOST
SAVINGS, LOST REVENUES OR LOST DATA
ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO THE
SOFTWARE OR THIS AGREEMENT, EVEN
IF CREATIVE OR ITS LICENSORS HAVE
BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF

SUCH DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT WILL
CREATIVE’S LIABILITY OR DAMAGES TO
YOU OR ANY OTHER PERSON EVER
EXCEED THE AMOUNT PAID BY YOU TO
USE THE SOFTWARE, REGARDLESS OF
THE FORM OF THE CLAIM.

Some countries/states do not allow the limitation or
exclusion of liab i lity for inci dent al or cons equent ial
damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may
not apply to you.

PRODUCT RETURNS

If you must ship the softw are to Creative or an
authorized Creative distributor or dealer, you must
prepay shipping and either in s ur e the software or
assume all risk of loss or damage in transit.

U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS

All Softw are and related documentation are
provided with restricted rights. Use, duplication or
disclosure by the U.S. Government is subject to
restrictions as set forth in subdivision (b)(3)(ii) of
the Rights in Technical Dat a and C omputer
Software Clause at 252.227-7013. If you are sub­licensing or using the Soft ware out side o f the Unit ed
States, you wil l comply with the applicable local
laws of you r country, U.S. export control law, and
the English version of this Agreement.

CONTRACTOR/MANUFACTURER

The Contractor/Manufacturer for the Software is:

Creative Technology Ltd

31, International Business Park
Creative Resource
Singapore 609921

GENERAL

This A g r ee m e nt is binding on yo u as well as your
employees , employers, contract or s a nd agents, and
on any successors and assignees. Neit her the
Software nor any information derived therefrom

may be expo rte d exce pt in ac corda nce wi th t he l aws
of the U.S. or other applicable provisions. This
Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of
California (except to the extent federal law governs
copyrights and federally registered trademarks).
This Agreemen t i s the entire agreement between us
and supersedes any other understandings or
agreemen ts, inc ludin g , but not limit ed to,
advertising, with respect to the Software. If any
provision of this Agr eeme n t is deem ed invalid or
unenforcea ble by any cou ntry or go vernmen t age ncy
having jur isdi cti on, tha t part icul ar pro vi sion w ill be
deemed modified to the extent necessar y to make the
provision valid and enforceable, and the remaining
provisions will remain in full force and effect.

For questions concerning this Agreement, please
contact Creative at the address stated above. For
questions on product or technical matters, contact
the Creative technical support center nearest you.

ADDENDUM TO THE MICROSOFT
SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT
(WINDOWS 95)

IMPORTANT: By usin g the Microsoft software

files (the “Microsoft Software”) provided with this
Addendum, you are agreeing to be bound by the
following terms. If y ou do not agree to be bound by
these terms, you may not use the Microsof t
Software.

The Microsoft Software is provided for the sole
purpose of replacing the corresponding files
provided with a previously licensed copy of the
Microsoft software product identified above
(“ORIGINAL PRODUCT”). Upon inst allation, the
Microsoft Software files become part of the
ORIGINAL PRODUCT and are subject to the same
warranty and li cense terms and condit ions as the
ORIGINAL PRODUCT. If you do not have a valid
license to use the ORIGINAL PRODUCT, you may

not use the Mi crosoft Softw are. An y other us e of the
Microsof t Software is prohibited.

SPECIAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO
THE EUROPEAN UNION

IF YOU ACQUIRED THE SOFTWARE IN THE
EUROPEAN UNION (EU), THE FOLLOWING
PROVISIONS ALSO APPLY TO YOU. IF THERE
IS ANY INCONSISTENCY BETWEEN THE
TERMS OF THE SOFTWARE LICENSE
AGREEMENT SET OUT EARLIER AND IN THE
FOLLOWING PROVISIONS, THE FOLLOWING
PROVISIONS SHALL TAKE PRECEDENCE.

DECOMPILATION

You agree not for an y purpose to transmit the
Software or display the Softwar e’s object co de on
any computer screen or to make any hard copy
memory dumps of the Software’s object code. If you
believe you require informatio n relate d to the
interoperability of the Software with other
programs, you shall not decompile or disassemble
the Softw are to obtain such information, and you
agree to request such information from Creative at
the address listed earlier. Upon receiving such a
request, Creative shall determine whether you
require such information for a legitimate purpose
and, if so, Creative will provide such information to
you within a reasonable time and on reasonable
conditi ons .

LIMITED WARRANTY
EXCEPT AS STATED EARLIER IN THIS
AGREEMENT, AND AS PROVIDED UNDER
THE HEADING “STATUTORY RIGHTS”,
THE SOFTW ARE IS PROVIDED AS-IS
WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY

IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS
OF MERCHANTABILITY, QUALITY AND
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

LIMITATION OF REMEDY AND DAMAGES
THE LIMITATIONS OF REMEDIES AND
DAMAGES IN THE SOFTWARE LICENSE
AGREEMENT SHALL NOT APPLY TO
PERSONAL INJURY (INCLUDING DEA TH)
TO ANY PERSON CAUSED BY CREATIVE’S
NEGLIGENCE AND ARE SUBJECT TO THE
PROVISION SET OUT UNDER THE
HEADING “STATUTORY RIGHTS”.

STATUTORY RIGHTS

Irish law provides that certain conditions and
warra nties ma y be im plied in c ontrac t s for the s ale
of goods and in contracts for the supply of services.
Such condi tions a nd war ranties are hereby exc luded,
to the extent such exclusion, in the context of this
transaction, is lawful under Irish law. Conversely,
such conditions and warranties, insofar as they may
not be lawfu lly excluded, shall apply.

Accordingl y nothing in this Agree m ent shall
prejudice an y rig hts that you may enj oy b y vir tue of
Sections 12, 13, 14 or 15 of the Irish Sale of Goods
Act 1893 (as amended).

GENERAL

This Agreement is governed by the laws of the
Republic of Ireland. The local language version of
this agreement shall apply to Software acquired in
the EU. This Agreement is the entire agreement
between us, and you agree that Creative will not
have an y liability for any untrue statement or
represent ation made by it, its agents or anyone else
(whether inn ocently or negli gentl y) upon whi ch you
relied upon entering this Agreement, unless such
untrue statement or representation was made
fraudulently.

Safe ty In fo rmation

The following sections contain notices for

various countries:

CAUTION: This device is intended to be installed
by the user in a CSA/TUV/ UL ce rti fied /list ed IBM
AT or compatible per s onal computers in the
manufacturer ’ s def ined ope ra tor acces s area. Check
the equipment operating/installation manual and/or
with the equipment manufacturer to verify/confirm
if your equipment is suitable for user-installed
applicatio n card s.

Modification s

Any changes or modifications not expressly
approved by the grantee of this device could void the
user’s authority to operate the device.

Compliance

This product conforms to the followi ng Council
Directive:

Directi ve 89/336/EEC, 92/ 31/EEC (EMC)

❑

Contents

Introduction

Before You Begin....... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. .. ... ..... .. .. ... .... ... .. ... .... ... .. .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. .. ... .xii

System Requi rements............................................. ................................................... xii

Document Conventions......... ................................... .................................................xii

1 Installing Video Blaster WebCam 3

About the WebCam 3............................................................ ... ....................... ......................1-1

Installin g Video Blaster WebCam 3.....................................................................................1-2

2 Starting Video Blaster WebCam Control

T o start Video Blaster WebCam Control..............................................................................2-1

T o capture still images using t h e Snapshot butto n .................................. .............................2-2

T o start the Helpfile for WebCam Control.......... ........................................................... .....2-2

3 Using WebCam Control with the WDM driver

T o configure settings for Video Blaster WebCam 3............................................................3-1

Optimizing WebCam 3..... ..... .. ... .. ..... .. .. ... ..... .. .. ... .... ... .. ... .... ... .. .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. .....3-3

Specifying th e Frame Rate, Ima g eSize, and Color Depth.....................................3-3

Setting the frame rate...................................................................................3-3

Flipping the image horizontally...................................................................3-3

Choosing the image’ s output size....................... ....... ........ ....... ....... ....... .....3-4

Choosing the color depth ............. ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... .......... .....3-4

Product Guide vii

viii Video Blaster Webcam 3

Improving the quality.. ............ ......................................................................3-5

Improving th e Image Qualit y......... ........................ ...................................................3-5

Camera Control settings...............................................................................3-5

Image setti ngs.. .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. .. ... ..... .. .. ... .... ... .. .. ..... ... .. .. ..... .. ..3-7

Achieving the Best Frame Rate................................................................................3-8

4 Using WebCam Control with the VFW driver

T o configure settings for WebCam 3....................................................................................4-1

Optimizing WebCam 3.. ........................ ........................................................... .....................4-3

Changing I mageSize an d Co lo r Depth.............. ......................................................4-3

Choosing the size of the image........... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ....... ..4-4

Choosing the color depth...................... ....... ..... ....... ..... ....... .... ........ .... ....... ..4-4

Improving Image Quality..........................................................................................4-5

V ideo Co ntro l settings............ .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. .. ... ..... .. .. ... .... ... .. .. ..... ... .. .. ..... .. ..4-5

Adva nced settin gs......... ... .. ..... .. .. ... ..... .. .. ... .... ... .. ... .... ... .. .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ....4-7

Achieving the Best Frame Rate................................................................................4-8

5 Video Blaster WebCam 3 Applications

Video Blaster WebCam Contro l...................................................................... .....................5-1

Video Blaster WebCam Monitor... ....................................................................... ................5-1

Polaroid Phot oMAX.... ..... .. ... .. ..... .. .. ... ..... .. .. ... .... ... .. ... .... ... .. .. ..... ... .. .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. .. ..5-2

Microsoft NetMeeting............................................................................... ............................5-2

Microsoft I n ternet Explorer...................................................................................................5-2

A Technical Specifications

Construc tion............................................................................. ... ............ .. ...A-1

Camera housing.......................... .................................................................A-1

Power............................................................................................................A-1

Sensor...........................................................................................................A-1

Resolution ( for both Video mode and Still mode)............................. ........A-1

Sensitivity.....................................................................................................A-1

V ideo f ormat s....... .. ... .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. .. ... ..... .. .. ... .... ... .. .. ..... ... .. .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. ..A-2

Exposure control............... .. ... ..................................... .................................A-2

Color balance............................................................................................... A-2

Color matrix.................................................................................................A-2

Field-of-view ........ ............................................... ........................................ A-2

Depth-of-field..... ................................... ......................................................A-2

Port compatibi lity........ .. ... .. ..... .. ... .... ... .. ..... .. ... .... ... .. .. ..... ... .. ..... .. .. ..... ... .. .. ..A-2

Softwar e compatibi lity............ ..... .. .. ... ..... .. .. ..... .. ... .... ... .. ... .... ... .. ..... .. ... .... ..A-2

BTroubleshooting

Problem In stalling Software.................................................................................................B-1

Problems Using Video Blaster WebCam 3..........................................................................B-1

C Note on USB Compatibility

D Technical Support

Inside Eu r o p e................................... ............................................................ ..................... .... D-3

Through CompuServe............... ..............................................................................D-3

By Fax.................................... ........................................................... .......................D-3

If You Have a P roblem................................................................................ .........................D-4

Less than 30 days since date of purchase................................................... D-4

More tha n 3 0 days since date of purchase.................................................D-4

Returning a product for repair................................ ......... .......... ......... .......... ......... ..D-5

Limited Warranty............................ ............................................................ ......................... D-6

What this warranty does not cover............ ................................... ..............D-6

Creative European Help Line

Prod uct Guide ix

Introduction

Vi deo Blaster WebCam 3 is a 24-bit, 16.7-million-color d igital video camera kit that gives you
everything you need to capture, create, and communicate in live, full-color video on the
Internet.

Enclosed software ti tles include:
❑ Video Bl aster W e bCam Contr ol is an appli cati on for captu ring full- motion video and sti ll

images and adjusting the camera’s settings.

❑ Video Blaster WebCam Moni tor has an easy-to-use control panel that lets you set your

camera to automatically take snapshots. You can use it in the timed mode or the motion
detection mode for home or office security to create an “intelligent spy cam”.

❑ Polaro id Ph o t o M A X

interface. Us e PhotoMAX to capt ure images, edi t and retouch the m, and add sp ecial eff ects.
Print these image s or transform them into multimedia postcards which you can give to
friends or send via e-mai l.

❑ Microsoft

multi-user application sharing, Internet telephony and video conferencing.

❑ Microsoft Internet Explorer, an easy-to-use, full-service Internet browser.

®

NetMeeting

™

, a suite of ea sy -t o - u se imaging to o ls accessi b le fr o m a sin g l e

®

, a feature rich voice communications system. NetMeeting offers

Product Guide xi

Before You Begin

The README file on the CD-ROM contains information not available at the time of printing.
Read the file before you continue. In addition, read the following:

❑ System Requirements
❑ Document Convention s

System Requirements

Document
Conventions

Minimum system requirements for the USB port version of Video Blaster WebCam 3:

❑ 200 MHz Pentium
❑ 16 MB RAM on motherboard
❑ 70 MB free hard disk space (for installation of all softwa re titles)
❑ A vailable USB port or powered USB hub
❑ Microsoft Windows 98 (Windows 95 is not supported)
❑ Display adapter that supports16-bit color at a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels
❑ CD-ROM drive installed
❑ Sound Blaster

(required for videoconferencing)

❑ Modem or LAN access to the Internet (require d for videoconferencing)

For optimal performance:

❑ Display adapter that supports 16-bit color at a resolution of 800 x 600 pixels
❑ Sound Blaster 16 or higher, or other Windows-compatible sound card with full-duplex

support for simultaneous two-way conversations

The following typographical conventio ns are u s ed thro ughout this document:

Table i: Document c onventions

This Represents
bold Text that must be entered exactly as it appears.

®

or higher IBM® compatible PC

®

or other Windows®-compatible sound card and microphone

xii V ideo Blaster WebCam 3

T able i: Document conventions

This Represents

italic

Title of a book or a placeholder, which represents the information you

must provide.
UPPERCASE Directory nam e, file name, or ac ro nym.
< > Symbols, letters , and key names on the key board.

This notepad icon indicates information tha t is of particular impor tance

and should be cons idered before con tinuing.

This alarm clock icon indicates that failure to adhere to directions may

result in loss of data or d amage to your system.

The warning sign indicates that failure to adhere to directions may result

in bodily harm or life-threatening situations .

Product Guide xiii

Installing Video Blaster WebCam 3

This chapter consists of the foll owing sections:

❑ About the WebCam 3
❑ Installing Video Blaster WebCam 3

1

About the WebC am 3

Figure 1-1 highli ghts the features of WebCam 3.

Snapshot button

After you have started WebCam Control,
you can press this button to capture a still image.

LED light

This button lights up in
green when WebCam is
switched on.

USB cable

Figure 1-1: The WebCam 3 (USB model).

Focus ring

To adjust the WebCam focus, point the
lens toward your subject and then rotate
this ring clockwise and/or anti-clockwise
until the image is in focus.

USB connector

Installing Video Bl as ter WebCam 3 1-1

Installing Video
Blaster
WebC am 3

• The USB port(s) on your
computer may be found on
the front panel instead of th e
back panel.

• You can also dais y-chain the
Webcam through another
USB devi ce or attach it to a
powered USB hub.

• Y ou can ch oose to connect the
WebCam to your computer
after you have switched on
your compute r.

1. Position your computer so that its USB ports can be easily accessed.

2. Connect the end of the WebCam’s USB cable to any USB port available, and place the
WebCam on top of your computer monitor or another flat surface.

USB port

Figure 1-2: Connecting the WebCam 3 (USB model).

3. Switch on the computer.

1-2 Installing Video Blaster WebCam 3

Figu r e 1-3 : The

Add New Hardware Wizard

dialog box.

If prompt ed, insert the

Figure 1-4: The

Light Frequency Selection

dialog box.

Windows 98 CD, install the
requir ed files before continuing
the inst a lla ti on proce dure.

4. When the Add New Hardware Wizard
dialog box appears, click the Next button.
The dialog box similar to Figure 1-3
appears.

5. C l ick the Search for the best driver for
your device (Recommended) option and
then click the Next button .

6. Insert the Video Blaster WebCam CD into
your CD-ROM drive.

7. Select the Specify a l ocatio n check box a nd
type D:\DRIVERS (where D: represents
your CD-ROM drive) in the box provided.

8. C l ick the Next butt o n.

9. C l ick the Next butto n ag ai n .
The drivers are copied to your
system.

10.When the Light Frequency
Selection dialog box appears, click
the Yes button an d then click the
option but ton that represents your
power supply frequency if you use
fluorescent lighting.
Otherwise, click the No button.

11. C lick th e OK button.

Installing Video Bl as ter WebCam 3 1-3

• If you have a microphone,
connect it to yo ur au dio c ard.
Most audio cards have an
external microphone
connector.

• Consult the documentation
for your aud io card for more
information concerning the
use of a microp hone and, in
part ic ul ar, how to ad ju st the
volume .

12.When the Scanner and Camera Installation Wizard dialog box appears, click the Nex t

button.

13.In the Manufacturers list, select

Creative Labs, and then in the Scanner
and Camera Models list, select Video
Blaster Webcam 3 Still Image Capture.

Note: If the correct model is not listed:

Select Have Disk
Browse to D:\Drivers where
wec3cam.inf and webc3usd. inf are
located.
Click on OK

14.Click the Next button.

15.Click the Next button again.

Figure 1-5: Selecting the Manufacturer and Model.

Note: Any selection in the Available
ports list box will not have any effect on

this installation process.

16.Click the Next button again.

17.Click the Finish button.

The drivers are copied to your system.

18.When you are prompted to restart your system, click the Yes button.

19.After Windows has restarted, proceed to ins tall the applications for WebCam 3.

Click Start -> Run.

20.In the Run dialog box, type D:\CTRUN\CTRUN.EXE

A dialog box that lists the applications available appears.

21.Select the applications you want to install, and then click the OK b utton.

1-4 Installing Video Blaster WebCam 3

22.Follo w the instructions on the screen to complete the ins tallation.
Depending upon the applications you choose to install, you may be asked if you want to
restart your comput er at the end of the installation routine. Select No whe never y ou are
asked until all the driver s and applications ha ve been installed. Then, restart your computer.

23.If an application fails to install, restart, autorun the install CD and select only the required
application.
Otherwise launch the application from the relevant folder on the install CD.

Installing Video Bl as ter WebCam 3 1-5

Starting Video Blaster WebCam Control

Figure 2-1: The

Video Blaster WebCam Control

screen.

This chapter consists of the foll owing sections:

❑ To start Video Blaster WebCam Control
❑ To capture stil l images using the Sn ap s h o t butt o n
❑ To start the Help fil e fo r WebCam Contr o l

2

To s t a r t V i d e o
Blaster WebCam
Control

If V ideo Blaster WebCam
Control does not recognize the
camera correctly, see
AppendixB, “Troubleshooting”.

To start WebCam Control

1. Click Start -> Programs -> Creative ->
Video Blaste r WebCam -> VB W ebCam
Control.

The Video Blaster WebCam Control
screen similar to Figure 2-1 appears,
displaying the image from the camera.

2. Point the lens toward your subject (for
example, yourself, seated in front of your
monitor) and rotate the r ing around the
lens clockwis e and /or anti-cloc kwise unt il
the im ag e is in focu s.

Starting Video Blaster WebCam Control 2-1

• The contents of the

Format

and
depend on the video capture
device you select.

• The WDM driver gives better
performance in terms of frame
rate and is the recommended
choice.

• The VFW driv e r is com pat ib le
with software that only
supports Video For Windows.

Source

dialog boxes

To select the video capture device

1. On the top panel of WebCam Control, click the Settings icon.
The VB WebCam Control Settings dialog box appears, with the General tabbed page
displayed.

2. In the Video capture device list box, select the desired capture device.

3. Click the OK button.

To configure the various settings in WebCam Control and optimize the quality of still
images and video clips captured, proceed to:

❑ Chapter 3, “Using WebCam Control with the WDM driver” if you have selected

Video Blaster WebCam 3 (WDM) (Recommended)

❑ Chapter 4, “Using WebCam Control with the VFW driver” if you have select ed

Video Blaster WebCam 3 (VFW)

To capture still images using the Snapshot button

To start the Help file for WebCam Control

2-2 Starting Video Blast er WebCam Control

To do so

After WebCam Control is started, press the Snapshot button on the camera
(see Figure 1-1 on page 1-1).
An im ag e o f the pr evi ew in th e Video window is captured and a file name assigned to it.
The still image is added to the album in WebCam Control.

The Help file contains instructions on how to use WebCam Control’s main window and the

Settings dialog box.
To start the Help file

1. Click the Creat ive logo at the top left corner of WebCam Cont rol’s main window.

2. On the W ebCam Control menu, click Help.

3

Figure 3-1: The

Stream Format

tabbe d page.

Using WebCam Control with the WDM driver

This chapter consists of the foll owing sections:

❑ To configure settings for Video Blaster WebCam 3
❑ Optimizing WebCam 3

To configure
settings for
Video Blaster
WebC am 3

1. On the top panel of WebCam Control , click the Format icon.
The Format Properties dialog box similar to Figure 3-1 appears.

2. On the Stream Format tabbed page (see
Figure 3-1), select I420 from the Color
Space/Compression box.
The best frame rate for recording video
clips is ac hieved in the I420 mode.

3. C l ick the OK button.

Using WebCam Control with the WDM driver 3-1

To move the
you hav e to clear its
box fi rst.

To move the
you hav e to clear its
box fi rst.

Exposure

Brightness

slider,

Auto

Auto

check

slider,

check

4. On the top panel of WebCam Control ,

click the Source icon.
The Source Properties dialog box similar
to Figure 3-2 appears.

5. On the Camera Control tabbed page (se e

Figure 3-2), adjust the settings to your
preference.
To restore the settings to the factory
default, click the Default b utton.

Figure 3-2: The Camera Control tabbed page.

6. Click the Video Proc Amp tab.
The Video Proc Amp tabbed page s im ilar
to Figure 3-3 appears.

7. On the Video Proc Amp tabbed page,
adjust the settings to your preference.
To restore the settings to the factory
default, click the Default b utton.

8. Click the OK button.

3-2 Using WebCam Control with the WDM driver

Figure 3-3: The Video Proc Amp tabbe d pa ge.

Optimizing WebC am 3

The follo wing sections sho w you ho w to achie ve opt imum perform ance with your V ideo Bl aster
WebCam 3:

❑ Specifying the Frame Rate, Ima g eSize, and Color Depth
❑ Impr ov ing the Image Qu al ity
❑ Achieving the Best Frame Rate

Specifying the Frame Rate, Image Size, and Color Depth

Setting the frame rate

Flipping the image
horizontally

To adj u st the frame rate, ima g e s i ze and co lo r de p th

If you are using V ideo Blaster WebCam Control

On the top panel of WebCam Control, click the Format icon.
The Format Properties dialog box appears (see Figu re 3-1 on pag e 3-1).

The frame rate on the Stream Format tabbed page of the Format Propertie s dial og box is the

hardwar e

WebCam Control. This frame rate affects the preview in the Video window.
It is different from the

Control Settings dialog box on the General tabbed pag e. The
frame rate used when recording a video clip.

The maximum frame rate achie vable for both previ ew a nd record ing i s limited b y t he
frame rate. A higher frame rate requires more intensive CPU utilization.

The default value for this frame rate is 30 frames per second.

To flip the image that you see in the Video window horizontally, select the Flip Horizontal
check bo x . O t h erwise, clear it.

frame rate. This is the rate at which the camera streams the video f r ames to

software

frame rat e specified in Frame rate box in the VB WebCam

software

Using WebCam Control with the WDM driver 3-3

frame rate affects the

hardware

Choosing the image’s
output size

Select the desired output size for the image from the Output Size li st.
For

recording live video

, these resolutions are ideal: 160 x 120, 176 x 144, 320 x 240, and
352 x 288. These lower resol utions will give you a highe r fr ame rate.
For

capturing still images

, larger r esolutions are more suitable.

WebCam can capture images of up to 640 x 480 pixels in size.
Note that large images require more disk space to store the image files or video clips.

Large images also slow down the frame rate and increase transfer times for downloading from
or uploading to web pages.

Choosing the
color depth

Select the desired color depth for the image from the Colo r S pa ce/Com p ression li s t .
The options available are:

❑ RGB 24, which is 24-bit RGB (16.7 million colors)
❑ RGB 555, which is 16-bit RGB (65K colors)
❑ I420, which is Intel Raw YUV (raw input)

Table 3-1 below shows you the c olor depths that are available at each supported resolution.

Table 3-1: Available color depths at various resolutions.

You can achieve the bes t frame rate us in g the I420 mode.

3-4 Using WebCam Control with the WDM driver

Number of colors

Resolution 24-bi t R G B 16-bit RGB I420

640 x 480 Yes Yes Yes
352 x 288 Yes Yes Yes
320 x 240 Yes Yes Yes
176 x 144 Yes Yes Yes
160 x 120 Yes Yes Yes

128 x 96 Yes Yes Yes

Improving the quality

To improve the quality of video displayed in the Video window, move the Quality slider to the
right.

To achieve higher im a g e qu ality, the compres sio n ra te will be lowere d. This means tha t th e
frame rate may be slowed down. Lower image quality will give a higher compression rate.

For capturing st ill images, higher image quality is preferred. For recording video c lips and
videoconferen cing, you may lower the image quality so as to achieve a higher frame rate.

The default value for this setting is 0.5.

Improving the Image Quality

Camera Control
settings

This section co nsists of the following sub-s ections:

❑ Camera Control setti ngs
❑ Imag e set t in g s

To adjust the settings

If you are using V ideo Blaster WebCam Control

On the top panel of WebCam Control, click the Source ic on.
The Source Properties dialog box appears.

Each of the following sub-sections describes a setting that is found on the Camera Control
tabbed page of the Source Properties dialog box.

Zoom

To zoom in, move the Zoom slid er to the right.
To zoom out, move the Zoom slider to the left.

Zooming is available for sizes smaller than 640x480.

Using WebCam Control with the WDM driver 3-5

The number of steps (levels) for zooming depend on the image’s output size you select on the

Stream Format dialog box (see Figure 3-1 on page 3-1):

Image size Enlargement ratio No. of steps

160x120 4x 2
176x144 4x 2
320x240 2x 1
352x288 2x 1

Exposure

The best image quality obtained from your WebCam depends on adequate lighting. All other
image adjustment s als o depend on the presence of adequate lighting.

• For infor m ation on the effect
of fluorescent lighting on the
resulting image, see “Banding
filter” on page 3-8.

•To move the
you hav e to clear it s ch eck box
first.

Exposure

slider,

light, the r esult ing image will not be as cl ea r. Incandescent lig hti ng is prefe ra ble to fluo resce nt
lighting. If you are atta ching WebCam to a laptop computer, you will fin d tha t outdoo r li ghti ng
also works well.

Use the Exposure slider on the Camera Control tabb ed page of th e Source Properties dialog
box to adjust the amount of time used for exposing each video frame to the light.

Increasing the Exposure value boosts the sensiti vity of the WebCam’s sensor, causing it to be
more sensiti v e to l o w l ev e ls of lig hting. If the li ght ing in y our environment is di m, incr ease this
value to capture a brighter, and thus more detailed image.

3-6 Using WebCam Control with the WDM driver

W ebCam’s sensiti vit y is s imil ar to tha t of a hom e vide o camera . Althoug h it can operat e in lo w

Pan

Pan

The
available only when zooming is
active.

and

Tilt

slider s are

Image settings

For best results, it is strongly
recommended that you set your
monito r and disp lay card to
display 16-bit color (65,000
colors) or higher. If your
monitor can only display in 256
colors or lower, the image will be
dithe re d. For in fo rm a t i on on
changing monitor settings in
Windows, pl ease re fe r to
Windows online Help.

Move the

slider to pan the angle of the video to the left or to the right.

Pan

Tilt

Move the

The followin g sub-sect ion s descri be the sett ing s found on the
the

Source Properties

slider to tilt the angle of the video up or down.

Tilt

dialog box.

Video Proc Amp

tabbed page of

Brightness

To adjust the amount of light emi tted by the video display, move the

Brightness

slider.

Contrast

T o adj ust the cont rast between l ight and da rk element s of the displ ay, move the

Contrast

A high contrast image i s stark, lik e a black-and-wh ite tiled floor . A low con trast image is muted
and “washed-out” , as if the image is viewed through a fog.

slider.

Sharpness

If you find that the image is blurred, m ove t he

Sharpness

slider to the r ight to sharpen t he im age.

Settings for Color Correction

If you are using warm light ing, move the
yellowis h. If you are using c ool li ghting, mov e it to the left so that the i mage will not be bluis h.

slide r to the right so that th e image wil l no t be

Hue

To adjust the intensity or richness of video color, move the

Saturation

To adjust the intermediate color intensity of the screen, move the

Using WebCam Control with the WDM driver 3-7

slider.

Gamma

slider.

If you are usi ng fluorescent lighting, move the White Balance slider so that the image will no t
have a tint of green or magenta.

Banding filter

Under fluorescent lig hting, the f requenc y of the po wer s upply to t he l ight may c ause “bandin g”
in the video captured by the camera. “Banding” refers to the appearance of bands that are of a
brightness or shade different from that of the original display .

To filter out these distortions, enable the banding filter by moving the Backli ght Comp slider
to the right (value 1). If yo u are using incandescent lighting, you can dis able the banding filter
by moving the slider to the left (value 0).

Achieving the Best
Frame Rate

3-8 Using WebCam Control with the WDM driver

Here are a few tips for increasing the frame rate:

❑ Choose a smaller image size.
❑ Con figu r e th e came ra to op e r at e in I420 mode.
❑ Disable compression.
❑ Close all unnecessary applications.
❑ Before capturing vid eo to an AVI file with V ideo Blas ter W ebCam Control, use the Windo ws

Disk Defragmenter application to defragment your hard disk driv e.

❑ If your WebCam 3 is da isy-chained with another USB device to the USB port or if it shares

a USB hub with other devices, make sure that none of the other devices is acti ve when you
are capturing video. The total bandwidth of the USB port on your PC is shared by all the
active USB devices, and operating WebCam 3 along with another USB devic e on the same
port can lower the maximum possible frame rate.

4

Figure 4-1: The

Stream Sett ing s

tabbed pa ge.

Using WebCam Control with the VFW driver

This chapter consists of the foll owing sections:

❑ To configure settings for WebCam 3
❑ Impr ovin g I m a ge Qu a lity

To configure
settings for
WebC am 3

1. On the top panel of WebCam Control , click the Format button.
The Video Format dialog box similar to Figure 4-1 appears.

2. On the Stream Settings tabbed page
(see Figure 4-1), select 12 ; I420 from
the Pixel Depth (bits) and
Compression li s t .
The best frame rate for recording video
clips is ac hieved in the I420 mode.

3. C l ick the OK button.

Using WebCam Control with the VFW driver 4-1

To move the

Exposure

clear t heir correspond ing
check boxes first.

Brightness

sliders , you have to

and

Auto

4. On the top pane l of WebCam Control, click

the Source button.
The Video Source dialog box similar to
Figure 4-2 appears.

5. On the Video tabbed page, adjust the

settings to your preference.
To restore the settings to the factory
default, click the Set Default button.

Figure 4-2: The Video tabbed page.

4-2 Using WebCam Control with the VFW driver

6. C l ick the Advanced tab.

Figure 4-3: The

Advanced

tabbe d page.

The Advanced tabbed page s imilar to
Figure 4-3 appears.

7. On the Advanced tabbed page, select the
compression cont rol, banding f ilter feature ,
and lighting options.

8. C l ick the OK button.

Optimizing WebC am 3

Changing
Image Size and
Color Depth

This secti on describes some of the settings in greate r detail and provide s tips on how to get the
best image possible. It contains the following sub-sections:

❑ Changi ng I m age Size and Col o r Depth
❑ Improving Im age Q u alit y
❑ Achieving the Best Frame Rate

To change the image size and color depth

If you are using V ideo Blaster WebCam Control

On the top panel of WebCam Control, click the Format icon.
The Video Format dialog box appears (see Figure 4-1 on page 4-1).

Using WebCam Control with the VFW driver 4-3

Choosing the size
of the image

Select the desired output size for the image from the Resolution list.
For

recording live video

, these resolutions are ideal: 160 x 120, 176 x 144, 320 x 240, and
352 x 288. These lower resol utions will give you a highe r fr ame rate.
For

capturing still images

, larger r esolutions are more suitable.

WebCam can capture images of up to 640 x 480 pixels in size.
Note that large image sizes require more disk space to stor e th e image file s or vi deo clips.

Large image sizes also slow down the frame rate and increase transfer times for downloading
from or uploading to web pages.

Choosing the
color depth

Select the desired color depth for the image from the Pixel Depth (bits) and Compression list.
The options available are:

❑ 12 ; I420, which is Intel Raw YUV (raw input)
❑ 24 ; RGB, which is 24-bit RGB (16.7 mill ion colors)
❑ 16 ; RGB, which is 16-bit RGB (65K colors)

Table 4-1 below shows you the c olor depth modes that are ava ilable at each supported
resolution.

T able 4-1: Availab le color depth modes at various resolutions.

4-4 Using WebCam Control with the VFW driver

Number of colors

Resolution 24-bi t R G B 16-bit RGB I420

640 x 480 Yes Yes Yes
352 x 288 Yes Yes Yes
320 x 240 Yes Yes Yes
176 x 144 Yes Yes Yes
160 x 120 Yes Yes Yes

128 x 96 Yes Yes Yes

You can achieve the be st frame rat e using the I420 mode.

Improving
Image Quality

Video Control settings

For best results, it is strongly
recommended that you set your
monito r and disp lay card to
display 16-bit color (65,000
colors) or higher. If your
monitor can only display in 256
colors or lower, the image will be
dithe re d. For in fo rm a t i on on
changing monitor settings in
Windows, pl ease re fe r to
Windows online Help.

This section co nsists of the following sub-s ections:

❑ Vi deo Control settings
❑ Advanced settings

To adjust the settings

If you are using V ideo Blaster WebCam Control

On the top panel of WebCam Control, click the Source ic on.
The Video Source dialog box appears (see Figure 4-2 and Figure 4-3 on page 4-3).

The Video tabbed page in the Video Source dialog box lets you adjust the brightness, contrast,
color and other aspects of the video display. The following sub-sections these settings.

Brightness

To adjust the amount of light emi tted by the video display, move the Brightness slider.

Exposure

To adjust the amount of time used for exposing each video frame to the light, move the
Exposure slider.

Increa sing the Exposure value boosts the sensitivity of the WebCam’s sensor , causing it to be
more sensitive to lo w ligh ting. I f th e li ght ing in y our en vi r onmen t is dim , i ncr ease this v alu e to
capture a brighter, and thus more detailed image.

Using WebCam Control with the VFW driver 4-5

Contrast

To adjust the c ontrast between li ght and dark elements of the displ ay, move the
A high contrast ima ge is stark, lik e a black-and-whi te tiled fl oor . A low con trast image is muted
and “washed-out”, as if the image is viewed through a fog.

Contrast

slider.

Sharpness

If you find th at the image is blurry, move the

Sharpness

slider to the right to sharpen the image.

Settings for Color Correction

To adjust the intensity or richness of video color, move the
If you are using wa rm lightin g, mov e the

yellowis h. If you are using cool lighting, move it to the left so that the image will not appear
bluish.

If you are using fluorescent lighting, move the
image will not have a tint of green or magenta.

To adjust the int er media t e co lo r in te n s it y of th e scr e en, move the

slider to t he righ t so th at the image wil l not a ppear

Hue

AWB

Saturation

(Auto Whi te Bala nc e) sl id er s o th at the

slider.

Gamma

slider.

Zoom

To zoom in, click the In button in the
To zoom out, click the

Zooming is av ailable for sizes smaller than 640 x480.

button in the

Out

Zoom co nt ro l

Zoom co nt ro l

group box.

group box.

4-6 Using WebCam Control with the VFW driver

The number of steps (levels) for zooming depend on the image’s output size you sele ct on the

Stream Format dialog box (see Figure 4-1 on page 4-1):

Image size Enlargement ratio No. of steps

160x120 4x 2
176x144 4x 2
320x240 2x 1
352x288 2x 1

Advanced settings

The following sub-sections describe the settings found on the Advanced tabbed page of the
Video Source dialog box.

Compression control

Vi deo Blast er WebCam offers a compressi on option t ha t can impro v e the fr ame rate. Ho we v er,
a higher frame rate may affect the image quality.

In the Compression control group box on the Advanced tabbed page, select either Faster
Video (higher compression rate, lower image quality) or Be t ter Q u a l it y (l ower co mp r ession
rate, higher image qual ity).

Banding filter

Under fluorescent lig hting, the frequenc y of the po wer s upply to t he ligh t may c ause “bandi ng”
in the video capture d by the camera. “Banding” refers to the appearance of bands that are of a
brightness or shade different from that of the original display.

To filter out these distortions, enable the banding filter by select ing the Enable check box.
After you hav e s electe d t he Enable check box, selec t the fre quenc y of the power supply to your
light: 50 Hz or 60 Hz.

Using WebCam Control with the VFW driver 4-7

If you are using incandescent lighting, disable the banding filter by clearing the Enable check
box.

Scene lighting

The best image quality obtained from your Video Blaster WebCam depends on adequate
lighting. All other image adjust ments depend on the presence of an adequate amount of light.

Vi deo Blaster WebCam’s sensitivity is similar to th at of a home video camera. Although it can
operate in low light, the resulting image is not clear. Incandescent lighting is preferable to
fluorescent li ght ing. If y ou a re at tachi ng V id eo Blas ter WebCam to a laptop com puter, you will
find that outdoor lighting also works well.

The Advanced tabbed page in the Vi de o So ur ce dialog box lets you choo se low lig ht or normal
lighting mode . Selec ting the l ow li ght mode b oosts t he camera’s sensiti vity and provide s a mor e
detailed image, but may lower the frame rate.

Achieving the Best
Frame Rate

4-8 Using WebCam Control with the VFW driver

Here are a few tips for increasing the frame rate:

❑ Choose a smaller image size.
❑ Con figu r e th e came ra to op e r at e in I420 mode.
❑ Disable compression.
❑ Close all unnecessary applications.
❑ Before capturing video to an AVI file with W ebCam Control, use the Windows Disk

❑ If your W ebCam 3 is daisy-chained with another USB device to the USB port or shares a

Defragmenter application to defragment your hard disk drive .

USB hub with other d e vice s, make s ure t ha t none of the o the r de vi ces is acti ve whe n you are
capturing vide o. The t ota l bandwi dth o f the USB port on your PC i s share d b y al l the a cti v e
USB devices, and operati ng W ebCa m 3 along wi th another USB d evice on the same port can
lower the maximum possible frame rate.

Video Blaster WebCam 3 Applications

The Video Blaster WebCam 3 application CD includes the following:

❑ Vi deo Blaster WebCam Control
❑ Vi deo Blaster WebCam Monitor
❑ Polaroid PhotoMAX
❑ Microsoft NetMeeting
❑ Microsoft Internet Explorer

5

Video Blaster
WebCam Control

Video Blaster
WebC am
Monitor

This simple but powerful system applicati on lets you take control of your camera with a click
of the taskbar icon. Instantly cap ture still im ages or video cl ips for exp orting to other programs,
or send them directly to your e-mail progra m. You can adjust resolution and image quali ty an d
even manage a database of still images and video clips.

If you are thi nki ng o f putti ng a li v e snap shot of your office, coffee p ot, or e ve n yo ur f ish tank on
your web page, Video Blaster WebCam Monitor is the complete solution. Just point your
camera at the de sired s ubject of your s naps hot, pi ck a t ime i nterv al, and WebCam Monitor does
the rest, including automatica lly uploading the snaps hots to your Web site. It can even act as a
motion-detecting security system which automatically sends an e-mail message to notify you
whenever anybody gets near your PC and you are not around.

Video Blaster WebCam 3 Applicati ons 5-1

Polaroid
PhotoMAX

Polaroid PhotoMAX by Arc So f t combines several digital imaging applications in a single
graphical use r in te rface gi vin g you all the t ools n eeded to mani pulate ima ges i n o ne ea sy-to-u se
package. PhotoMAX uti lizes Polaroi d’s unique acti v e ima ge tech nology to m ov e acq uired and
edited images throughout applications eli minating the need to open and close multiple
application s or hunt for edited images.

The Creati ve Gall ery feat ures qualit y artw ork and the ca pability to ad d images to el ectron ic and
printed greeting cards, insert images onto backgrounds, and much more.

For more information, please refer to PhotoMAX’s online Help.

Microsoft
NetMeeting

Microsoft
Internet Explorer

5-2 Vid eo Bl aster WebCam 3 Applicati ons

Microsoft NetMeeting is a voice communications client that includes support for international
conferencing standards and provide s true multi-user application sharing and data conferencing
capabilities.

It supports one-w ay or two-w ay vi deoconfe renci ng, so your friends can see you e ve n if the y do
not have a camera. Audio-only conversations and text chats are also supported. Two or more
users can collaborate on a document, doodle on a whiteboard, or e ven share any Windows
appli cation in re al - ti m e over th e I nternet o r cor p o r at e in tranet.

Microsoft Internet Explorer is an Internet browser that features ActiveX technology, so web
pages can co mbine in t er active ActiveX Contr o ls , Java app le ts, and m ore to creat e in teract ive
content. Acti v eMovi e t echnol ogy all o ws you t o vi ew m ultim edia cont ent on the we b, inc ludi ng
MPEG audio and video.

Technical Specifications

A

Construction

Camera housing

Powe r

Sensor

Resolution
(for both Video mode
and Still mode)

Sensitivity

USB Port version: Remote camera head with a USB cable

Base and flip-top lens housing with manual vertical tilt of 90 degrees

From USB port or powered USB hub
Note: If you are c onnect ing the WebCam to a USB hub, make sure th at it is a po wered h ub, that
is, it is powered by an external power source.

OmniVision OV7610 CMOS image sensor

❑ 640 x 480
❑ 352 x 288
❑ 320 x 240
❑ 176 x 144
❑ 160 x 120

6 lux

Technical Specifications A-1

Video formats

❑ 24- and 16-bit RGB
❑ 4:2:0 YUV Planar

Exposure control

Color balance

Color matrix

Field-of-view

Depth-of-field

Port compatibility

Software
compatibility

Automatic (optional manual control with software)

Automatic (optional manual control with software)

Preset and integral to camera

62 degrees (horizontal)

75 millimeter s to infinity

USB Port version: Universal Serial Bus port

USB Port version: TWAIN, 16-bit V ide o for W in do ws, Di rectSho w, and Still I mage dri v er that
run in Windows 98.

A-2 Technical Specifications

Troubleshooting

B

Problem Installing Software

Problems Using
Video Blaster
WebC am 3

The setup pr ogr am for V ide o Blaster W ebCa m 3 does not run auto matica lly afte r you in sert the i nstal lation
CD into the drive.

Cause The AutoPlay feature in your Windows system may not be enab led.
Solution To install th e software from the CD:

1. Leave the installation CD in the CD-ROM drive.

2. Click Start -> Run.

3. In the Run dialog box, click D:\WCCTRL\SETUP.EXE

4. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.

There is no USB port available to connect the USB cable.

Solution Do one of the following:

❑ Unplug the device currently connected.
❑ Add a powered USB hub.
❑ Add a PCI USB card.

Troubleshooting B-1

An application reports that the video driver is already in use, or that the camera cannot be found.

Solution Do the foll ow in g :

❑ The camera module is not properly connected. To resolve this problem, ensure

the camera’s USB connector is inserted, and that the USB connector is
enabled in the BIOS . Refer to your P C’s documentation for information on
the BIO S .

❑ Reinstall the video captu r e drivers and reboot.

Picture is too bright.

Cause The amount of light entering the camera has exceeded the exposure control limit.

There may be a very bright object in the camera’s view.

Solution A v oid poin tin g th e camer a at ve ry br ight ob je cts (for example, sunlight , ligh ts , or

highly reflective surfaces).

Insuf ficient system resources reserved for the USB port, causing the system to be unable to function.

Cause There are too many devices in the system, causing IRQ problems with the

system’s USB controller.

Solution Do the foll ow in g :

1. Remove some devices from the system.

2. Restart the system.
The syst em w il l aut o matica ll y re arr an g e th e resources.

B-2 Troubleshooting

Note on USB Compatibility

In our testing on a wide variety of PC motherboards with inte grated Universal Seri al Bus
(USB) ports, we have encountere d a small numbe r of motherb oards with USB ports that do not
meet the USB specification exactly. Unfortunately, the Video Blas ter WebCa m 3
operate correctly with these systems.

When you run the setup program from the Video Blaster WebCam 3 installation CD, the setup
program automatically checks your motherboard model and revision. If your motherboard is
among those that have failed our test procedure, the setup program will display a warning
message. However, due to the numerous brands of motherboards in the market, our test
procedure is not ex haustive. So, there may be some non-USB-compliant moth erboards that
will not trigger the display of the warning message.

So far, for s ome of the non-US B-compli ant mot herboa rds that we ha ve test ed, the motherboard
manufactur ers have released new ve rsions of motherboards or BIOS to address the problem.

If the setup program warns you that your motherboard’s USB port is incompatible, or if the
camera does not work on your system and you suspect that the pr oblem may be related to your
PC’s USB port, the following is a list of available options:

1. Contact your PC vendo r.
Your PC vendor may be able to upgrade your mothe rboard or its BIOS to a newer version
that addres ses USB incompatibil ities.

C

not

may

Note on USB Compatibility C-1

2. Use a PCI host adapter which provides USB connectors.
If you are not able to upgrade your motherboard or its BIOS , we recommend this approach.

3. Attach the Video Blaster WebCam 3 to a powered USB hub.
Some USB devic es (suc h as monit ors) a lso ope rate a s po wered USB h ubs ; you ca n als o buy
dedicated powered USB hubs which are to be attached to your PC’s US B port. Howeve r, in
some cases, attaching a powered USB hub to a non-USB-compliant USB mot herboard
connector will not sol ve the problem.

To look for a USB compatible product, you can vi si t the product search page at the official
USB Web site: http://www.usb.org/app/db/search/products.

C-2 Note on USB Compatibility

Technical Support

We are committed to giving you the best product as well as the best technical support. Please
enter the follo wing information in the table below and have it ready when you conta ct
Technical Support.

❑

Please ensure to retain your
purchase receipt plus all
packagi ng and contents until
such time that all components of
the product are functioning to
your s atis fac tion . They will a ll b e
requir ed in th e unlik ely eve nt tha t
your p roduct nee ds to b e ret urned
to Creative.

❑
❑
❑

❑

D

The model and serial numbers of your card and other devices.
Error message on the screen and how it came about.
Information on the adapter card that conflicts with your card.
Hardware configuration information such as the base I/O address, IRQ line,

or DMA channel used.
Type and version of your operating system, e.g., DOS 6.0, Windows 3.1x,

Window s 95, Windows 98 or Win dows N T.

D-1 Technical Support

Before contacting “Creat ive
European Help Line”, please
ensure that you have read
‘Troubleshooting’.

For quick and e asy refe rence, it i s advi sable t hat you writ e do wn the follo wi ng numbers of y our
card and other hardware devices, if installed in your system in the tables below ..

Hardware Model Number Serial Number

CD-ROM Drive
Audio Card*
Video Card
Fax/Modem
MIDI Device
Others:

See label on underside of card

*

Hardware Base I/O Address IRQ DMA

CD-ROM Drive
Audio Card
Video Card
Fax/Modem
MIDI Device
Others:

Technical Support D-2

Inside Europe

See “Creative European Help Line” section for contact numbers.

Through
CompuServe

By Fax

To serve you better, we have created a Creati ve Labs Forum on CompuServe. Through this
forum:

You will have direc t access to our compa ny representa ti v es who will be there

❑

to answer your questions.
You will be part of an interactive community of Creative’ s product users.

❑

Here you can share experie nces and ideas an d also seek solutions to problems.
We will also keep you up-to-date on the latest product information, software

❑

updates, and fixes to common problems.
We will also welcome your recommendation s an d suggestions for new

❑

products and for improving our products in future releases.

For fast and efficient Technical Support solutions, please use our telephone service in the first
instance. If you decide to write or fax us then please send your correspondenc e ONLY to our
Ireland address. Ple as e al low up to two weeks processing and postal tim e for a resp onse. See
“Creative European H elp Line” section for contact numbers.

AutoFax is a facility that allows you to obtain product and technical information through
facsimile services. In Europe, use th e f o llowing numb er: [phone].

D-3 Technical Support

If You Have a Problem

Please retai n all c ontent s i ncludi ng p ackagi ng and pro of of p urchase unt il you a re fully sati sf ie d
with product.

If you find that you have a problem with your Creative product and believe that it needs to be
repaired or replace d, you s hould verify the purchase date and take the appropriate action as
deta iled be low :

Less than 30 days
since date of
purchase

More than 30 days
since date of
purchase

Should your store receipt indicate that the product is less than 30 days old, you have the option
of calling Technical Support for assis tance or returning the full produc t to the dealer/reatailer
for a replacement or credit (see “Creative European Help Line” section for contact numbers).

First contact European Technical Support (see “Creative European Help Line” section for
contact numbers) to establish the nature of the problem and details on our repair returns
procedure. Creative Labs requires that all returns for repair/replace ment must first be issued
with an authorisation number.

Technical Support D-4

Returning a product
for repair

• Contact Technical Support to receive your authorisation numbe r for repa ir/replacement
of product.

• Technical Support will communicate how to return the product in question for repair/
replacement.

• You should only return the hardware item in question and return it to the address
detailed by technical support. Pleas e retain all software, acces sories and the original
packaging.

• Please quote the authorisation number c learly on the outside of the pac kaging, in which
you return the hardware item in question.

• Upon receipt of the faulty item, Creati ve Labs will process your request and
arrange return.

Creativ e may repla ce or repa ir th e product with ne w or recondit ion ed parts , and the fa ult y parts
will become the property of Creative. The warranty peri od for your repaired/replacement item
is 90 days from the date of shipment from Creative, or what is left on the original item’ s
warranty, whichever is longer.

To avoid tariffs when shipping a product to Creative Labs from outside the E.U., you must
complete the relevant customs documentation before shipping the product (please allow 30 days).

D-5 Technical Support

Limited Warranty

Creative Labs (Ireland) Limited (“Creative”) warrants to you, the original purchaser only, that the
hardw are produc t will be free of defects in materials a nd workmanship for a period of two years
after the date of purchase, or such other period as may be expressly specified by Creative or
required by applicable law (“Warranty Period”).

Creative’s entire liability and your remedy will be, at Creative’s sole discretion, the repair or
replacement (with the same or similar model) of any hardware or accompanying item(s) not
meeting the “Limited Warranty” explained above that is returned to Creative’ s authorised
distributor or dealer during the Warranty Period with a copy of your receipt.

What this warranty
does not cover

This warranty gives you specific
legal rights. You may have other
rights which vary from country to
country. Certain limitations in this
warranty are not permitted by the
jurisdiction of some countries, so
some limitations here may not
apply to you.

T o the maximum ext ent permitte d by applic able law, Creati ve discl aims all other wa rranties and
conditions, exp res sed or im pli ed, i ncludin g t he condit ion s of q ual ity, merchanta bil ity or f it ness
for a particular purp os e with respect to the use of this product. Creat ive also disclaims an y
obligation to s upport products for all operating environments - for example, by ensuring
interoperability with future versions of software or hardware. In no event shall Creative or its
licensors be liable for any indirect, incidenta l, special or consequential loss or for any lost
profits, savings or data ar ising from or relating t o the use of this produ ct, even if Creative or its
licensors have been advised of the possibility of such loss.

Specifically, thi s wa rranty does not cover failures of the product which result from accident,
abuse, misuse, alterations (by persons other than Crea tive or its authorized repair agents),
moisture, corrosive environments, shipping, high voltage surges, or abnormal working
conditions. Thi s warranty does not cover normal wear and tear. You are specifically advised to
take a backup copy of an y software provided with the Cre ative product for security purposes.

Technical Support D-6

Creative European Help Line

CREA TIVE LABS ( IRELAND) L TD. ,

T ech nical Support De partment,
Ballycoolin Busines s Par k, Bla nchard sto w n,
Dublin 15, Irela nd.

United Kingdom

Tel [phone]

Germany

Tel [phone]

Ireland

Tel [phone]
BBS [phone]

France

Tel [phone]

Spain

Tel [phone]

Veuillez utiliser le numéro suivant pour toute correspondance par télécopie : [phone]

Para correspondencia mediante fax por favor use el siguiente número: [phone]

Voor alle korrespondentie via fax gebruik het volgende nummer: [phone]

Italy

Tel [phone]

Austria

Tel [phone]

Belgium

Tel [phone]

Denmark

Tel [phone]

Finland

Tel [phone]

Norway

Tel [phone]

Sweden

Tel [phone]

For all correspondence by fax please use the following number: [phone]

Bitte senden Sie alle Faxmitteilungen an die folgende Nummer: [phone]

Inviare la corrispondenza via fax al numero: [phone]

O nosso número de fax é: [phone]

Holland

Tel [phone]

Switzerland

Tel [phone]

Portugal

Tel [phone]

Czech Republic

Tel [phone]

Poland

Freephone 00 800 353 1229

Hungary

Freephone 00 800 1222

Russia

Tel [phone]

Operating Hours / Heures d’ouverture / Öffnungszeiten / Ore d’ufficio / Horario de oficina / Openingstijden / Horário de abertura

EUROPE

Mon-Fri : Business Hours Sat-Sun & Public Holidays : Closed
Lun. au vend. : Heures de bureau Sam., dim. et jours fériés : Fermé
Mo-Fr : Geschäftszeiten Sa, So & gesetzl. Feiertage : Geschlossen
Lunedì-venerdì : Orario d’ufficio Sabato, domenica e festivi : Chiuso
Lunes-Viernes : Horario de oficina Sábados, domingos y festivos : Cerrado
Maandag-Vrijdag : Kantooruren Zat.-Zon. & Nationale Feestdagen : Gesloten
Segunda a sexta-feira : Horário de expediente Sábado, domingo e feriados : Fechado

AutoFax & CompuSer ve

AutoFax is a facility that allow s you to obtain product and technical information through facsimile ser vices. In Europe, use the following number:

UK

[phone].
At the CompuSer ve prompt, Type
AutoFax est un des services vo us permettant d’obtenir des information s rela tives aux pro duits ainsi que des inform ations techniques par télécopie.

En Europe le numéro AutoFax est le suivant : [phone]

F

A l'invite de CompuServe, tapez
Mit dem AutoFax-Service erhalten Sie Informationen über Produkte und te chnische Informationen per Fax. Rufen Sie i n Europa die folgende

Faxnum mer an: [phone]

D

Geben Sie in der CompuServe-Befehlszeile
AutoFax è un sistema che consente di o ttenere informazioni tecniche e commerciali sui pr odotti mediante f a x. Per l’Europa, il numero di fax è +353

1 820 3667.

I

Al prompt di CompuServe, digitare
AutoFax es un ser v icio que le p ermi te obt ene r inf ormaci ón té cnica so br e los pr oduc to s de Creat i ve La bs. En Europa, l lame al núm ero si guien te +353

1 8203667

E

Escriba

Go Blaster

Met AutoFax kunt u productinf ormatie en technische informatie opvragen via de fax. Gebruik hier voor in Europa het volgende nummer: +353 1

8203667.

N

Bij de CompuServe prompt, Type

y pulse la tecla <Intro> tras el indicativo de CompuServe.

Go Blaster

Go Blaster

Go Blaster

Go Blaster

and press <Enter>.

et appuyez sur <Entrée>.

Go Blaster

en druk op <Enter >.

ein, und drücken Sie <Eingabe>.

e premere <Invio>.

Internet

To recei ve technical support via the Internet, please e-mail:

W eb Site http://www.cle.creaf.com

ftp.cle.creaf.com

[e-mail]